--Jennifer Scarlett DVM

Like much of Eastern Europe, Romania is dealing with major socioeconomic problems. Nowhere is this more evident than in the industrial town of Galati, where Dana Costin struggles to maintain a basic shelter for street dogs, who can be seen scavenging for scraps of food all over the gray, somber city.

Costin started an organization called ROLDA after the municipal shelter picked up her own dog and took him to the dingy, filthy warehouse--a place most dogs went to die. Since then, she has made great strides to improve dog welfare at the shelter. She has increased public awareness of pet sterilization via pamphlets and posters. And she opened the ROLDA shelter, a clean, comfortable space for dogs on the outskirts of Galati.

The shelter is a remarkable accomplishment and a testament to Costin's commitment. It was here that RAVS veterinarians Jennifer Scarlett and Rebecca Henry and veterinary technician Jane Townely came to train Romanian veterinarians in modern surgical techniques. They also sought to improve the access shelter veterinarians have to modern surgical and anesthetic equipment. The Romanian Animal Rescue Project of Oakland, California, supported the mission.

Two Romanian-trained veterinarians with a private practice in Galati have recently begun working with ROLDA. They reported that the most basic veterinary anesthetic agents are in short supply and that inhalant anesthetics and post-operative analgesics are not used at all. These restrictions make sterilization procedures--not to mention more involved surgeries--risky and painful. Simple portable anesthesia machines and inexpensive analgesics like those used in RAVS field clinics in the United States can be the solution.

While working in Romania, the team encountered some difficult cases. One was a young dog dubbed High School, who was brought to the shelter by a local high school teacher. The dog had been hanging around the school with a fractured hind leg that had become badly infected. Dr. Scarlett's team was able to stabilize him with antibiotics and analgesics supplied by RAVS, and to amputate the leg, which was beyond repair. The next day, High School was hopping around, free from pain and fever. The teacher, who had grown attached to the dog, adopted him.

That same day a female dog in shock and near death was brought to another local veterinarian. The doctor knew the dog had an infection of the uterus, but lacked the intravenous fluids, antibiotics, and equipment to successfully treat the problem. He brought the dog to the ROLDA shelter, and Dr. Scarlett's team placed a catheter and, following some intensive medical care, was able to successfully remove the infected tissue. The dog remained at the shelter and was doing well within a couple of days.

Both of these animals would have died in misery had it not been for the RAVS team. Just as importantly, the Romanian veterinarians received excellent training and experience working with Drs. Scarlett and Henry, and they enthusiastically embraced the new surgical techniques. These training expeditions have major ripple effects for animals in the countries in which RAVS operates. Similar projects are planned for Mexico, El Salvador, Easter Island, Armenia, and Micronesia in 2005.