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"Spay it forward"
Dr. Diego Alejandro Barrera Villarroel 1977-2024
Recruiting Spay/Neuter Mentors for the Galapagos Islands
Ecuadorian Veterinary Scholarship Program In memory and honor of Dr Diego Barrera
The planet lost one of its most fierce and compassionate animal warriors in late November of 2024. Dr. Diego Barrera was an extraordinary human and veterinarian. Dr. Diego changed the face of animal welfare in Ecuador, forever. He is Animal Balance's hero.
In his honor and to memorialize Dr. Barrera’s work, we have created a scholarship program. We would like vets in Ecuador, who are interested in humane dog and cat management, to have the same opportunity that he did. Dr. Edi Llambo is Dr. Diego’s prodigy. Dr. Diego was Dr. Lew Seindenberg, a US AB alum, prodigy. Who is next?
Scroll down to learn more about the program and how to apply to join.
How will this work?
Dr. Llambo is a veterinary professor at Ambato is Uniandes University and will select veterinary students, who show interest in spay/neuter, to go to the Galapagos Islands to work alongside the North American vets from Animal Balance. They will work alongside ABG and the GAD on the Galapagos Islands in 2025.
Dr. Priscilla Espin is a veterinary professor in Cuenca at Cuenca is Universidad Politécnica Salesiana . Dr. Espin was born on the Galapagos Islands. She used to volunteer at the Animal Balance campaigns when she was a little girl. She could not decide between human and animal medicine as a career, but after working with Animal Balance for a few clinics, she decided to dedicate her life to helping animals.
Dr Espin will also choose veterinary students from her classes who show an interest in spay/neuter and provide them with scholarships to go to the Galapagos Islands and work alongside Animal Balance, ABG and the GAD.
We will match the vet students from Cuenca and Ambato with a North American mentor. Not only so they can teach the skill sets, but to open up new resources from North America, through the mentor relationship.
What do we need?
1. We are recruiting HQHVSN vets who would like to teach HQHVSN skills on the Galapagos Islands for a week in 2025, and connect with an Ecuadorian veterinarian to become their mentor.
This is a volunteer position, you would need to cover your flights and hotel, but we will obtain a VISA for you to enter the islands as a volunteer, free of charge. You would train the vet student in skills, while the spay/neuter clinic is happening, which is a separate team.
The approved clinic dates are here: www.animalbalance.org
If you do not speak Spanish, please bring a good translator who is able to translate medical terminology.
Please sign up as a HQHVSN mentor, by writing to JGonzalez@animalbalance.org
If you pass the interview process, you will be paired with an Ecuadorian vet. It will give you a connection in Ecuador and allow for travel and exploration of Latin America.
We also need funds for this program. Each student costs add up to $1,200 for the flight, boats, food and lodging for one week on the islands.
If you would like to donate, please click here
The history behind the program
In 2005, on San Cristobal Island, Galapagos, CIMEI had just formed and AB was in our second year. CIMEI was a collaborative created by the Galapagos authorities in order to help collectively manage the cat and dog populations. In May of 2005, we walked into the new CIMEI 'office' in San Cristobal and met Dr. Diego.
That week, he synergized with Dr. Lew Seidenberg, a veteran of HQHVSN techniques with more experience than most. Dr. Lew was downloading his knowledge and wisdom to Dr. Diego during those early campaigns in 2005-2008. It was very impressive to witness, Dr. Diego quickly became one of the most proficient spay/neuter vets in Ecuador.
In 2007, we invited Dr. Diego to the Dominican Republic, for the first AB clinic there. We used an ex-pizza oven/prep room and a carport as our clinic location. Dr. Diego and Dr. Lew had a literal mind meld on that campaign. The knowledge exchange was intense, over dinner, walking to work, every moment they could, they learned from Dr. Lew. Liz Peach, was their technician for all of these campaigns, ensuring that they kept in line.
We were all so young and all learning how to perform MASH together to help as many animals and families as we could, by providing humane population control services for free.
Dr. Diego then moved from the Galapagos back to his hometown of Ambato. He changed the face of animal welfare in his hometown, going up against the government to change ordinances to be kinder, more compassionate towards animals.
As he is doing this, he and his mentor, Dr. Lew, create an incredible program, pulling vets, tech and volunteers from the US and within Ecuador, to spay/neuter thousands of animals. Together they open SNAP - Ambato. Dr. Diego then teaches the next generation of Ecuadorian vets not only how to spay/neuter, but to be kind, compassionate to ALL species.
He 'spayed it forward' and one of the vets he taught was Dr. Edi Llambo.
Jump forward 10 years…Dr. Diego then suggested Dr. Edi for Animal Balance Galapagos Medical Director. Dr. Edi is Dr. Diego's protégé, an outstanding human and vet and now is our Medical Director.
Dr. Diego's impact on each of us cannot be quantified. This man has taken compassion for all species & combined it with superior veterinary technical skills & then trail blazed through Ecuador, creating…no demanding, social change, making new kinder laws, literally changing the world for the next generation.
Now you can do the same, spay it forward!