Fort Collins, CO, May 25, 2022 ~ Lisa McCarthy, DVM, owner of Midtown Veterinary Medical Center in Fort Collins has a big heart for small animals and a concern about their overpopulation in developing countries. This led her to volunteer at spay and neuter clinics in Mexico for many years which showed her the need and prompted her to dream of having her own foundation to head up clinics elsewhere. Dr. McCarthy came to believe strongly in the philosophy of One Health. Everything is connected: the environment, public health and animal welfare. A fourth critical consideration is community economics, which also benefits from attention to the other three concerns. Vet Treks is her effort to address the animal welfare component directly, and thus indirectly have a positive influence on the environment and on the human health and economics in developing communities. This was her vision with Vet Treks Foundation, which became a 501(c)3 entity in 2016.

In June 2022, a 20-person team of veterinarians, vet techs and other animal lovers will travel to Kenya for the 5^th time. Because Dr. McCarthy loves travel, she builds the working trip to include 3 days in Nairobi visiting places like the David Sheldrake Elephant Orphanage, the Karin Blixen (author of Out of Africa) Coffee Gardens, etc. “Kenya is a long way to travel and expensive to reach” says Dr. McCarthy. “Additionally, long haul travel like this carries a high carbon imprint. Therefore, we encourage volunteers to make their travel as impactful as possible, including by staying longer and supporting the local economy. Kenya is a unique and beautiful place. Its citizens are kind, friendly, gracious people. Nowhere else on Earth provides a variety of wild animals that can be seen. Safari is a must! Vet Treks offers the opportunity at additional cost and almost everyone takes advantage of that opportunity to visit the people and animals of the Masai Mara, Tsavo and other natural areas in Kenya. Voluntourism is a nice way to describe hard work and then a rewarding yourself with a world class, unforgettable adventure!”

The veterinarians of Kenya welcome the doctors from Vet Treks into their classrooms at the Veterinary School at University of Nairobi, to learn techniques not usually associated with large farm animal care. They have taught current sterilization techniques, wound closure and suturing, best anesthetic practices, and other standards of care. The Kenyan doctors receive continuing education credits for attending these classes, which are always full. This assures the programs will continue long after Vet Treks has returned home.

Traveling to Machakos County, Kenya the team will spend 4 days operating the makeshift clinic there with a goal is to vaccinate 4000 animals and sterilize over 400. Vet Treks subscribes to the One Health philosophy that all creatures are interconnected – people and animals and the planet all do better when they are all healthy.

Future goals for Vet Treks include:

1. The overreaching vision is to provide relief and comfort to animals and more education and peace of mind to the people to care for them.
2. Continue to train and equip veterinarians in Kenya, especially so that they can continue the work of population control and rabies eradication.
3. Sponsoring Kenyan vets to travel to the US to receive higher level training would be another way to advance that goal.
4. Eventually sponsor permanent hospitals in one of more areas of need in Kenya.

Dr. McCarthy also shared her BAHG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) Take Vet Treks all over the planet. She regularly receive desperate requests for assistance from other African countries, India, Central and South America and it is heartbreaking to see the need and not be able to help everywhere. All they need is funding and a greater understanding of the importance and connection of animal health to the health of people and the planet as a whole!

Dr. McCarthy has illustrated how to make big dreams come true in helping others. Surrounded by friends and family and buoyed by her faith, she has been able to accomplish a great deal. Fund raising and recruitment of team members to come on these service trips are daily tasks that must be done. She lives by the philosophy that “The meaning of life is to find your gift; the purpose of life is to give it away.”

For more information please contact Dr. Lisa McCarthy, Founder and Executive Director, Vet Treks Foundation lisa.vettreks@gmail.com

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Images are of Dr. Lisa McCarthy working and on safari in Kenya. Additional images available upon request.

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