Finding Peace

(A side note thought...)

I can't beleive it has already been 2 weeks in Bali. Shockingly the sweaty hot days and slow pace attitude still has made time fleet. Soon this trip will seem like a dream. The kind you never forget because of what you've learned and the emotions that have arrised. I came to Bali to make a difference...even if miniscule...and also to find some sort of inner peace with myself. Something I haven't been able to locate in a long time.

Uluwatu temple

Being with Marisa, Meg, and Tabitha, working as a team at BAWA, and having a good time like 4 young chicks should do...I can never ask for anything more. I am certainly lucky to have gone this far in my life...

But why is it so hard to be satisfied?  I only yearn to do more with the very little I have to make some impact on the world..no matter where it be. Maybe I've created a new addiction like those darn salaks or "snake fruits" (I just can't get enough of them). Next year I'll be doing some other project...

Padang Padang beach

For now, I am going to indulge in the beautiful scenery...the mountains...the beaches...the Bali dogs...the culture of the Balinese...all the crazy jungle sounds in the morning that wake me up relentlessly at 6 am. This is our last week at BAWA...

FEED.SPAY.LOVE.

One thing I must mention is that driving in Bali, goes beyond another level of transportation. As a passenger, you need to have a strong stomach, a seatbelt, and a lot of patience. Heavy traffic, poor road conditions, and heat do not mix well.

But the adoption and education team must endure this all day every day in order to do their most important tasks...educating and adopting out animals at BAWA. So that each animal can get their furry butts out of the crowded clinic and into loving arms.

I had the joy today to join them in bringing 3 pups to a foster home...adopting out another young dog...and sending a kitten, that had been at the clinic in a small cage for 2 months, to a very nice home.

One of the adorable foster pups. All 3 threw up in the van...sweet!

Happy new owners of this adopted young dog. We met at a Dunkin Donuts...hmm

Medical history given to new owners.. and talked thoroughly about with them by adoption team. I  would tell you what they said, but I can't understand a word of Indonesian.

The ambulance vehicle labeled "Bali Street Dogs" when not bringing animals to new homes, drives around to villiages around Bali to educate the people the importance of sterilizing their dogs...treatments when sick...what to look out for when sick....and to make them understand that they can always bring their sick animal to the BAWA clinic.


Bali people only know how to feed their dogs, not treat them. Therefore this education program is going to change the way Bali people care for their animals.

Bali people who have no money get free care. People who are more wealthy are expected to give a donation. Otherwise sick pets go to the local veterinarians....I've seen BAWA turn down a few patients this way...

The adoption program at BAWA is better than some shelters I've been to back in the states.  This is because when they find a home (adoption is free)...the team drives the animal to the homes (no matter how far it is...or how long it takes)...speaks with them about vaccinations and such and educates them about their pet....then they go back to the house a week later to check the progress...

But what amazes me the most is how much money it costs for a driver...gas...time...costs of medical care for the animal...just to give these animals a good life. And, as I said before, the NEED for volunteers..donations..support!

Even the small things...

As beautiful as Bali is, it has it's setbacks. At BAWA, there are limited resources. We are definitely spoiled being so used to having what seems like an endless amount of paper towels, wide variety of proper disinfectants and medicines..and if run out, we can usually always get it the next day. For example, the best antibiotic to treat pneumonia, like a broad spectrum..isnt available so instead must take a risk and use one that might cause issues with the puppy's cartilage growth in the future...But they must use what they have. It is not the fault of BAWA, as they do the best of what they can with very little. I admire that in so many ways...

With a ton of puppies and caged dogs and cats making messes in their little areas, it is hard to keep up with all the cleaning. Many towels are used as improvisions to paper towels and thus it being harder to keep up with the laundry. The staff at BAWA do all what they can, but it is obvious that volunteers are highly needed. Not just for giving attention and love to the animals but to get down and dirty. It might not be glamourous to be mopping up urine or washing dishes, but it's super important. As you might think this would be a popular place to volunteer (being Bali and all), there actually aren't enough volunteers that come around...

Ana is from Germany and has been volunteering at BAWA for 3 weeks and plans on staying for another 3.  We all quickly became friends.

Not only are we helping the vets with treatments and learning their techniques and knowledge, but we are assisting with the little things that, as a whole, make a huge difference at the shelter. From scrubbing grimy mop buckets to giving subcutaneous fluids to a sick kitten, it all makes an positive impact of the wellbeing of the animals. We went ahead and bought some items that we felt they needed such as floor cleaner, sponges, and canned dog food. And while we are there, try to organize and disinfect things that probably haven't been tended to for some time. Even though at the end of the day we are exhausted...from the scorching humid heat and sun...it still feels good.

One of the vets treating a local's dog's abscess.

The case of the ringworm...

