College Veterinary Service Trip

Recently I was accepted to a summer Loop Abroad program called the College Veterinary Service Trip to Thailand. This program entails two weeks spent at two separate locations. The first week is at the Animal Rescue Kingdom or the ARK Dog Shelter in Chiang Mai. ARK is a shelter that is home to over one hundred dogs that were either abandoned, neglected, or abused and have since been rescued. During the ARK shelter week, I will have the opportunity to learn clinical skills that are valuable to me as an aspiring vet. Some of the activities I will be doing include: IM, IV, and Sub-Q injections, catheter placement, blood draws/smears, canine and feline neuter surgeries, anesthesia monitoring, and recovery. These dogs are in need of our help. Many of them have come to the shelter with injuries, infections, and wounds. The ARK shelter prides itself on providing love and medical care to these dogs. While the goal is to rehome as many dogs as possible, many will spend their whole life on site at the shelter. This week of the service trip mainly involves learning through lecture style classes about treatments, diagnostics, and surgery by practicing hands on alongside experienced ARK veterinarians.

During the second week of the trip I will be volunteering at the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai. The Elephant Nature Park is a sanctuary designated for rescue elephants that have been saved from elephant based industries such as logging or trekking operations. The park also provides a natural environment for dogs, cats, buffaloes and many other animals. As a volunteer, I will help with the day to day care of the elephants and work with the Elephant park veterinarian. In addition to serving as a sanctuary, ENP strives to preserve and repair the struggling rain forest habitat in its surrounding area. The park reintroduces native species to around 30 acres per year, and will do so for the next five years, in order to turn abandoned farmland back into climates suitable for elephants to live and breed.The ENP founder and conservationist Lek Chailert will be coming to speak personally to students about the Elephant Sanctuary project and what we can do to help it. Students will also hear from staff and other conservationists that are a part of the ENP mission. The elephant nature park also emphasizes educating Loop Abroad students on the plight of endangered local species in Thailand.

I’m very passionate about animal welfare and this trip will give me the chance to not only have hands on veterinary experiences, but also to learn about protecting domestic animals and endangered species like elephants. The knowledge I gain from this experience will give me the tools necessary to learn how to be an advocate for animals as a practicing veterinarian.

Loop Abroad provides small, focused travel programs that allow motivated students to experience other cultures and give back while learning about real-world problem solving. Their programs are a life-changing experience where students can build leadership skills, question their beliefs, and work toward discovering what it takes to make a real impact on the world.

Through readings, workshops, discussions, and hands-on activities, I hope to learn all about Thai culture and develop some new skills. My trip is certainly about giving back, but it’s also about expanding my horizons and experiences.

My tuition for the program is $3850 and airfare will be approximately $1,900. I will be using my savings to pay for half of whatever money I do not raise for the trip. Although the collective costs of the trip will come out to $5,750, I have decided that $2,000 is an attainable amount to raise for my trip to Thailand. I would greatly appreciate any amount you can give. If you are unable to donate, feel free to share my gofundme with other friends and family. Regardless, thank you for supporting me on this trip and for making it a reality.