It Started with an Email

GAIN Announces Successful Completion of Spaycation Summer School

Recently, GAIN held its first satellite clinic involving visiting veterinarians and veterinary students who volunteered their time to provide accessible spay and neuter services for the island community.

The program took place from July 2 through 26 at the Ordot Chalan Pago Community Center. A total of 162 animals were sterilized during the program. This is the story of how it all began.

"Spaycation Summer School Session 1 veterinary students explore the island and learn about Guam wildlife." (Left to right) Lauren Pavlock, Claudia Lao, Katie Woodruff, Faye Varias, Kara Agamaite, Hilary Chan.

In October of 2018, Guam Animals in Need (GAIN) received an email with a brilliant idea. The email came from Faye Varias, a Guam native currently attending her fourth year of veterinary school at Western University in Southern California. That email turned out to be the seed that sprouted into what became Guam’s first “Spaycation Summer School”. It was a dream come true.

Varias had attended a program in Ecuador in the summer of 2018 where veterinary students go on “spaycations” to improve their surgical skills while performing a number of spays and neuters for communities in need.

The email Varias sent to GAIN suggested starting a similar program here on the island, and so they decided to make it happen.

“When I first approached GAIN with this concept, I thought to myself that if we had one doctor and a few students interested, I’d consider it a success," Varias said. "We had dozens of veterinary students sign up and several more veterinarians willing to step up and help. I am amazed at the amount of support this project has received and am so thankful for the hardworking people at GAIN for making this happen.”