It had only been three days at BAWA and I contracted ringworm on my arm. This was most likely from one of the copious amount of puppies that need to be treated in the morning. A good percentage of them had lesions on their skin...focal areas of hair loss...broken hairs... that might represent a ringworm infection...on their face and bodies. Even though I washed my hands and arms thoroughly afterwards, it was still inevitable considering the 2 hours of handling in the hot moist weather.

Ringworm is not actually a worm but a dermatophyte...a type of fungus. This lovely organism likes to feed off the hair in your follicles and grows outward through the skin reaching new hair creating a some what circular pattern. It can be quite itchy. Treatment consists of an antifungal such as ketoconazole. It is such a common thing to see in a facility with a large amount of animals closely housed together as it is contagious and some species are zoonotic. It could be a big problem and hard to get rid of on a herd-based level because of its ability to spread. But it is so hard to control in these situations since their is little room to quarantine. Therefore it is treated as needed; some infections are self limiting as immunity of puppies increases. The pups can be separated and treated if really bad.

Puppy with ringworm

Theses guys have been separated from the rest since ringworm was worse.

As for me, this was my first time with ringworm...and I had a little freakout being in a foreign country and all.  While in town, I somehow found a Medical Docktor place where a nurse was able to get me ketoconazole for 35000.00 Rp (about 3.20 USD).

TRUST

There's a saying that there is a price for everything...perhaps the freedom of the Bali dogs means being more independent from people. Granted, some of the street dogs come up to you for a petting or a piece of food, but a lot also shy away and keep a distance..but not too far where they can't grab a left over snack. They roam around the island..even if owned by a Balianese (in which would have some sort of raggedy collar with or without a bell)..Owned Bali dogs work for their meals by protecting their families villiage home...warning intruders.

One of the street dogs walking around. 

Regardless..owned or not..these dogs are unique. Built strong and resiliant...they are mostly descendants from Akitas, Chow Chows, and Dingos. They are not walked around with a leash and collar. Don't have fluffy dog beds or food bowls filled with kibble or fancy water fountains. These dogs basically fend for themselves...from dodging cars through the busy road traffic and finding shelter during the heavy rainfall.

BUT when one falls and becomes wounded or diseased..to control the population and sterilize..in order to vaccinate to prevent rabies outbreak and zoonotic disease..we must cage them, restrain them, and handle them closely. But we do this with love and compassion. Even though at first they are weary and reluctant to be treated, after time and patience they can become more trusting and the process becomes easier for the both of us at BAWA.

Marisa talking to one of the dogs with a neck wound preparing to get him to come out.

Using cookies to get him out of his cage without a fight. It was worth the try, but still ended up grabbing him unwillingly.

Frequently giving cookies through the cage bars...taking out for friendly walks..talking to them and petting them is sometimes all you need to do to put them at ease. However, this is usually not always the case. Some will always be terrified of you...never to trust.

One of the vets trying to get a dog to allow him to give a rabies vaccine.

Marisa and Tabitha coaxing a dog with a neck wound to come out from under a table so that he can be treated. Eventually he got used to us after a few treatments, although always reluctant to get a leash on or come out.

Warrior Dogs

The rabies outbreak that began in 2008 caused many deaths...of friends, neighbors, children, parents, family members. As a result, the people of Bali have become afraid and outraged. Their solution was to undergo massive culling of the dogs. They tried to eliminate the dog population by the use bullets and poisons. 

BAWA quickly went into action in order to educate people about the rabies virus (rhabdovirus) and help control the outbreak in a more humane way. This was done by trapping, vaccinating, sterilizing, and releasing dogs in order to control the prevalence of rabies on the island. BAWA education teams would drive to villages providing information that would hopefully tone down fear and increase overall wellness for the dogs.

So far, they have vaccinated hundreds and thousands of dogs which has decreased the prevalence of rabies significantly. The last human death was in December, and the amount of rabies cases seen at BAWA has decreased  Volunteers and donations, however, are constantly needed to rehabilitate, educate, and vaccinate Bali dogs. Puppies are put up for adoption and adults are brought back to their Bali habitat.


Another goal of BAWA is population control. An ambulance with a veterinarian and technician drive around the island to sterilize (spay/neuter) and care of the local Bali dogs.

BAWA's other huge mission is to educate people about animal welfare and about their dogs' health. This is to encourage population control and prevent animal abuse. They are taught that not all dogs have rabies. The WARRIOR dog...is the one that wears the red collar (vaccinated)...protecting their home from other strange dogs. That is is important to keep the dog population for means of protection..to warn families of intruders. By communicating the message it in this manner, it is easier for the Bali people to understand.

Meghan doing a physical exam on a queen and her kittens.

BAWA is not only for dogs, but other creatures in need of care. Especially with the cat population where panleukopenia virus is a problem. Cats and kittens are vaccinated and are also spayed/neutered. Occassionally BAWA rehabiliates monkeys and horses. Every creature great and small are welcome!

