A VET from the Isle of Man has gone "back to basics" to carry out veterinary work in a poor region of Peru.
Karl Bovenizer, from Arg Beiyn Veterinary Practice, left the Island on Friday accompanied by the practice's veterinary nurse Laura Bruder.
The duo will spend two weeks working in Colan, on the north east coast of Peru, for the charity AHSFA which aims to improve animal and community life in Northern Peru.
Due to the level of poverty in the area and a lack of education there is a high degree of neglect, both intentional and unintentional, imposed on domestic animals such as dogs and cats and horses and donkeys.
Karl said: "I think it's a case that they really don't have the knowledge of proper husbandry and probably don't have the finances either. Animals are not always given the best care - not out of viciousness or nastiness but probably out of ignorance."
There are no vets in the area so the charity brings in a team of vets and nurses three to four times a year. Karl and Laura will be working in a team of six and will carry out neutering operations and mobile clinics in the area.
Karl continued: "For me it's going back to the days when I qualified in veterinary medicine. When we go out there, although the operation will be the same, the environment will be so different and not what we're used to - but then that's the challenge isn't it.
"We try and practice right at the top end of veterinary medicine so we will be going right back to basics. There's no reason why we still can't do the same job - we just have to adapt. Laura and I are very used to working together and we make a good team so hopefully that will be a great help out there and we'll get through things quickly.
"You could find yourself operating on someone's dog on the kitchen table because you have to make use of whatever facilities you’ve got. I'm a little bit nervous about not having the things I'm used to but it'll be a good learning experience."
Karl who, in his words, has been "qualified forever" said he thinks it is likely he will feel upset over some of the patients he meets in Peru. He explained: "I think if it didn't make me emotional it would be time to leave the profession. You learn to manage it better but I'm frequently upset by what I see.
"Just because you've been at it a long time it doesn't make you harder you just become a little bit better at hiding and controlling your emotions. I honestly think if I stopped feeling any emotions for my patients I shouldn't be in the job anymore."
The vet hopes that the work he carries out in Peru will be appreciated by the people in the area. He said: "I think it takes a while to get them convinced because in a lot of countries it's not considered the done thing to neuter dogs.
"The charity also goes into the schools there and teaches the kids basic animal husbandry and why it's good to look after your animals. They back it up with education and say 'this is what you'll gain out of it as a community'.
"Everyone who works in our practice has pets and we know what joy and what comfort you get from them and we know the value of looking after them. But if you're not taught that how do you know? In that respect I hope that it's a positive thing for the community."
Karl and Laura started planning for the trip in February of this year. He explained:"I think one of the things you learn when you a get a bit older is that sometimes you've got to stop talking about things and make it happen. A conversation over a cup of tea suddenly became reality.
"We all get so wound up in the modern world we live in now and we're going to go to a place where I'm presuming people don't have anything like what we have.
"I'm looking forward to it because it's going back to what you originally used - your brain - and from that make the most of what you’ve got. That's the challenge."
Karl is keeping a blog of his trip which he is hoping to update while he is out in Peru. View this here.
