This week our Chief Executive, Caroline Yates, and Head Vet Dr. Ursula Goetz MRCVS, GP Cert(SAS) CVO have been in Moscow training vets and student vets from several charitable groups.

Mayhew International supports groups in and around Moscow in Russia including Human Ecology, Fond Dingo, Big Hearts Foundation and PetFund, on safe neutering techniques on cats and dogs. The training covers not only surgery techniques, but also pre and post-operative care and welfare of the animals, a vital component of any Trap, Neuter, Return programme.

On the first day the team were busy vet training at Ekologia Cheloveka (below). Natasha Potapochkina, who trained twice with us in London and does low-cost neutering in Moscow, Valentina Grigorievna, who trained with us last year and does a neutering programme with PetFund which we sponsor, Lena from Ekologia Cheloveka and Tatyana the director of Ekologia Cheloveka attended the day.

On the second day, the team were busy vet training again, showing female spays on puppies, dog castration and cat flank spays (below).

It was the first time vet training with us for two vets from Petrozavodsk in Karelia, sent from Big Hearts Foundation. Two vet students who were with us last year, from two charities we support in Moscow, Ekologia Cheloveka and PetFund also attended the day, along with familiar face Natasha Potapochkina. Natasha was one of our first students on our International Vet Training Programme at The Mayhew’s Vet Clinic in London, and is now a very competent neutering surgeon and is also helping us to train other vets. Our international vet training programme is vital to teach vets volume sterilisation techniques so that they can also pass on their skills to other vets in-country.

This day was very successful with us being able to teach the Russian vets modern techniques and high standards of practice.

Another day brought more vet training for our team. On the third day we showed female dog spays, dog castrations, cat spays and practising stitching.

On their final day our team continued with more vet training, including showing dog castrations, flank spays and female cat spays.