Don't Get Bit...

The way you should approach a Bali dog is completely different than what we are used to. These dogs are on the borderline of wild and domesticated. Some look at you through the cages with those sad eyes and wag their tail...others glare at you...warning you...however, in both situations, they are just afraid.

One of the vets trying to get this dog to lean on the fencing using a towel for protection in order to get his rabies vaccine. This took a bit of time and patience to achieve. But whatever it takes to get him rabies vaxed. You must be brave and have a strong heart...

We've realized today that treating these dogs is one of the biggest challenges. Trying to gain their trust...a leash is totally foreign to them...so having something around their neck makes them bitter. Restraint makes them more wild. No matter what, we have to do what we can to get them vaccinated for rabies,  treat their wounds, or rehabiliate them...so that they can go back to their open domain...it's their only chance...even if it's painful for US to see...and even if it makes them more fearful of humans...

Bali Animal Welfare Association

 There were dogs everywhere, barking to warn us of their territory, while walking 15 minutes down the busy street, dodging motorbikes, people, and vehicles that would barely touch you when passed by. Sweat pouring down my back. Finally we've reached BAWA. 

Abandoned pups. Found in a rice bag.

 Tabitha giving an intractable Bali dog his rabies vaccine. Special handling and restraint should be performed to prevent getting bitten. Bali dogs are NOT used to be restrained or caged. These are a different kind of dog from what we are used to in the Western world...

A Balianese youth bringing his dog to BAWA to get neutered. BAWA doesn't consider itself a veterinary clinic, but a place where donations can be made for population control for people who cannot afford it. Bali people get free service. People with money go to the veterinary hospitals in town.

Destination Reached!!

FINALLY...made it to Bali last night.

As soon as we walked out of the Denpensar airport, there was a paparazzi of locals searching desperately for their vacationers/people. Then one of the girls screamed..."Look! There's "Theresa Kaeser" sign!" Wayan, our driver, was enthusiastically waving to all us to come over..we all screamed and waved back like excited children...he grabbed some of our bags, and we headed to the sweet van. He asked where we were from and if we were students...Hence, we were Really white and looked like 20 years olds...we all are going to get along just fabulous : ).

As we walked in the parking lot, the sun drenched our faces, as our pale skin absorbed every ray it was emmitting. Dang, we are going to need sunscreen. And it was hot as hell (...still wasn't sweating). But, man, did we love it!!! Beats the PEI chilled wind for sure!

It felt like forever until we reached our T Houses---where we would be residing for a month. The way Bali locals drive here was worse than downtown NYC. Motorbikes would intertwine through cars...go in opposite directions...there was no method to this maddness of driving. The roads were narrow and the turns were so sharp you had to stop to make it. There were so many feral dogs just walking or laying around the road....we realized how busy BAWA will be!

As we walked towards the "Lemongrass" house..we were awed by the view of the rice fields and the adorable cobblestone pathways. We were walking into a jungle...

The view from our place was BREATHTAKING. We were all so tired that we couldn't believe we were here. Forgetting how bad our stomachs hurt from hunger and heads spun from exhaustion and heat, we just were so overwhelmed with happiness and taken away by the beauty we were seeing....

At it has only been a few hours here...this is going to be the best month of our lives!

HONG KONG!

After 15 exhausting hours of flight time, made it to Hong Kong airport. I'm so glad we don't have to do that again for a month. I was going sir-crazy...doing workouts in the isles and irritating my neighbor to let me out constantly...not into the whole constrained in dark small places and being idle thing.
It's pretty awesome that Meghan and Tabitha met us from their flight from Toronto and will be joining us for the rest of the trip.

Regardless of the expensive food and shopping, the scenery here is beautiful and the idea of being on a different continent is unreal. Apparently the airport is on a little island off the mainland. There's immpressive mountains on the mainland.  Even though the layover is 5 hours till we get on a 5 hour flight to Denpensar, Bali...we are reluctant to go into the city! We drank some coffee and ate food instead.

Can not WAIT to breathe some fresh air and surround myself with warm weather and peace.  Next stop Bali!!!

(Pics to come)

Bali Animal Welfare Association

Check it out!

http://www.bawabali.com/

Many exciting and beautiful things to come in 2012

Marisa, Meghan, Tabitha and I only have to endure three more long, cold weeks here in Prince Edward Island.  Then it's destination Bali....

So many exciting adventures ahead in 2012. Our journey to Indonesia and our time at the Bali Animal Welfare Association will be the last stop and pinnacle of our 4th year veterinary clinical rotations. Then we separate, starting our new paths all over the continent.

Four years back, which seems like forever ago, we were those naive and wide-eyed first year students...having nothing but dreams in our minds and compassion for animals in our hearts. We all came together through our love for all creatures...made amazing friendships along the way...created memories that will last a lifetime...

To be continued...