IMPACT
FARVets: ON A MISSION TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE or some students, booking a trip to a tropical location during spring break means partying and piña coladas. But for members of FARVets (Field, Abroad, Reachingout Veterinarians) it means something a little more rigorous—say, for example, spaying or neutering 149 pets and strays in just five days. This is exactly what the College-based club did this past spring during their visit to the Yucatan Peninsula. While the trip was hard work, it provided a big win-win: providing sterilization surgery and basic veterinary care to animals in need, while also giving students vital hands-on clinical experience. FARVETs was founded by Dr. Paul Maza, senior lecturer of anatomy and primary care, to both engage Cornell veterinary students in surgical experience while helping to address local feral and pet overpopulation issues in developing countries. Their first trip took students to Playa del Carmen, Mexico, in 2010 where they examined, treated, and sterilized 45 animals. The group became certified as a 501c3 non-profit organization in 2015, and has continued to expand its outreach to multiple communities across the globe, including places in Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Belize, Nicaragua, Thailand, and Grenada.
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DR. PAUL MAZA, FARVETS FOUNDER
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CORNELL CORNELLUNIVERSITY UNIVERSITYCollege Collegeof ofVeterinary VeterinaryMedicine Medicine