- 13 July 2017
Alnmouth vet, Stuart Morris, has recently returned from volunteering for an animal welfare charity in Botswana. Stuart was working in the town of Maun in the north of the country. Maun is the `gateway` to an area called the Okavango Delta, a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the richest places to view wildlife in the whole of Africa. The charity, Maun Animal Welfare Society (MAWS), provides veterinary treatment for domestic dogs and cats. Stuart was giving emergency care for sick and injured animals in addition to working in a neutering and vaccination clinic.
The vital work of this charity has two important benefits. The vaccination of domestic pets against infectious diseases such as Rabies and Distemper keeps the pet population healthier. Secondly, these infectious diseases have ravaged wildlife in other parts of Africa, affecting not only endangered African Wild Dogs but also big cats like Lions and Leopards. Vaccination and control of domestic dog numbers is helping to protect the beautiful wildlife from these diseases.
Stuart said, “the trip has been inspiring and invigorating; the local people were incredibly friendly and grateful for the work that I was doing”. “I neutered around 60 dogs and vaccinated many more during my visit”. Now that he is back in Alnmouth, Stuart’s next adventure is a little closer to home, as he sets up his new vet practice in Alnwick, Morris and Plumley.