The Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine participates in veterinary mission trips in several countries to serve communities by meeting the basic needs of people through helping their animals.
A team of seven students and two veterinarians returned July 8 from Rumuruti, Kenya, where they treated over 33,000 sheep and goats, 500 cattle, 50 camels and a handful of donkeys and dogs.
In the past, other teams from Auburn have traveled to Bolivia, Zambia, Venezuela, Mexico and an Indian Reservation in South Dakota, said Dr. Robyn Wilborn, who works at the large animal hospital and traveled with a team of 25 to Bolivia last May.
"The basic goals of the trips are the same - meeting the basic needs of the people," Wilborn said. "We do that indirectly through the animals. We don't do a lot of complicated or fancy things. We just want to meet the needs of the community, and sometimes helping the animals gives us an in as far as relationships with the people of the community."
Wilborn said many people they are seeking to help are more receptive to their aid when they learn they want to help their animals as opposed to only helping the humans' obvious needs.
Of all the health problems that exist in Third World countries where Auburn students and faculty have served, the biggest problem they see is a lack of education in care for the animals they need to survive.
"We don't bring the magic," Wilborn said. "These people just don't have the education to care for their animals."
Another goal of the mission teams is treating zoonotic diseases - diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans. Vaccinating and deworming animals impacts the health the of the communities they serve.
"Animals in Third World countries are the livelihood of the countries," Wilborn said. "The healthier the animals, the healthier the people."'
Auburn veterinary mission teams are connected with local churches and with Christian Veterinary Mission.
Dr. B.J. Newcomer, Auburn veterinary clinical instructor who worked in Africa with CVM for two years and traveled to Zambia in June with an Auburn team, said this is done through providing the knowledge, skills and resources needed to care for their animals in a way that can affect the people of a community.
"CVM's purpose is to facilitate their profession as a mission tool," Newcomer said.
Jill Westerholm, a senior veterinary student, said she visited Kenya last summer on a medical mission trip with Auburn.
"Parterning with a local church is key," Westerholm said. "Churches help connect us with the needs of the community,"
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