and partners! Your valued contributions allowed EHF to provide 82 volunteers, including 39 veterinarians, and more than $70,000.00 USD in veterinary supplies to the Esther Honey Foundation Animal Clinic in 2009. 
World Society for the Protection of Animals Member Society since 2001 
panion animal animal welfare. As part of this, I work closely with a number of animal shelters here. This means of course, I can never resist the opportunity to visit welfare facilities whenever I travel. I was honoured to visit the EHF hospital and spent some time with Greg, one of your volunteers.
o be adopted by a loving Rarotonga family. 
Veterinary Care for South Pacific Companion Animals in Need The Esther Honey Foundation is the first 501 (c) (3) international organization to work exclusively to control animal populations on islands. The difference that EHF makes for animals and their communities can be permanent. EHF works in concert with local government officials, businesses, community members and EHF’s partners, to bring compassionate and affordable veterinary services to South Pacific island companion animals in need. EHF improves the health conditions and quality of life for these animals by developing the partnership programs, raising the funds and recruiting the volunteers necessary to fulfill the Foundation’s mission. Wherever EHF provides service, all animals including the homeless, receive the same level of veterinary care and no healthy animal is euthanized. |
| More Than a Decade of Service to the South Pacific Animals |
The Esther Honey Foundation Animal Clinic Rarotonga,Cook Islands  EHF established and continues to support the only veterinary clinic for the Cook Islands' thousands of companion animals. Since the Foundation established the Esther Honey Foundation Animal Clinic in 1995, hundreds of EHF volunteers including veterinarians, technologists and interns have traveled to the South Pacific island nation to treat between 2,000-2,600 animals each year. Services are provided in return for donations. EHF's patients are primarily companion animals, but our veterinary teams have also treated pigs, goats, horses, birds, fruit bats, one seal and a hawkbilled turtle. Since opening The Esther Honey Foundation Animal Clinic doors, EHF has ►Treated more than 25,994 animals ►Sterilized more than 11,393 animals _____________________________________________________________ EHF VET TREK®: Rarotonga, Aitutaki, Atiu, Mangaia, Mauke, Mitiaro, Bora Bora Providing compassionate veterinary care to remote South Pacific island animals  ► The Foundation's spay/neuter & humane education programs extend beyond the
Esther Honey Animal Clinic to field clinics on remote outer islands and additional South Pacific island nations. EHF has conducted 104 EHF VET TREKS treating 3,450 animals who would not receive care without the Esther Honey Foundation. ►2009 EHF VET TREK Results: Four Treks: 309 animals treated  (Photo credit: Dr. Aiden Costello) ►FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PAST EHF VET TREKS® & VOLUNTEERING FOR EHF VET TREKS® PLEASE GO TO: VET TREK Page ________________________________________________________ Esther Honey Volu  nteers EHF is indebted to the 207 veterinarians and hundreds of other EHF volunteers who treat thousands of animals in EHF's care. EHF programs request donations in return for service. EHF veterinarian volunteers come from all over the globe including: the United States, New Zealand, Australia, the UK, Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands, South Africa, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and Isreal. ►Veterinarian Alison Harland writes: "I am writing from a wet and windy New Zealand, the warmth of Rarotonga is fading slowly! I am writing to thank you for your advice and assistance with my recent trip to Rarotonga, and during my stay at the EHF clinic. It was great to be part of an international team providing a veterinary presence on Rarotonga, and to contribute with organisation of the clinic and supplies, as well as desexing and medical/surgical services. I learned heaps - an opportunity not to be missed." ► Veterinarian: I volunteered "during the summer of my first year into vet school. (2005) Being in Raro is probably what kept me in school! It was the first link in a chain that has ended up with me working at a vet clinic on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. " JP ____________________________________ ►Read Vet Student Gabe Young's note following about his EHF externship experience: "Volunteering at the Esther Honey clinic was a fantastic experience, and definitely the highlight of my journey through vet school. I loved everything about Rarotonga - the people, the animals, and the lifestyle, and it