My Nonprofit Reviews

Spay Panama is a passionate team of staff and volunteers which is effectively reaching out to communities lacking access to veterinary care. Their well-polished system is impressive, capable of operating on hundreds of animals in a single day. They work in both their clinic for individuals who are nearby or are able to travel, and in off-site events whereby the team goes out to the communities requesting help. It is truly a collaborative effort, and the community requesting veterinary care takes the forefront role in surgical site selection, advertisement and engagement of its members. No pet is turned away for lack of money, but donations are requested, as the program’s success is built upon sustainability brought through sharing both the costs and rewards of their service.

I am a veterinarian, and was sent to Spay Panama for two weeks by Humane Society International, not only for high volume spay/neuter training, but also to observe and emulate Spay Panama’s program due to their success at community engagement. This time was quite worthwhile. The veterinarians are excellent surgeons and good teachers. The volunteers and staff are extremely dedicated with an uncommon zeal to their work. While in Spay Panama, two large off-site community events were conducted whereby 321 pets were spayed/neutered one day and 458 were spayed/neutered another day. Another off-site event involved a small portion of the team in which we trapped and spayed/neutered a feral cat colony. I left Panama with not only stronger surgery skills, but also an ideal model for turning an individual’s idea into work that becomes the community’s heart beat. I highly recommend this organization to veterinarians, technicians, students, and anyone else who is looking for meaningful work