tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65899916340520374952012-01-30T13:19:00.038-08:00Esther Honey Foundationnoreply@blogger.comBlogger651100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-33828609332623167982012-01-30T13:08:00.000-08:002012-01-30T13:19:00.085-08:00

With one more sleep till I go on holiday (or, more accurately, I go on a giant shopping spree!) there is plenty to be done! Our raffle tickets have finally been printed and should start selling today (there’s some pretty awesome prizes if I do say so myself, so be sure to check it out on our Facebook site), and there are seven vet students plus two assistants to keep busy. Which means, with any

JessMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00480107464299584400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-12490333986582684202012-01-24T11:05:00.001-08:002012-01-24T11:11:45.371-08:00

It has been – for once – a quiet week here at the clinic. With lots of assistant volunteers and only one vet to keep them all busy, we have started quite a few new projects such as building and fundraising. With six newbies arriving on the weekend, we have a few big days of training and teaching coming up so it’s a good week to be less busy.We also had a lot of interest, and got our name out and

JessMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00480107464299584400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-76534513285737813432012-01-17T15:00:00.000-08:002012-01-17T15:58:43.237-08:00

Saturday night was the first of our now-to-be-annual Quiz Night events. After MUCH stressing and a week of trying to get ten billion things ready then still finding on the day you forgot hundreds of them, but are too busy making your costume to get them done, the night went off without a hitch anyway.A fabulous local MC, Metua, generously donated his time to host our evening, much to the

JessMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00480107464299584400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-58340625865388273702012-01-09T10:03:00.000-08:002012-01-09T10:26:55.166-08:00

As the island gets back to normal functioning, the clinic settles back into routine. All preparations are go for next week’s Quiz Night which is looking to be great fun and full of laughs.I am delighted to (finally) inform all the friends of Mama, that she is officially recovered from her bout of fish poisoning. Possibly due to her age (and perhaps the fact that she is such a pig she probably ate

JessMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00480107464299584400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-50417479075731277392011-12-30T18:19:00.000-08:002011-12-30T18:40:16.386-08:00

And what a Christmas it was! Despite the bucketing rain (we're up to day five with no respite today), the team and animals had a lovely time and ate to the point of sleeping, then woke up and did it all again. The roast here on Christmas eve was hectic, and only two hours late after I got distracted and forgot to put the chook in the oven... But tasted all the better for the wait :-) The Secret

JessMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00480107464299584400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-22905813158939525362011-12-23T10:06:00.000-08:002011-12-24T11:43:31.143-08:00

Well, we come to our last blog before Christmas and I can't wish all our supporters enough happiness.Here at the clinic, we are - as ever - open for emergencies so fingers crossed the animals of Rarotonga can avoid cars and fish this weekend!Somehow, I have suddenly found myself in charge of cooking a Christmas dinner for eight and, no matter how old I get or where I end up, I can't help thinking

JessMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00480107464299584400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-48843336552489538722011-12-19T17:48:00.000-08:002011-12-23T12:48:36.586-08:00

With the annual island census over, things are looking great for the dogs of Rarotonga. The results will be released shortly, but the volunteers have certainly put in some serious walking hours and are glad to have it done before Christmas! A big thanks goes out to all the team who literally walked the island stopping at every house, for seven hours a day, five days a week for three weeks to see

JessMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00480107464299584400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-71299114650421443762011-12-12T10:44:00.000-08:002011-12-12T11:07:04.088-08:00

As some of you know, on Saturday a few of the girls and I decided that it was well and truly time to try a Car Wash and Dog Wash!Budget car rentals helped us out by donating all the washing materials, and Cook Islands Television put some ads on for us, and by Saturday morning, the amount of queries and requests we had received in regards

JessMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00480107464299584400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-28190572333610636602011-12-09T14:06:00.001-08:002011-12-09T14:23:06.329-08:00

