Volunteer stories: Angelina Piccoli

This was my fourth trip with SPAW, I arrived on a Friday morning and it was great to be back in Tonga. I am from the US and had travelled nearly 17 hours to join an amazing group of veterinarians and technicians from New Zealand, to provide spey/neuter and wellness to the cats, dogs and even pigs and horses of this tiny kingdom in the middle of the South Pacific ocean.

Tonga has few resources for domestic animals so over the next seven days our team set up a working clinic and provided spey/neuter to the pets of Tonga in an ongoing effort to provide a better quality of life for them and their people.

The clinic was busy every day with not only regular surgeries but also with leg amputations for two dogs who had old, painful fractures. Removing the leg is the only humane option in an area where there could be no follow up of other types of treatment (casting or splinting). The team also provided health exams, vaccinations, dental care, deworming and collars to island animals. We had help from wonderful local people who took care of checking patients in and giving home care instructions in the local language. Also joining us were volunteers from MAFF, including their newest member, Dr. Shin from Japan, who is going to be here for a few years gaining veterinary experience and teaching about care and husbandry on the island.

We met so many adorable animals and the people who loved them. Sharing ideas for improving the welfare of local animals is paramount to helping everyone live happier, longer lives.

I have been a veterinarian for 40 years and I have loved joining SPAW and their volunteers to do my small part to help relieve suffering. SPAW is a tremendous organisation, all of whom are volunteers taking time out of their busy lives to organise and support these trips. Together, we are a force for good in the South Pacific.

Support for SPAW’s mission is entirely from the public – that’s you. Any amount will help provide supplies for the next trip, the next animal vaccinated so it won’t die from a preventable disease, speyed so it won’t bring kitten after kitten into an inhospitable environment where few survive. There is hope for change around every trip SPAW does, and hope for the future is what draws me to these islands. If I can improve the life of just one animal, I have made a difference. Please help continue these trips, as little or as much as you can.