HEART’s Caring Kids: Animal Ambassadors program at Animal Haven had a very special guest come and visit. Tod Emko, founder of Darwin Animal Doctors (DAD), talked to the kids about the Galapagos Islands, endangered species, and his organization’s work to bring veterinary care to the local cats and dogs.
Before Darwin Animal Doctors, there were no veterinarians on some of the islands in the Galapagos. DAD fills a big need by providing medical care for companion animals 365 days a year. Many people don’t realize how many stray dogs and cats live on the Galapagos and that interactions between wildlife and domestic animals can lead to the spread of invasive diseases between the two groups. To help protect the biodiversity of the islands and to stop companion animal overpopulation, DAD provides free spay/neuter services. It’s a win/win.
Tod talked to the HEART kids about spay/neuter, the importance of veterinary care, and about the endangered species on the Galapagos islands. The kids loved seeing the images Tod brought of the endangered species in the Galapagos and learning about the unique biodiversity the islands have to offer. Most importantly, they learned what those animals need to stay protected.
As a service learning project, once the kids learned about DAD’s programs, they helped create a children’s book about a guinea pig written in both English and Spanish to give to the kids in the Galapagos!
This is so great. A program that brings wildlife issues, companion animal issues and feral trap/neuter/release issues together really covers a broad spectrum. It allows the children to see the inter-dependency of it all. I also learned a lot reading the article. I hadn't thought much about the stray dogs and cats on the island and how disease is so easily transmitted. Thanks for your good work.