I have been working for animals in Mexico for the past 9 years. The evolution of my work, and that of the organization Compassion without Borders, has been a continuous one – expanding, redirecting, dividing and uniting whenever necessary in order to be as effective as possible in our mission to implement humane reform.

First it was rescue. Then, naturally, we went full force with spay and neuter. Next? Humane education. Humane euthanasia followed shortly thereafter. We then focused on training local advocacy groups and veterinarians on all basic aspects of animal welfare.

And now?

Now, I find myself rapping at the door of Mexican academia, preparing to enter into Mexican veterinary schools with the intention of decreasing animal suffering and promoting a climate of respect and compassion for animals amongst Mexican veterinary students.

As a veterinarian myself, it is clear to me that the veterinary profession has an inherent obligation to be on the forefront of animal welfare. We are the “experts” and as such are in a better position than anyone to help protect animals, advocate on their behalf, and utilize our knowledge and skills to advance their well being.

During my time in Mexico, I have had numerous Mexican veterinarians recount to me, almost as some sort of guilt-laden confessional, their surgical experiences as students. Often, vet students south of the border are required to provide their own animals for surgical practice. This practice involves performing numerous invasive surgeries on animals without adequate pain control and then killing them {so called “terminal surgeries”}.

Students have confessed to taking dogs off the streets. It is commonplace for them to buy them from animal control centers. The dogs are put through excrutiatingly painful procedures, left to languish for days without proper care, put through more procedures, and then, once they are no longer needed, killed.

This is not only absolutely unacceptable in terms of the grotesque and needless suffering it causes these animals, it is also horrific in terms of the lessons it teaches these students. It causes a systematic desensitization on their part to animal suffering, an inherent callousness towards homeless animals, and an overall lack of respect for even the most basic aspects of animal welfare and care.

So, we are now embarking upon a new mission to help improve surgical programs in Mexican vet schools and decrease their use of live animals and terminal surgeries. We are hoping to help implement programs such as those used in the U.S. and Europe wherein animal models are used when possible and surgical practice encompasses procedures such as spay/neuter.

In addition, we hope to set up a national veterinary student network  which would promote an atmosphere of animal welfare and advocacy amongst these young professionals and educate them as to the core issues and opportunities.

It seems a logical and critical extension of our work, albeit a daunting one. As we start upon this new phase of our mission,  I breathe in deeply and then exhale with the resolve to charge on forward and keep the momentum rolling.

Wish us luck.