What a week! As the weather gets hotter and more humid, we work harder than ever towards our fundraising goals before Christmas comes!Some incredibly exciting news is that the Estelle Friedman Grevis Family Foundation have agreed to match 50% of any donations made to Esther Honey between now and Friday (Dec 16th), so as much as I hate to use the blog to ask for donations, just this once it is

JessMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00480107464299584400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-88054878076727679972011-12-06T11:15:00.000-08:002011-12-06T11:32:33.967-08:00

Some very exciting new for all our keen supporters; the Estelle Friedman Gervis Family Foundation has agreed to match any donations received by EHF before December 16th with 50% of the value!That means that a $1000 donation instantly becomes $1500! And if we raise the full amount, our $20,000 will become $30,000. Our aim is to use these funds to help continue our free treatment of Cook Islands

JessMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00480107464299584400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-81231619118939443442011-11-30T10:19:00.001-08:002011-11-30T10:34:55.084-08:00

Now that I have all the photos of the team, I thought I would share how amazing the Rogz for Dogz Vaka Eiva team was to Esther Honey and our animals.With the clinic spending well over $500 a week on food for our strays and inpatients, the $4000 worth of food donated, and HEAPS of other stuff, is incredible.We can't thank them enough for all the hard work and generosity, especially Kylie who had

JessMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00480107464299584400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-7871163992742807252011-11-28T18:59:00.000-08:002011-11-29T11:12:45.082-08:00

Posted on our Facebook site (http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Esther-Honey-Foundation/123120337604), is a new video of what has been consuming our lives for the last 5 weeks; eight tiny puppies who's mum needed help raising them...Other than the puppies, life has been uneventful in paradise. A few of us braved the Boiler Swim (an open water charity swim around a shipwreck - totally just under

JessMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00480107464299584400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-66849095887842689392011-11-18T12:06:00.001-08:002011-11-18T13:03:14.671-08:00

A hectic week here at the clinic - so much so we had to ship in a super experienced vet at the last minute (thanks Nicola!). Our surgery list on Monday has a total of 13 procedures, none of which were nice easy routine neuterings. And then - of course - it is the one week when a whole bunch of people decide it is the right time to have their pets desexed... Needless to say we are

JessMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00480107464299584400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-35210437778152939832011-11-11T10:21:00.000-08:002011-11-11T11:05:13.057-08:00

So it appears the rain dance worked. Showers are back in action, not that we need it now with just stepping out the door for feed and clean... But we are all very happy to have some water in the tanks anyway.We have adopted a tiny wee kitten that we have called 'Mango'. Mango was found on the side of the road with his brother who had already passed away, no mother in sight. At less than a week

JessMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00480107464299584400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-49530626672871500752011-11-08T11:16:00.000-08:002011-11-08T11:57:31.079-08:00

So it turns out that the Cook Islands has run out of water...!With only a couple of percent in the tanks before a national state or emergency is called, most of the volunteers are mainly upset about the lack of a shower. Thank God we live across the road from the beach!It does, however, make the daily feed and clean somewhat more challenging, with the inability to clean, and Gregg doing regular

JessMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00480107464299584400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-58404103829651579382011-10-24T14:24:00.000-07:002011-10-24T15:11:06.818-07:00

The last week has been a super busy one, and it doesn't look to let up any time soon. Among all the work and half the team being poorly, we still went to Te Vara Nui cultural centre for a show and tour (Allison officially became 'Cook Islands Beyonce'), had a lovely night out for some of the volunteers last night on Friday, and joined half the locals at the auditorium for the big game on Saturday

JessMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00480107464299584400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-1457645308739595892011-10-19T11:37:00.000-07:002011-10-19T11:42:21.587-07:00

Earlier in the day, I drove past a small shop with a few locals eating some fairly large plates of grub so decided to head back there to try what the locals enjoy. They were now busy installing a new floor but told me they were open and invited me in. I ordered the special and sat down with a local who told me his story: about the shop and the new burger place; about his family and Australia; and

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-49474828636096107302011-10-19T11:27:00.000-07:002011-10-19T12:25:37.513-07:00

