By Emma Clifford | Founder & Director
The Galapagos Islands closed in February 2020, due to COVID-19. They recently opened back up, with strict limits on visitors. In conjunction with our partners, ABG and Pan Animalia, we currently have two veterinarians on-island.
They have been utterly overwhelmed with animals who need treatments and surgeries. Since COVID hit in February, there have been extremely limited services for people's pets. In addition, local people are leaving the islands in droves as they cannot make a living there any longer. The Galapagos communities need tourists to survive and it will be a while before they return.
Given this situation, Animal Balance has set up a supply chain, where key medical supplies will be carried in by volunteers into Quito in the next few weeks. Our Government partners will take them the final leg of the journey to the islands.
In addition to the supply chain, we have set up a 'Galapagos Animal Medical Supply Account' for donations that will be used to purchase supplies in Ecuador, from local supplies, who can send the items directly over to the Galapagos. The supplies are generally less expensive in Ecuador, so this is the most efficient use of resources.
The communities on the Galapagos Islands have been cut off from the world since February. There has no been any way to perform spay/neuter/vaccines, or treatments. As we finally have two vets on-island until mid- January, now is the time to assist so that all the work that we have done for the last 16 years does not unravel.
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