was great to have a chance to help out somewhere where the work is really needed and truly appreciated by the locals. I highly recommend volunteering at the clinic to everyone, but especially to final year vet students or recent grads. The veterinarians who supervised me allowed me to get very involved in the management of cases, and they were always eager to enhance my learning experience in every way. As a young and budding vet, the time I spent there was extremely valuable. I am very grateful to Cathy Sue for having me there - she has developed a wonderful organization which has done great things for the people and animals of Rarotonga, and it was a privilege to spend some time there. I can't wait to go back!!!" ► Read US Vet Student Heather Matz IVSA presentation about her externship at the EHF Animal Clinic (Large file) IVSA PowerPoint Presentation ► UK Vet Student wrote about her expereince:
Hi Cathy Sue, I would like to thank you for allowing me to volunteer at the Esther Honey Clinic on Rarotonga. It was a fantastic experience that allowed me to gain an understanding of how much can be achieved with the imaginative use of limited resources! The animals on the island were a joy to work with and I will definately be recommending EHF as placement for both students and new graduates. The clinic has had a great impact on the island and I wish you all the best your continuing efforts. Thank you once again, Emily ► Read US Vet Student Cindy Galbreath's article on the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine website:  |
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EHF NEWS EHF NEWS!EHF NEWS EHF NEWS!EHF NEWS! |
► Animal Planet Canada & Maystreet Productions' Documentary features The Esther Honey Foundation's work on behalf of Raro Dogs.  Esther Honey Foundation Animal Clinic volunteers recently spent an exciting week working with Canada’s Maystreet Production Company who flew to the Cook Islands to film the foundation’s Animal Clinic program and the Rarotonga dogs for an Animal Planet Canada documentary.  Maystreet Production films homeless "Snowie"at Muri Beach Maystreet contacted the Foundation earlier this year about participating in a programme, four months in the making, that highlights feral animals and selected animal welfare agencies from around the world. Snowie's new family EHF President and CEO, Cathy Sue Ragan-Anunsen, says, "We are honoured to be among those organizations whose work on behalf of animals in peril will be featured. Maystreet and Animal Planet have the ability to draw global attention to the plight of island nation dogs in general and to educate millions about the unique gentle nature and keen intelligence of the Rarotonga dogs in particular. We are eager to see the island animals and our extraordinary volunteers at work when the program airs later this year." ► Read full story Click Here ► Visit "Gone Wild" website to Watch Animal Planet Video ___________________________
►(NEW)Esther Honey Foundation joins International Spay Day event  Cat and dog owners are urged to take their pets to the Esther Honey Foundation Clinic for a free spay or neuter. Tuesday 23 February is Spay Day International – a Humane Society International annual campaign to inspire people to save animal lives by spaying or neutering pets and homeless cats and dogs. This is the 3rd year the foundation and Rarotonga animals have participated in SPAY DAY. Last year, the foundation entered the photo contest portion of the event and earned just under $1000.00 USD that was used to purchase new surgery instruments for the clinic. This year, the foundation entered a photo of a Rarotonga ginger kitty, "Cook Islands Craig" and is inviting everyone to "VOTE for CRAIG" (See upper left hand columnon on this page) online to benefit the clinic. Each dollar donated counts as a vote. People can also enter photos of their own handsome pets at no cost. Both can be accomplished on the SPAY DAY website: humanesociety.org/photocontest . To recognise the event, the clinic is holding a week-long campaign providing free spaying & neutering for all companion animals from Monday 22 to Friday 26 February. The main goal of Spay Day International is to encourage as many people as possible to have their pets or another animal spayed or neutered as part of the campaign. All animals spayed or neutered will be given free flea and worm treatment so be a part of this life-saving program and book an appointment today for a free spay or neuter. Bookings can be made on 22336. -EHF ___________________________   ► It's Christmas in the islands for vet Alex Alex Elson has dealt with most of the health problems that afflict small animals, but this summer, the Whitianga vet is likely to encounter a new one.