Day 1With so many volunteers at the Esther Honey Foundation for a limited amount of time the pressure is on to utilize their number and talents. There are several activities that we can undertake to make the most of this opportunity: deep cleaning and organizing the clinic, conducting a census of the local dog and cat population to bring in as many “intact” animals as possible to be desexed, and

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-84973170063857952842011-10-17T12:19:00.000-07:002011-10-17T12:25:48.461-07:00

Week two as Practice Manager in paradise, and things keep getting better. Having been thrown instantly into the task of organising an Open Day, it’s been a busy time here at EHF. Many days of last week were spent convincing locals and tourists alike how much they wanted to come, and the cleaning efforts alone took the better part of a day for 11 volunteers! For an event designated to begin a

JessMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00480107464299584400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-24051510367011975832011-10-07T18:24:00.000-07:002011-10-10T15:08:41.779-07:00

My name is Jess and I am the new practice manager here at Esther Honey, joining Gregg in Rarotonga to help promote the foundation and keep the clinic running as smoothly as ‘island time’ allows. So welcome to my first blog, you will be hearing a lot more from me, and I am looking forward to keeping you updated on the exciting challenge of a vet clinic in the Cook Islands. A bit about me (minus

JessMJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00480107464299584400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-54916637812054152512011-09-22T18:06:00.000-07:002011-09-22T18:10:40.907-07:00

Kitten season has just begun.Two mother cats and their kittens were recently brought to the clinic for the mums to be desexed and the kittens to be watched after. If this year is anything like last year this is just the beginning.Although these kittens are too young to be adopted, we have a number of older cats who are looking for good homes. They would make great rat, cockroach and mokos chasers

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-29451081096728020802011-08-31T12:46:00.001-07:002011-08-31T12:56:20.440-07:00

Here’s a story about a Billy goat named Mii. We first came across him last year when he was only about two weeks old. His mom was having problems with a swollen mammary gland and we were called out to help out. Everything went well and now a year later Mii is all grown up. About two weeks ago now we got a call out to see a goat which had been attacked by a dog. When we got to the house, situated

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-8088320521568644212011-08-20T15:27:00.000-07:002011-08-20T15:43:30.309-07:00

Well, it’s been another eventful week. Among the many desexings of cats and dogs and our low stocks of Ketamine we had a few interesting cases of note that the occasional blog browser might be interested in. We received an emergency call on Tuesday afternoon asking us to please come out to treat two goats who had been attacked by a pair of dogs in the hills. After seeing them both we decided

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-52116879356221474982011-08-11T18:11:00.000-07:002011-08-12T18:52:23.495-07:00

New volunteers arrive pretty regularly at Esther Honey. We've already had just under fifty volunteers for 2011 with a couple of team members coming back for seconds. This week three new volunteers begin their tenure: Marja, a vet from Scotland, as well as Heather and Melody, two vet students from California and Ohio. Each is staying for about three weeks. I'm sure the vet students will learn a

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-77703763193404024252011-08-04T19:57:00.000-07:002011-08-12T20:20:00.717-07:00

Well, last night was a goodie. The Esther Honey clinic team spent the evening being treated by Tata Crocombe and the Rarotongan Beach Resort and Spa staff to an “Island Cultural Night” and feast in appreciation for the work that the Foundation and Esther Honey volunteers do here. It was a great night with a huge Umu (local underground oven) feast with all the trimmings. Needless to say, by

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-5074717482970730672011-08-04T19:53:00.000-07:002011-08-05T16:28:21.994-07:00

Care for Island horsesYes we treat horses. The Esther Honey Foundation's mission is to offer affordable care for small companion animals but we have been providing compassionate care and service to horses and any animal who is suffering since our arrival.Yesterday, Esther Honey received a large donation to help improve the health of island horses from Fiona Fredrickson, a New Zealand tourist and

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-1974316416715703172011-08-02T10:58:00.000-07:002011-08-02T11:00:30.549-07:00

