UF team treats over 300 animals in need during recent trip to Roatan, Honduras

The UF team poses for a group shot after spending three days in Roatan, Honduras, caring for animals in need.

By Sarah Carey

A group of University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine faculty, students, and alumni recently returned from Roatan, Honduras, where they provided medical and surgical care to over 300 animals in need over three consecutive days.

Open to all current UF D.V.M. students, the popular experience takes place annually as part of the International Veterinary Medicine course and a student club, and has drawn many former students back as alumni, along with several past faculty members who have continued their participation. Several have returned year after year since the program’s inception in 2007.

The club, Students for International Veterinary Opportunities, or SIVO, started as the idea of then-veterinary student, Dr. Baird Fleming, (’03), said course coordinator Dr. Amy Stone, (’99), a clinical associate professor with the UF Small Animal Hospital’s primary care and dentistry service. Fleming enlisted her help to figure out how to have a trip that would involve helping residents of the island of Roatan gain more access to veterinary care while simultaneously helping students learn about third-world veterinary medicine and better understand the concept of One Health.

The annual trip to the island started as a SIVO club trip that provided three days of a free wellness medicine and surgery clinic. Over the years, it has grown to include the help of veterinarians on the island, countless local volunteers, faculty, and other U.S. veterinarians along with many students.

The event takes place after a year of acquiring supplies, training students, and organizing the logistics of having a healthcare event in another country.

“These students do an incredible amount of fundraising to allow the clinic to happen,” Stone said, adding that each volunteer student, doctor, or support staff member pays their own way to go on the trip.

“During the time that we have been doing this trip, we have educated the officials on the island about rabies risks, parasite risks, and how to safely control the population of dogs and cats on the island through spay/neuter/wellness care,” Stone said. “There has been a presence on the island every year, including 2020 when we could only send heartworm tests and parasite prevention through our local vets and volunteers. The island community has welcomed us back every year and the local businesses even support our cause through preparing meals for the clinic and providing lower cost lodging and entertainment activities.”

Stone said the group has been very lucky to have had many volunteer veterinarians and veterinary nurses from across our country help teach students on the island.

“We have even had support staff from the UF College of Pharmacy, along with the partners and family members of the volunteer veterinarians come help with the effort,” she said. “Alumni want to come back year after year to help. It takes dedicated people as well as a lot of hard work to pull this off each year.”

Given all of that effort and the benefits that the students gain from this experience, some years ago the college decided to make the Roatan trip a part of the International Veterinary Medicine course. This way, the students have the opportunity to get course credit if they participate in all of the preparatory laboratory sessions and help with clinic logistics. However, registering for the course is not a requirement to participate in the labs and come on the trip.

During this course, students learn how to practice quality medicine and surgery on a budget in a third-world country.

“This program is an excellent opportunity for the students to see how much you can accomplish, even in less than ideal circumstances, which will help them in dealing with low-income clients, shelter situations, or economic hardship,” said Dr. Jenna Rooks, (’14), a clinical lecturer with the primary care and dentistry service who teaches in the course and is a longtime participant.

Leading up to the trip, the students participate in labs focusing on physical exams, anesthesia, and surgery. For many of these students, this is the first hands-on exposure to these areas they receive, since first-year students are among the participants. When in Roatan, the clinic is held over three days and the students rotate through four stations: medicine, anesthesia, surgery, and recovery. They are able to see how all stations interact with each other and why each is important.

“In each station, they are taught to focus on their senses rather than specialized equipment, since this is not available to us,” Rooks said. “In this setting, we do not have otoscopes or ophthalmoscopes. We do not have anesthesia monitors or fluid pumps. Being able to see, hear, and touch your patient is even more important than simply reading a monitor.”

At the medicine station, students see a variety of issues in addition to routine exams. They see a large number of cases over three days and having repetition doing exams makes them more comfortable and confident in knowing what is normal versus abnormal. Many of these animals are not used to being handled, so the students learn how to safely manage these animals in a fear-free manner.

“Being in the field, we do not have access to a full anesthesia machine with inhalant anesthesia or oxygen,” Rooks said. “Instead, we teach the students how to safely and effectively provide anesthesia with injectable medications only. This is quite different than how they are taught in most hospitals, but it is important for some situations.”

During surgery, one student is scrubbed in with one doctor. This provides essential one-on-one training. The students who participate as upcoming sophomores tend to feel much more prepared for their sophomore surgery lab than those who do not. Having more opportunities to practice surgery, especially ones that may be more challenging due to the work environment, lack of specialized equipment, and medical conditions of some patients (such as tick-borne illness that makes the animal bleed more readily), is vital to all vet students, the course coordinators said.

In recovery, the students are tasked with close monitoring of patients waking up from anesthesia. This allows them to become more comfortable knowing what is normal, how long waking up should take, and what to do when concerns arise.

Students are also taught about the importance of client communication.

“Most of the patients to whom the team provides care are owned by locals who do not speak English,” Rooks said. “Most of our students do not speak Spanish, and, therefore, must practice communicating through a translator and with non-verbal signs. The students become the teachers of the clients in this scenario by helping them develop a better understanding of how to keep their pets healthy. This strengthens these skills when the students are back in the hospital.”

Being in this environment helps the students understand how a small group can make a big impact on not only the animals, but the people of a community as well.

“This is truly a One Health initiative, as we have decreased zoonotic disease risk by providing anti-parasitic medication, flea and tick preventatives, and spays- neuters,” Rooks said.

Providing medical and surgical care to approximately 300 animals in three consecutive days is no easy feat. It is an incredible accomplishment considering that the only space available on the island to hold this clinic is in a baseball field under temporary tents and it is normally 90-100^oF with high humidity, the course coordinators said, adding that while this clinic is both physically and mentally challenging for those involved due to these conditions, it is also one of the most rewarding experiences a student can have during vet school.

“SIVO showed me a whole different side to veterinary medicine and access to care that I had never encountered before,” said Molly McMahon, (’25). “Working with the team to help the local community was so rewarding, and I hope to continue participating for many more years to come.”

June Levin, (‘26), the current SIVO president, called participating in SIVO “an incredibly unique and rewarding experience.”

“We learn invaluable medicinal and surgical skills while making a difference in the lives of the people and pets of Roatan,” she said. “I hope to continue to be involved with SIVO for years to come, and look forward to participating as a teaching veterinarian in the future.”

Many former students were impacted so much by the program they have continued to participate after receiving their D.V.M. degrees. Some continue to return for multiple years.

“They all say similar things about how this program reinvigorates them and reminds them why they first started a career in veterinary medicine,” Rooks said.

Dr. Nicole Fisher, (’12), also a former SIVO president, said she really enjoyed being able to continue to participate with SIVO.”

“Not only does it allow me to serve a community that otherwise would go without pet care, but seeing all of the new students so excited about watching and participating in parts of surgery really ‘fills my cup’ and reminds me about how hyped I am to be in veterinary medicine,” she said. “This field can be really draining if you let it, but this trip reminds me of my ‘why’ and renews my excitement regularly. As a past president who used to have to sterilize instruments in a pressure cooker on the beach, it is really amazing to watch this organization grow and expand as well.”