Ms Elson is spending three weeks over Christmas and New Year as a volunteer vet in the Cook Islands. She expects there will be the usual cases, such as skin problems, accidents and neutering, but has been told there could also be a problem with fish poisoning. In certain conditions, a disturbance on the reef at Rarotonga causes toxic plankton to get into the food chain.... Ms Elson has just finished a two-year stint as a part-time vet in Whitianga and left for the Cook Islands on Sunday. “I’ve decided that I’ll do volunteer work from now on,” she says. She began her career in England and has been a vet for about 35 years. After settling in Whitianga eight years ago, she initially worked part-time in Thames. The idea of going to the Cook Islands came when she read about the Esther Honey Foundation in a vet magazine. The organisation was founded by American animal advocate Cathy Sue Ragan-Anunsen in 1994 after a holiday in the Cook Islands. While she was in Rarotonga, Ms Ragan-Anunsen befriended a dog named Honey and learned that there were no veterinary services in the country for its thousands of cats and dogs. In 1995, the foundation opened a clinic in Nikao. It’s staffed by volunteer vets from around the world and caters for animals in Rarotonga and outlying islands. “I’ve never been to the Cook Islands and I thought it sounded like me,” Ms Elson says. She hopes to do some diving and possibly some horse-riding. Back home, a house-sitter will look after her pregnant horse Charity, her cats Roland and Rupert and her chickens. Her three pugs, Milly, Stanley and Lenny, will go into kennels. ______________________ ► Pets deserve Christmas care
Cook Islands News December 23 2009  Christmas is a time for families – and that includes family pets. The Esther Honey Foundation is encouraging the community to consider pets when preparing for the festive season. Especially families and households heading overseas for the Christmas and New Year break.“A lot of our pets have become domesticated to the point where they cannot fend for themselves and would suffer greatly if neglected for just a couple of days,” says Esther Honey clinic director Gregg Young. “We need to make sure that they have plenty of water over the holidays, especially since we are getting into the hottest part of the year.” The clinic is encouraging people heading overseas to put a plan in place for someone to feed your animals while you are away. This includes both household pets and livestock such as pigs and goats. “Your animals need all the basic things you do, including shelter from bad weather and companionship,” says Young. Leading up to and during the festive season, the Esther Honey clinic volunteers in Nikao get swamped with requests and calls from people who have left it to the last minute to arrange care for their animals or from concerned locals and tourists distressed at the number of animals not being fed or cared for. The animal clinic does not have the facilities to care for large numbers of abandoned or uncared for animals and these situations can be prevented by some planning and support from the community. “We are asking people to make sure they plan well in advance if they intend leaving the country as dogs and cats will miss their guardians if left alone and this is no way to treat family pets,” says Young. Young says that uncared for pets are also more likely to roam, be hit by cars or even shot by authorities or locals protecting their livestock. “We also ask that people do not leave their animals tied up for long periods as this is going to cause significant distress to the animal and if food, water and shelter are not readily available, the animal could get very ill and may die,” says Young. The message is simple – be a responsible and caring owner and make sure your animals are well cared for. Talk to your family and put a plan in place to provide your animals with food, water, shelter and companionship every day. For more advice on what you can do for your pets this festive season, contact the Esther Honey clinic on 22336. - Matariki Wilson ___________________________ ► Back at Sea Cook Islands News December 18 2009  Gregg Young reckons it will take the petrel a few days to get its ‘sea legs’ back before it can return home. After spending two weeks on land and being taken care of by Esther Honey Foundation vets, the stranded giant petrel was finally released at sea on Tuesday. The bird was found on Muri beach two weeks ago and taken in to the animal clinic for observations. At the time vets were unsure if anything was wrong with the bird and suspected that it may have ingested lead fishing tackle. After two failed attempts at releasing the bird, once from the Nikao lagoon and another from hospital hill, vets could do nothing else but keep the bird at the clinic. Newly appointed clinic director Gregg Young and staff spent the weekend stuffing the bird full of food in preparation for its ocean release. On Tuesday afternoon the bird was loaded up on fishing charter Reel Time and taken out five miles from shore. Young says that as soon as he opened the bird’s cage, it flew with excitement into the water flapping its huge wings. “He seemed pretty happy to be back in the water,” said Young. Young is pretty optimistic about the bird’s chances of survival as such seabirds spend most of their time on the ocean. “I think it will take him a few days to get used to his sea legs again before he takes off.” In the meantime, Reel Time Skipper Wayne Barclay will keep an eye out for the bird when he is out fishing. Matariki Wilson ___________________________ ► Peetee still at clinic  Things are not looking too flash for Peetee the grounded giant petrel seabird currently in the care of animal clinic Ester (sic) Honey Foundation in Nikao. Vets at the Nikao animal clinic suspect the seabird, rescued from Muri beach last week, may have lead poisoning after possibly swallowing lead weights from fishing tackle.