Being the only vet clinic in the Cook Islands, as well as having the only veterinarians, Esther Honey sometimes has to do jobs that in other countries are often referred to more skilled institutions. Just yesterday we had to go to a house where nine cats were being kept, trapped inside a house they normally get to walk in and out of with no problems, so that they could be checked over and dosed

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-1024644563148814412011-07-13T13:52:00.000-07:002011-07-13T13:55:08.152-07:00

Cook Islands NEWS -- June 18th, 2011How to pat dogs and behave around local animals are some of the valuable lessons Blackrock Apii Potiki kids learned this weeks.The pre-school kids have been learning about animals this week and to help the students understand local animals better, the kids were treated to a visit to the Esther Honey Foundation animal clinic in Nikao.The kids met clinic director

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-30377448309996517772011-06-17T17:45:00.000-07:002011-06-17T17:45:22.249-07:00

Week 3- The Home Stretch With one week remaining ere the return of our regular clinic director, volunteer departures had depleted the clinic crew down to four this week (myself included). Outnumbered more than six to one by the resident animals, we had our work cut out for us. Feeding and cleaning, medicating and assessing, consulting and operating … it was lucky that we were such an awesome

Esther Honey Foundationnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-50050218908388535552011-06-06T23:16:00.000-07:002011-06-06T23:23:59.610-07:00

The good, the bad and the (kind of) ugly. My second week as substitute clinic director at the EHF has left me feeling a little like a drunken sailor, reeling from one crisis to the next. They say whatever doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger, and so I reckon after another week of this I should be all set for my first body building contest … if such things actually exist in Raro. The good.

Esther Honey Foundationnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-28528200684254757172011-05-31T23:42:00.000-07:002011-05-31T23:51:50.030-07:00

In the Esther Honey Clinic, a facility staffed by a constantly changing crew of volunteers, the clinic director is the one constant. They are the recognizable face of the organization in the community; the chief administrator of the hospital; the guardian of the house pets; and the answer to all problems for the volunteers. Which makes it darned inconvenient when they run away to Canada for

Esther Honey Foundationnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-16919218784114828242011-05-19T01:36:00.000-07:002011-05-19T01:49:23.294-07:00

Day 5- Homeward boundOn our last Mangaian morning, before our return to the big smoke of Rarotonga, we met with our local team of assistants and organizers for a final, farewell, pre-flight breakfast. There were rounds of thanks from all and sundry- including the Mangaian island secretary, the Ministry for Agriculture, and the Mayor- all of which were heartfelt and heartwarming. It’s not often

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-40664246686811272972011-05-17T11:14:00.000-07:002011-05-18T09:54:44.362-07:00

Day 4- Island explorationsFor our last day of work on Mangaia the focus was on farm animals, our trip after all being sponsored by the Ministry for Agriculture. So while Jo and Olivia finished off the last of the desexing operations, Gregg and I, along with a team of enthusiastic assistants, headed out to castrate a pig. Now, pig castration is not normally a big job. But then it is also normally

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-60490335639101807082011-05-17T10:53:00.000-07:002011-05-17T11:02:39.686-07:00

Day 3- Working all day longHaving established and streamlined our surgical system yesterday, starting operations this morning was a breeze. As our patients arrived at the veranda, our marvelous clinic director had their details recorded often before anyone else realized they were there. Our surgical routine then consisted of:• A quick health check followed by a sedative injection, after which we

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-10848380281388789232011-05-16T02:28:00.000-07:002011-05-16T02:33:00.725-07:00

Day 2- Earning our keepThe team awakened this morning refreshed, ready and raring to go. It’s amazing how good an uninterrupted night’s rest feels, when barking dogs have been plaguing your sleep for the past week … but then such are the joys of living on-site at a veterinary clinic.Ignoring the dismal weather, we made our way bright and early to the local meeting hall where to our surprise we

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-67268345739711506242011-05-15T21:40:00.000-07:002011-05-15T21:47:49.997-07:00

