Vets Beyond Borders boosts dog welfare work in Vanuatu
May 8, 2025 10:09 pm | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook
By Adorina Massing.
Over the past three years, Vets Beyond Borders, an Australian animal welfare organisation, has treated and sterilised around 900 dogs in Vanuatu. The effort aims to reduce zoonotic diseases, support local veterinary capacity, and improve the wellbeing of both animals and communities.
Director of Vets Beyond Borders, Dr Ian Douglas, led a team of six veterinarians during a 10-day visit, operating on 200 dogs in Tanoliu and at Bellevue Vet – Sam’s Animal Welfare Vanuatu.
Dr Douglas said their core mission is to assist local organisations at the edge of the Pacific by delivering surgical sterilisation, healthcare, worming, and other treatments.
He explained that protecting animal health not only benefits the animals themselves but also helps prevent zoonotic diseases—illnesses that can pass from animals to humans. Hookworms, in particular, remain a major concern in Vanuatu.
“Our work is to stop these diseases from spreading to people and to keep our animals healthy,” Dr Douglas said.
He explained that sterilising dogs reduces aggression and lowers the risk of attacks on people.
“This also helps communities manage the dog population in their areas and improves their health through regular worming and treatment,” he added.
“We’re not trying to remove dogs from the environment—we just want them to be manageable, healthier, and safer for everyone.”
The team also conducted intensive training camps and observed the need for more local volunteers, as few people in the country have formal veterinary training.
Dr Douglas said they plan to return to Vanuatu in early September to continue their work in Santo.
He added that school outreach is needed so children can learn how to respond to aggressive dogs and care for their pets properly. He also encouraged families to wear shoes outdoors to avoid hookworm infections from contaminated yards.
“We’re also working on a partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture to support their efforts, not just on Efate but across Vanuatu,” he said.
“We hope the Government will consider offering support or funding so we can keep going, especially given the shortage of vets and animal care services here.”
Dr Douglas thanked the local communities for their hospitality and said he looks forward to hearing from government officials.
“We’re trying to build a programme that trains Ni-Vanuatu staff so that when we leave, local vets can carry it forward,” he said.
Vets Beyond Borders also runs the Australian Veterinary Emergency Response Team (AVERT), a national database ready to respond to natural disasters or animal disease outbreaks in Australia.
The organisation sends volunteer vets and nurses to support animals and communities in developing regions around the world.
