Not many 18 year olds would spend their holidays helping animals in a foreign country, but that is exactly what Beckie Read did.
Ms Read recently returned from a 10 day trip to Cambodia where she volunteered her time to help animals in need.
“The holiday was a really amazing experience,” she said.
“I’d had the thought over the past few years that I wanted to go to some country and do volunteer work involving animals.
“I was lucky to have the support from [Collie Veterinary Services] where I work. They donated a whole pile of stuff and we couldn’t have done surgeries without it.”
Ms Read said she had travelled to Cambodia with about 70kg of medical supplies, such as syringes, drugs and antibiotics.
“Basic things like flea and tick prevention and worming were things we took over there because a lot of stuff, they don’t have access to,” she said.
“The vet clinic I was working in over there was under someone’s house with basic, basic medical care for the animals.
“The town we were in, they don’t have a post office. You can’t send stuff over there, so if it needs to get there ... it has to be driven in from another town.”
She said the experience was eye-opening, with animals having limited access to medical help.
“It was quite emotionally and physically draining,” she said.
“How they treat their pets over there is very different. They say they love them, but yet they don’t always feed them and don’t provide them care.”
Ms Read said it was custom for the community there to drop off their sick animals at the local pagodas, where the monks live, and she spent much of her time collecting animals to provide medical help.
“Street animals are beautiful, beautiful animals, so we just went around the streets and picked them up,” she said.
Ms Read said she intended to continue with her volunteer work by fundraising for the community in Cambodia and returning some time this year.
“I hope to go back in about eight to 10 months and for a longer period of time. 10 days wasn’t enough time to make an impact, I don’t think,” she said.
“I want to do further fundraising here as well.”
Ms Read said she was glad to have the support of Collie Veterinary Services, where she has worked for the past four years, on her journey.
“They’re going to do further funding for my next few holidays,” she said.
“They’ve said ‘if you want to go over for six months and do work over there, we’ll support you’.
“They’re really good people.”