Day 1- Champing at the bitThere are some weeks when Monday-itis presents a seemingly insurmountable barrier. A busy weekend, a large sleep debt, and the thought of a whole week of work ahead can make even getting out of bed a mammoth effort. Happily, today was not one such Monday. The prospect of a week in Mangaia (southern most of the Cook Islands and one of the oldest in the pacific), taking

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-29882526085839400312011-05-05T12:10:00.000-07:002011-05-05T12:12:00.039-07:00

May 4 2011The Ministry of Agriculture is preparing to wage a war of eradication against the brown dog tick that recently landed on Rarotonga.The livestock section of the ministry is now awaiting advice from the Fiji-based Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) veterinary clinic on how to manage the blitz.Esther Honey Foundation (EHF) director Gregg Young said he first noticed the tick about

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-13223280947962533042011-05-03T17:07:00.000-07:002011-05-03T17:18:18.992-07:00

Report on PICES meeting, Ministry of Marine Resources, Rarotonga.28th April 2011Attended by: Gregg Young, Eilidh Hawkins & Michelle GrayFollowing an informal meeting with members of the Harmful Algae Bloom PICES project the Esther Honey Foundation were invited to give a short presentation at the next day’s PICES group meeting on our experience of ciguatera toxicosis. PICES is the North Pacific

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-22026260358782601532011-05-03T16:26:00.000-07:002011-05-03T16:30:21.732-07:00

New tick found on Raro dogsSome Rarotonga dogs have contracted a new tick, but Esther Honey Foundation (EHF) veterinarian Eilidh Hawkins says it is ‘not something to be overly concerned about’.A survey in the mid-1990s revealed that there were no ticks on Rarotonga, and EHF is currently doing another census to determine the prevalence of the recently-discovered tick.Hawkins says the tick is ‘

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-3663846644499699172011-04-19T13:53:00.001-07:002011-04-19T14:00:54.848-07:00

The Esther Honey Foundation is the only veterinary service in the Cook Islands and although our mission is limited to treating dogs and cats, we extend our care to all of the island animals in need of care, including the local horse population. As part of this we recently visited the ponies of the horse riding business for a routine health check.In general the horses of the island are sound and

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-88864045428319458392011-04-19T10:35:00.000-07:002011-04-19T10:49:27.354-07:00

With the amount of homeless adult cats and kittens currently at the Esther Honey Foundation looking for homes, we cannot stress enough that we need to try and control the population of cats on Rarotonga.In order to control the population of cats we not only need to de-sex them but also place them back into the area that they are coming from to compete with the other cats that are not de-sexed.If

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-45944953468259200112011-03-22T12:38:00.000-07:002011-03-22T13:29:48.492-07:00

THANK YOU to the Cook Islands Hash House Harriers!This week it was our privilege to set the trail for the weekly run which brings together people from all over the island for a quick jaunt before a bevy. Mama, our house dog, came along to help set the trail. It took an hour and a half to complete before the run started at 5:30pm. We began on the beach just across the road from the clinic and

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-9102137196772195692011-03-07T17:10:00.000-08:002011-03-07T17:13:26.268-08:00

Day 5- Back to SchoolDisappointingly, after a fantastic first few days, business at the veterinary veranda has slowed to a trickle. With only three patients this morning, the constant sight of other male dogs roaming past us down the street, balls jangling away, was a source of great frustration that I suspect only other vets will understand.After some consideration of the situation, a career as

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-88870602403729793522011-03-04T15:57:00.000-08:002011-03-04T16:02:02.435-08:00

Day 3- Improvising a ThemeOperating a veterinary surgery on a veranda poses certain challenges not normally encountered in western practice. For starters, there’s no walls or cages so you always have to keep half an eye on your patients to make sure they aren’t disappearing off into the bushes. There’s no sink or tap, so our water for cleaning and scrubbing comes from a giant barrel strategically

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-75011063885594518062011-03-02T18:40:00.001-08:002011-03-02T18:42:44.108-08:00

Day 1- Flying to Paradise‘Vet-Trek 108- Atiu’. It sounds rather survivor-esque. And it does involve two intrepid volunteers being castaway on an isolated pacific island.Fortunately for Fenna and myself, the local inhabitants are friendly and welcoming and have generously accommodated us in a cozy guesthouse for the duration of our stay. We are here under the auspices of the Esther Honey

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-8153314637528125662011-02-12T19:52:00.000-08:002011-02-12T21:23:53.966-08:00

Here's a movie for you guys to get an idea of what the clinic is like. I hope you enjoy it!

