More about volunteering

Accommodation is normally in donated flats/apartments, you may or may not be sharing a room depending on our team size, this wil be with someone of the same gender. In Gibraltar accommodation is usually at a hotel which limits the options for evening meals a bit. The accommodation is normally within walking distance of the clinic, if not a car will be provided. IN Gibraltar, we use the cheap and frequent local buses to get to and from the clinic. Work is based at either a shelter, muincipal surgery or veterinary clinic (except in Tilos where there are none of these so we use a house). Budget for around 15 to 25 euros a day for eating out. All accommodation has basic cooking facilities. Vegetarian eating out is fairly easy in Gibraltar and Tilos, reasonable in Figueira and very hard in Vagueira. There is no hospital on Tilos (not even an x-ray machine) so insurance is essential for this area, and recommended for the others

Luggage: We always have to carry equipment to all trips so allow about 7kg of your luggage aside to carry instruments, baskets etc. You can maximise your luggage by using your hand luggage for the bulk of your clothes. If you need lots of shoes, clothes and make-up, we'd suggest go on a holiday rather than a charity neutering trip!

You are responsible for booking your flight and all costs associated. We will advise you of the best airline and arrival time in order to be met for lifts. Travel from airports to the worksite is often lengthy so you must aim to arrive at our guideline times. If you choose to not do this you may be stranded for several hours or may be asked to contribute to fuel costs if someone has to make an extra trip specially for you. In Tilos we connect with ferries so you must follow flight instructions correctly and book promptly.

As we are working in temporary facilities we have to make do with improvising normal and everyday equipment into a makeshift operating facility. Please do not expect a normal surgery! Either steel or improvised tables are used, raised to the correct height for the vet on blocks or bricks. We have a purpose made operating light in Vagueira – elsewhere lighting has to be improvised. We have an autoclave in Portugal but in Tilos are without so are reliant on boiling up. In the current circumstances we can’t autoclave up our own drapes and swabs and need to use pre-packed sterile swabs and drapes, these are difficult to get hold of once we are there so need to be used sparingly – in particular on Tilos where there may be no boat to bring extra supplies for several days. All cats are brought to the surgery in traps or baskets and will remain in these till surgery, after which they recover in either the same or a different basket. You will be given instructions on how to transfer cats and also how to maintain the cat labelling system to ensure that the correct cat goes back to the correct place. Cats are routinely released early next day after surgery, in some cases we will release the same night either if we have a nursing mum or for cats operated on early morning. Cats are booked at around 15-20 per day (includes males) per vet operating and the working day is expected to be around 10 hours.

We use (Dex)domitor, Ketamine and Torbugesic IM for female cats, who all receive an LA antibiotic and Metacam. Fluids either by IV burst during surgery, or by s/c, are available for female cats who are pregnant or nursing kittens. Topping up is with either Ketamine on its own IM or IV, or Ketamine and Valium IV, or Domitor and Ketamine IV. Male cats will either receive the same regime as above, either without the inclusion of Torbugesic, young healthy males may also be given Rompun/Ketamine/Atropine instead to save on costs. As there is no oxygen, we do not routinely intubate cats as we do not want to risk problems associated with intubation (spasm etc). All maintenance is done by injection. Follow instructions from the team leader if you are not used to total injectable anaesthesia.

Dogs are given Rompun & Atropine as a premed, followed by cannulation and Ketamine/Valium to maintain. Dogs are routinely intubated. All dogs receive Metacam and spays an opiate if available. We do neuter – pregnant cats, nursing cats, kittens down to 7 weeks, amputate distal tails, spay pyos, remove lumps, do basic dentals, remove eyes recently injured and remove pinnae showing signs of carcinoma. We do not – enucleate old eye injuries, remove tails close to the pelvis, amputate limbs, treat chronic debilitated conditions, treat old healed limb fractures. These cats and dogs will be either left as they are or euthanased. Please be aware you may have to either leave conditions untreated, or euthanase animals, outside the boundaries of what you would do at home.

During all our visits there will be inevitable guests. Ranging from local cat feeders to vets we work in an open and inclusive environment, welcoming locals to come and see what we are doing as these people will make our project succeed or fail. Our coordinator's first neutering project was with another group who made it very clear how much they hated the Spanish and kept them well away from things. \this couldn't be further away from how we work.