Jake from Merial ROCKS!

I recently learned that Merial has a "buy back" program: if a clinic switches from a competitor's flea control product to Frontline or Frontline Plus, Merial will "buy" the remaining doses of the competitor's product from the clinic. So what does Merial do with these items?
This time, they donated a big boxful to our World Vets effort! Now I've got a bunch of ProVecta flea and tick stuff to take to Romania. Yay, Jake!

Got the World Vets Bag!

In addition to my scrub top, this time the World Vets crew surprised me with a drawstring backpack - awesomeness!
And over on the World Vets website, they've now posted trips for next year - to include Ecuador, Mongolia, and probably Tanzania! Get signed up quick; I am sure the available spaces will go fast!

Oh Boy!

Just got my confirmation email that a World Vets packet is on the way - complete with another World Vets scrub top! Now I won't have to jump in a pool every day on this trip. Thank goodness, since I understand Romania in October is much colder than Nicaragua in March.

On the little dog front, two of our li'l projects have eye ulcers, but we can't send them to an opthamologist yet as the owner has still not relinquished ownership. So we're medicating as best we can until the owners finally admit that they can't proplerly care for 40 small dogs, at which point we'll be looking for new owners/wealthy sponsors willing to cover the cost of eye care/skin care/general grooming care. I hope. If the owners admit they can't properly care for the dogs. I hope they "get it" really soon.

More New Faces:

A few days ago, a warehouse-type hoarding facility burned down, displacing at least 40 dogs, cats, birds, what have you...
8 of the dogs are now in our care. They were in horribly matted condition with long toenails, etc. We had a grooming party on Wednesday and several foster folks brought their fire dogs too. We washed, clipped, cleaned, and loved up on the pooches and gave them all some flea meds. Now our 8 enjoy running around in the back yard several times daily.
We don't know their real names, but nicknames are Cracker, Jack, Circus, Peanut, Laffy, Taffy, Cookie, and Candy. They are all very nice little dogs, but half are very timid. Surprisingly, most (if not all) of the male dogs are neutered, and we found spay scars on some of the females as well.
Here are some photos I got during this morning's "Little Dog Party":

Kongrats, Karoo!

A huge round of "ap-paws" for Karoo the border collie (and his Mama Dr. Steele) for walking 100 miles for pets in just 6 days! They are still collecting donations here at the Ocean Shores Animal Hospital, or on Karoo's blog (www.karoo100mile.blogspot.com).

Meet little Buzau!

This sweet little ragamuffin (or "Romanian Wiggy") was brought to his new home on Memorial Day. Buzau's (pronounced Boo-zoe) new mama, Judy, met him on a World Vets trip to Romania, where he was deemed "too sick" for surgery and was supposed to be left out in a park to die. Judy just couldn't leave him behind. So far, he's doing much better on proper nutrition and some parasite control. I'm sure I'll refer to the li'l guy every so often, since he's now a patient at our office!
Welcome to America, Buzau!

Reading up on Romania

According to "the internet", the Romanian pet overpopulation problem is largely due to farming families being forced to abandon their animals when they were required by their communist government to move into bloc housing that did not allow pets. There is at least one rescue team (Romania Animal Rescue) that has coordinated with other groups to begin the gargantuan spay/neuter effort in several Romanian cities. They've also started education and adoption programs. Thank goodness for an ally over there! I understand that in Buzau we'll be working with the Romanian army, and possibly even treating some of their working military dogs.
Also according to "the internet", there are some pretty neat things in the Buzau area that merit being checked out: mud volcanoes, Roman ruins, the Danube, etc. Why is October so far away?
Things to keep me busy in the meantime:
1)Karoo (an incredibly handsome 4 year old border collie I know) and his mama are going on a 100-mile walk to raise money for animal charities (including World Vets). Karoo has already started up a trip blog for the walk.
2)Teddy, my own sheltie, is undergoing a series of procedures to fix an old broken leg (pretty much what prompted me to adopt him). He's going back to see the amazing Dr. Glore at Brady Vet next Monday. Having seen how other cases of Dr. Glore's have turned out, I'm very optimistic.
3)I'm judging a dog show on June 12th, after the Flag Day Parade in Ocean Shores. There are a bunch of categories: best trick, etc.
4)Pet Photo Calendar Contest! Still in planning stages, but the goal is to have this up and running from our office website by the end of June! Check back for details!

Word on the street...

There is a World Vets team in Romania right now. They fly back tomorrow. Rumor has it that they're bringing back 6 dogs with them. That's 6 less homeless and parasite-ridden pooches populating the back alleys of Buzau. I can't wait to meet the one coming to my hometown. Judy's tentatively named her boy Buzau, in honor of his birthplace. In order to refrain from bringing any dogs back for myself, I think I'll need to have some pre-assigned sponsors who would be willing to adopt/foster any pups I might feel the need to carry back with me in November.

All signed up!

Here's post #1 of the Romania adventure blog! Dr. Steele and I have signed up to go to Romania with World Vets this October. We'll spend 4 days in spay/neuter clinics, and 4 days playing/exploring (including a trip to Dracula's castle on Halloween!). Then we decided to add a few extra days, so the tentative plan is to hit Austria, Switzerland, and southern Germany before we head back. Details to follow!