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-19904734451728687222011-01-10T12:53:00.001-08:002011-01-10T13:01:45.378-08:00

Apart from the volunteers that we get intentionally coming here for the purpose of spending their time here at the Esther Honey Foundation, we also get the occasional tourist or local who want to lend a helping hand. Help from these infrequent volunteers is greatly appreciated as it can be quite daunting some mornings doing the feeding and cleaning on a regular basis. It’s also a great chance for

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-44341187624147075992010-11-10T11:43:00.000-08:002010-11-10T11:50:24.118-08:00

On a regular day at Esther Honey, volunteers start working at 8am feeding and cleaning all the animals that are either here for treatment or to be re-homed. Throughout the day there are many things to do to keep busy including extended care of inpatients, consultations, surgeries, maintenance of the clinic, administrative responsibilities, washing and more. The day usually ends with

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-74458116703491432472010-09-16T12:56:00.000-07:002010-09-16T13:12:13.087-07:00

One of the ways we celebrated 15 years of providing veterinary care and humane education in the Cook Islands was to join with the Hash House Harriers on Monday to do a run / walk with our furry friends. (We also commemorated this occasion by creating great-looking new EHF T-shirts which could be bought for $20 in mens and ladies styles!) The event was held at the Punanga Nui Market in Avarua

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-57366950133050491902010-09-11T04:04:00.000-07:002010-09-11T04:16:07.053-07:00

When volunteers come here to volunteer, it’s sometimes hard for me to remember that they also need some down time to re-energize and continue to take care of all the animals on this island. The volunteers are scheduled to work five days out of the week with two days off to explore what the island has to offer. This can include many activities ranging from relaxing on the beach on any side of

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-31443313330249499062010-08-18T17:24:00.000-07:002010-08-18T17:31:54.876-07:00

It’s been a while since I have posted anything on here so here we go. It has really been amazing what I’ve learned from the volunteers that have come from various countries and clinics in the world. Being on an island it is often hard to find everything one needs to accomplish the tasks needed just for everyday life. In a veterinary clinic it can sometimes be harder and it takes an amount of

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-15556773417811215802010-03-09T14:18:00.000-08:002010-07-30T07:17:59.477-07:00

Here we have an example of what an animal goes through when it comes into the clinic with fish poisoning. When the fish inside the reef consume a certain algae a toxin is held inside of them which affects animals and humans alike. There is more information about this on the main page. Sometimes it can take only a week for animals to recover, whereas other times it can take upwards of two months.

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-28148213699298642422010-03-05T15:07:00.000-08:002010-03-08T08:24:16.663-08:00

I am sure everyone has heard about the earthquake in Chile. My heart goes out to the victims of this disaster as they search for their families, friends and animals. What you may not have heard, is that because of the earthquake, a tsunami warning was issued throughout the Pacific. Boy did it ever wake us up!At 3:30 in the morning on Saturday, we received multiple phone calls warning us about the

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-14227397954924304472010-03-03T16:54:00.000-08:002010-03-03T17:25:00.812-08:00

Well, Micro-Craig is doing very well here at the clinic and has more than doubled in size since we first got him, in part because of the large quantity of food he eats. Since he has grown a bit too big for his box and the bucket we were keeping him in, he has been moved to the bath tub which has the bonus that it's really easy to clean. He's got his legs a bit more now and we have weaned him off

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-42169433596685618902010-03-03T12:54:00.000-08:002010-03-03T15:19:08.914-08:00

Because of the high number of fish poisoning patients brought to the clinic last December we decided it would be a good idea to remind the community once again about the dangers of feeding their pets fish from the lagoon. Fish poisoning has been one of the most frequently addressed topics in EHF's animal health care education program. The illness and how to avoid it has been discussed in

