I was lucky enough this year to be included in a Melbourne University team that went to West Arnhem Land to the remote community of Oenpelli, to provide animal health services to that community.

 On the road into Oenpelli

The trip is led by Dr Liz Tudor of the University Veterinary Hospital at Werribee. Liz has made this an annual visit for the last eight years. The work centres around desexing of dogs and cats to help control the pet population, and treating the dogs for parasite problems. Being a tropical area it is a parasite paradise! If the animals are untreated diseases like scabies (mange) and hookworms (internal parasites) can reach levels where the animals become quite ill. The team was three veterinarians, one being me, and three veterinary final year students who managed the anaesthetics.

 Above – Two young vets and the students at out outdoor “Operating Theatre” - all ready for the day's work.

 Liz and her husband Rick, do an audit of the pets in each house, supervise the parasite control program and organise which animals are to be desexed.

On a typical day, the team desexed twenty animals.

The local population appreciate the efforts of Liz and Rick very much. They realize that desexed animals wander and fight less, and the female dogs are much better for not having to rear litters of puppies. While I was there, the council officer responsible for looking after animals killed on the roads said that last year in Oenpelli not one dog or cat was killed on the roads. He thought that was a great outcome.

On the Friday of the week I was there there was a celebration of NAIDOC day – National Aboriginal Independence Day Of Celebration. The townsfolk organized a traditional lunch, and the team was invited to attend. I thought that was a huge compliment to what Liz and the vets who have gone over the years have achieved. It was a great honour to be invited to their day of celebration.

  

 Above - Rick's recovery ward – the post surgical patients sleeping off their anaesthetics under Rick's supervision

 Ewen performing surgery and vet student Yvette, who hails from Toronto Canada, who was skillfully assisting and managing my patient's anaesthetic.