A world away from home: Nicole’s eye-opening veterinary mission

Through VetPartners’ overseas volunteering fund, colleagues can support worthy causes while boosting their clinical skills by working often in the most challenging conditions.

Whether in Africa or Asia, vets and RVNs can apply for funding to undertake clinical work with animal charities across the world.

As we prepare to open the window for applications for our overseas volunteering fund, vet Nicole Dyer shares her unforgettable experience of volunteering for a charity in Indonesia….

LIKE many UK vets, Nicole Dyer had always taken for granted access to the high-tech equipment, medication and materials needed to deliver the very best care for her patients.

That perspective changed when she volunteered with LUNI Lombok, a non-profit animal welfare organisation and veterinary clinic on the Gili Islands, off the coast of Lombok, Indonesia.

The experience proved to be as eye-opening as it was rewarding, offering a powerful insight into delivering veterinary care in a vastly different environment to what she was used to at Ash Tree Vets, where she worked until recently.

LUNI Lombok works to improve the lives of stray cats, pets and wildlife in a remote island setting where veterinary care was once unavailable. Its mission is to support animal welfare through veterinary treatment.

The organisation’s name — Love the Unwanted, Neglected and Ill-treated animals — reflects the passion driving its work. A key focus is sterilising 80% of the island’s cat population through a trap-neuter-vaccinate-return programme, helping to significantly improve feline welfare.

This vital work relies heavily on volunteer vets like Nicole, who support makeshift outreach clinics delivering neutering procedures, flea and worm treatments, and essential day-to-day veterinary care.

Nicole said: “The conditions are basic compared to working at home- the clinic and operating room were hotel rooms kindly donated by the local community. Anaesthetic protocols were perhaps the most different thing to get used to, which was a challenge. We used completely injectable protocols as they don’t have access to a lot of drugs and had to consider different pain relief strategies.

“The heat also made it difficult, with temperatures in the 30s, high humidity and the air conditioning wasn’t working. LUNI kept up the team spirit with a supply of cold drinks to keep us going.

“In the UK, we can take for granted that we have access to lots of supplies and equipment and the level of care we can provide. Working for the charity you must find alternative ways to do things, and you also have to make sure you don’t waste anything because costs are tighter, every piece of suture material is precious!

“My experience volunteering taught me that you can actually do so much with very little.”

Despite the challenges, the impact is profound. Each day brings a new mix of cases, from treating infections and injuries to helping animals. For volunteers, it is not only a chance to make a tangible difference to animal welfare, but also an opportunity to gain a deeper appreciation for resourcefulness, resilience and the power of simple interventions to change lives.

Nicole, who recently joined the VetPartners Central Support team, said: “There’s a large stray cat population on the island and also a roaming population of cats that are owned and they are all vulnerable to disease and unwanted pregnancy. We saw a lot of pregnant cats and the clinic focused on neutering to try to control the cat population. Some were very thin with conditions caused by parasites or skin problems which would be treated by the clinic.

“The charity has a couple of local employees who would catch some of the stray cats in traps and also talk to local owners about how we could help whilst we were there.

“After surgery, the cats would stay with the charity for a few days to prevent wound infection because of the humidity and so they could be given pain relief.

“There are lots of cats on the island that were already ear tipped, so we knew they were neutered which shows that the work is making an impact.”

Nicole added: “It was so rewarding to be making a positive impact on the local community. I would really recommend volunteering overseas. It is a good opportunity to experience different ways of practising.”

If volunteering overseas is your dream for 2026, why not apply for funding? Vets and RVNs who have worked for VetPartners for at least 12 months can apply for a grant to volunteer overseas.

The next funding window opens on June 1^st.

Full details of the scheme and how to apply can be found here:         

UK (GB): https://www.myvetpartners.co.uk/terms-and-conditions

Ireland (NI and ROI): https://www.myvetpartners.ie/terms-and-conditions

Article by Amanda Little, VetPartners PR and Communications Director. Email amanda.little@vetpartners.co.uk