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-35058475233584666292010-02-18T13:27:00.000-08:002010-02-19T09:29:02.938-08:00

After the thirty plus kittens that we received just before the summer holidays, December, here in Rarotonga, we only have one left! It's been a long time but we have found homes for every single one of them except one which one of our local volunteers has called "Mr. Pudgy". We still get the occasional kitten given to us to re-home but we are finding homes for them. Just recently we have also

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-18605387365490591872010-02-18T13:18:00.000-08:002010-02-18T13:23:29.035-08:00

It's been busy here at the clinic with a lot of volunteers coming to help us look after the animals that have been placed in EHF's care. The combination of lots of volunteers and the need to start our second island-wide census made it the perfect time to rent bikes and set off from the clinic to go house to house to count Rarotonga canines. The purpose of the census is to document the number of

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-53352424311271598232010-01-06T12:23:00.000-08:002010-01-07T09:04:33.180-08:00

Just to let you know, the house where I and the other volunteers live is on the same site as the clinic and is shared by all the animals that we care for. It is quite basic and can accommodate up to eight people. There are three bedrooms that provide dorm-style sleeping; one large with four beds and two smaller rooms with two beds each. The bathroom includes a toilet separated from the shower/

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-606054903271538552009-12-26T19:01:00.000-08:002009-12-28T17:20:01.787-08:00

Not only do we get money, drugs, and animal food donated but the locals also like to support us by giving us the occasional human food supply which we enjoy very much. The locals here are very generous and will often give of themselves if they know someone is in need. Some examples of things that have been donated just since I've been here (about a month now) are bunches of bananas and lychee,

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-78039770187429155112009-12-26T15:15:00.000-08:002009-12-28T17:42:50.169-08:00

For the past month we have had a couple of locals who have been helping out here at the clinic on a regular basis. They have been so helpful to us in our day to day operations that we would like to thank them by putting their faces here. In order for you to get an idea of how much they help I'd like to describe what they do. A lot of our patients at the moment are suffering from fish poisoning

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-71557223771002124342009-12-24T16:48:00.000-08:002009-12-24T16:49:14.275-08:00

Well, we asked for high winds and we got them. The wind picked up shortly after we dropped Petey off in the ocean and she hasn't been seen floating around by the local fisherman who have been checking on her. This is good news. Hopefully she got her sea legs back and is off to where she can find others.

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-53559085477590039172009-12-24T16:47:00.000-08:002009-12-24T16:48:20.674-08:00

Today Petey was released five miles out into the ocean close to an artificial reef where other birds float on the water thanks to Wayne Barclay and his boat Reel Time. We have stuffed Petey so full of food she was really starting to make a mess of her enclosure. We are hoping that she will fly off on a strong breeze, but she could sit there for a couple of days before doing that. Petey looked

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-1664052594491515322009-12-15T14:51:00.000-08:002009-12-15T15:00:49.754-08:00

Dec 2nd, 2009 Well, Petey is definitely bringing more attention to the clinic as proven by more and more people coming in to visit him. The local newspaper wants us to call if we plan on trying a release any time soon and would like us to update them. We're also having a few problems with the X-ray machine so we haven't yet been able to rule out lead poisoning. Meanwhile Petey has

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-82832219490925859492009-12-15T14:42:00.000-08:002010-03-06T15:06:34.891-08:00

Dec 1st, 2009 Here's Petey, a giant, we think Southern, Petrel that has been with us now for about a week and a half. He was brought to the Esther Honey Vet Clinic by a tourist who saw that he was unable to fly or walk away when approached on Muri beach. Since then we have been trying to build his strength so he can go back to where he came from. We have already tried three times to release

tumbleweedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14773282098870771002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589991634052037495.post-84800460140667353862008-09-23T15:15:00.000-07:002008-10-07T08:15:27.267-07:00

Welcome to our new EHF Blog!

Esther Honey Foundationnoreply@blogger.com