Volunteer vet Rob Mitchell says that they will be X-raying Peetee to see if their diagnosis is right and if so they can surgically remove the poisonous metal. But while Rob puts on a brave face and hopes for the best for Peetee, he says that the bird hasn’t eaten for the past two days and has lost a lot of weight. The clinic tried to release Peetee twice when he first arrived at the clinic and both attempts, once on the water and another time from hospital hill, were unsuccessful. A quick google search brings up a Wikipedia page full of interesting information on the giant petrel sea bird. Giant petrels are a genus from the family Procellariidae and consist of two species, the largest birds from this family. Both species are restricted to the Southern Hemisphere, and though their distributions overlap greatly with both species breeding on the Prince Edward Islands, Crozet Islands, Kerguelen Islands, Macquarie Island and South Georgia, many southern giant petrel nest further south, with colonies as far south as Antarctica. Giant petrels are aggressive predators and scavengers, which led to the other common name they were known as, the stinker, and the whalers used to call them gluttons. - Matariki Wilson ___________________ ►Big bird won’t fly Giant petrel stranded Esther Honey Foundation Cook Islands News: December 1 2009 FRONT PAGE STORIES  The large seabird was found on Muri beach by a guest at the Pacific Resort and Spa who took the bird to the Esther Honey Animal Clinic in Nikao where vets and volunteers accepted it for observations. The EHF animal clinic team weren’t too sure if anything was actually wrong with the giant petrel other than not being able to walk on land very well. Interim Clinic Director Max Mack said that they tried twice to release the bird and both times the bird didn’t take flight. They tried a water release as such birds are known for taking flight from water. But with the giant petrel seemingly uninterested in returning to the air from the water, the clinic staff then tried to release the bird from hospital hill and again the bird stayed put. Mack said that they would keep feeding and caring for the bird until it had enough strength to hopefully fly away. The giant petrel resembles the albatross and was listed as near threatened in 2008. - MW ___________________________ ►UK Vet & nurse pick Raro
Cook Islands News English veterinarian university graduate Laura Musgrove, 23, had a slew of high-tech, big-budget European clinics on her doorstep from which to get her first work experience.  Instead, she and a small band of vet-care specialists regularly answer the call of a tiny Pacific Island animal centre with an international reputation – the Esther Honey Foundation, on the main road near Rarotonga Golf Club. Established in 1995, the privately funded clinic – the only vet centre in Rarotonga – relies on the generosity of graduates like Laura to care for the island’s large dog and cat population. “I’d heard about the centre from another vet in England who had been here,” says Laura, a Royal Veterinarian College of London alumni in her second week of a two-month stay. “It was an opportunity too good to miss – you’re working in paradise and you actually feel like you’re making a difference.” Laura bunks down at the centre with up to seven other young animal specialists – and there is never a dull moment, from neutering and surgery duties, to dispensing general pet care advice. “We try and help pet owners with things like de-fleaing and worming – it’s amazing how few know anything about owning a dog or a cat,” says English vet nurse Casey Rogers, 26. While general vet care is Laura and Casey’s primary role, they also gratefully accept any donations – food, money or otherwise – from tourists, such as Auckland’s Jo Harvey (pictured) who raided the nearby CITC supermarket’s pet-food aisle this week to restock the foundation’s larder. “It’s great to be able to contribute to a worthy cause like Esther Honey,” says Jo, who holidays regularly in the Cooks. “After all, people can help themselves, but animals can’t.” - James Graham ___________________________ ► Eliminating dogs is not the solution Cook Islands News: - Letters Dear Editor: The writer’s frustration with dog owners who do not control the animals in their care is understandable but the proposed response to wandering dogs, to simply, “eliminate the dogs”, is not the solution. Scientist working in the field of dog population management concluded some time ago that attempts to exterminate all the dogs does not achieve the results the writer seeks. A 1990 World Health Organization Report, based on dog ecology studies carried out in various countries in all continents, recommended drastic changes in the management of dog populations that, up to that point, was largely done through "catch and kill," poisoning and shooting. Although such methods are still used in some countries, the report confirmed that there is no evidence to show that these methods have any long-term effect in reducing the size of the dog population. The outcome of a 2001 plan on Rarotonga to, “put down the estimated 2,000 stray dogs (sic) on the island” confirmed locally, what authorities had documented internationally. Misguided attempts to eradicate wandering animals frequently result in negative publicity for tourism dependent countries and infuriate animal loving tourists. The Cook Islands experienced this phenomenon first–hand when the early 90’s Rarotonga dog control program resulted in tourist publications carrying stories of alleged animal cruelty by Cook Island authorities. The Internet increases international awareness of each country's treatment of animals and more tourists refuse to travel to counties where animals are not treated humanely. Ironically, extermination programs are not only ineffective; they are likely to alienate the very people the country is trying to attract. The only scientifically proven, long-term solution that can succeed in permanently stabilizing the canine population is a spay/neuter and release program that sterilizes a minimum of 70% of dogs within a specified time. A veterinary program must then provide continuous after-care. EHF’s VET TREK® RARO, currently underway, meets these program requirements. EHF recommends making the sterilization of island dogs a priority. Everyone, including the writer, will benefit from this program and we encourage all stakeholders to contribute in some way toward its success. Please contact the clinic to ask how you be a part of the solution. Cathy Sue Ragan-Anunsen, President and CEO EHF |
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