 The Esther Honey Foundation is the first non-profit organization to work exclusively on South Pacific islands to humanely control animal populations. The difference that EHF makes for animals and their communities can be permanent. |
Reaching South Pacific Animals In Need for 15 Years Rarotonga, Aitutaki, Atiu, Mangaia, Mauke, Mitiaro, Bora Bora |
 The first EHF VET TREK® occured almost 15 years ago, in 1995, within months of the Esther Honey Foundation’s arrival in the Cook Islands. EHF volunteers traveled by plane and by freighter to reach animals in need on remote outer islands. ►The first VET TREK® provided service to 4 islands, and treated 116 animals. ► EHF has since conducted 105 free clinics on 7 South Pacific islands treating 3,468 animals.   EHF VET TREKs®  Benefit: ►island animals by humanely decreasing their number through sterilization and improving their health conditions. ►island nations' economies by addressing tourists’ ever increasing concerns for the welfare of animals in the countries where they travel. EHF VET TREK ® Partners, Donors and Supporters  EHF’s success in creating programs that reach thousands animals previously without care lies in its development & continuing relationship with its network of partners, donors and supporters. The island nation governments work with the Foundation to establish Immigration and Customs protocols that permit EHF to provide service in their countries. The businesses, organizations & individuals who participate in our programs allow EHF to offer benefits to volunteers such as discounted airfares, housing, meals, transportation & academic credit. |
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EHF VET TREK® 2010 |
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EHF VET TREK® AITUTAKI I 2010 April 7- April 8 2010 EHF's 105th VET TREK Total number of animals treated during EHF VET TREKS: 3,468 Short notice VET TREK request (due to Cyclone Pat) leaving little lead time for publicity but completed all treatment requests and consults that were organized prior to our team's arrival by JoAnne Brittjin.  EHF VET TREK AITUTAKI 2010 PARTICULARS EHF Staff: 2 veterinarians EHF Services: 18 cats treated (All wormed) 14 cats sterilized (12M/2F) 4 consults Partner Contributions - Airfare kindly donated by Air Rarotonga - Accommodations donated by Etu Moana - Lunch donated by Paradise Resort - Balcony donated by Jenny for surgery theatre As always, EHF owes a special debt of gratitude to JoAnne and Jim Brittjin for making these TREKS to Aitutaki possible. |
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EHF VET TREK® 2009 Results |
 TOTAL NUMBER of ANIMALS TREATED DURING FOUR 2009 VET TREKS:
309 Animals Treated including 290 Spayed/Neutered Adding to the total of 3,450 animals treated by the Esther Honey Foundation during EHF VET TREKS*
► EHF's VET TREK® AITUTAKI 2009 June 16-19 09: RESULTS: Spayed/Neutered 84 cats + 2 cat consultations TOTAL: 86 cats treated ► EHF's VET TREK® MANGAIA 2009 August 17-24 09: RESULTS: Spayed/Neutered 85 dogs & 38 cats + 24 additional dogs treated TOTAL: 147 animals treated ► EHF's VET TREK® ATIU 2009 (mini - Trek) TOTAL: 5 animals treated ► EHF's VET TREK® AITUTAKI II 2009 Nov1-14 09 (2 vets Focus feral cats TNR) RESULTS: Spayed/Neutered 68 cats + 3 owned consults TOTAL: 71 cats treated ► EHF's VET TREK® RAROTONGA Jan 09-Dec 09: (*Not included in Vet Trek totals, added to annual total) RESULTS: Dogs Spayed/Neutered: 475 dogs For information about individual 2009 EHF VET TREKS, please see below. ______________________________________________________________ EHF VET TREK® AITUTAKI 2009     June 16-19 2009 RESULTS: 84 SPAY/NEUTERS +2 Consultations = 86 Cats Treated _____________________________________________________________ EHF VET TREK MANGAIA 2009 August 17-24-2009    RESULTS: SPAY/NEUTER 85 Dogs and 38 Cats
+ 24 additional Dog Treatments=147 Animals Treated Noo Anga Makiiti, Melissa Mani, Lara Taokia Mangaia College and Tei George Ministry of Agriculture Mangaia ___________________________________________________________________________ EHF VET TREK ATIU 11 August-12 August 2009  EHF thanks Mr. Basil Ross for sponsoring the airfare and accomodation for Dr. Willis' Vet Trek to Atiu to treat several Atiu animals. Thanks too, to Dr. Willis and Vicky Willis for providing service and contributing the airfare and additional travel costs that would allow Vicky, who is also a health professional, to assist during the four canine surgeries and one feline consultation. Thanks as well to Mr. Marshall Humphries for this hospitality and guided tour of the cave, home to the fascinating Kopeka bird. RESULTS: 4 canine sterilizations, 1 cat consultation= 5 animals treated ______________________________________________________________________________ EHF VET TREK® AITUTAKI II 2009 Nov1-14 09 (Two veterinarians feral cats TNR) RESULTS: Spayed/Neutered 68 cats + 3 owned consults TOTAL: 71 cats treated  Thank you to our Aitutaki partners. The help and generosity shown by all of our partners in Aitutaki were instrumental in making this Vet Trek successful.  EHF VET TREK® RAROTONGA June 2008-December 2009 RESULTS: 533 canines spayed/neutered |
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EHF VET TREK® 2008 |
MANGAIA 2008 Celebrating our 100th Vet Trek  ►Read: Brooke Nicholls Mack's article about her return to the Cook Islands to volunteer at the clinic & to participate in the foundation's 100th VET TREK. Click Here ►Vets trekking for the 100th time Cook Islands News: August 25 2008  The Esther Honey Foundation will embark on its centenary EHF Vet Trek® this week. EHF clinic director Karen Galvan says this is after 14 years of voluntary work by the foundation, hundreds of EHF volunteers have passed through the clinic’s doors to run the (hospital) and spay/neuter programme. “It is so exciting for us all at EHF to have reached this remarkable milestone when we visit Mangaia on Wednesday for a five-day Vet Trek. EHF is taking a specialist team of five to Mangaia. Galvan says two qualified vets will do the veterinary work, two researchers will conduct a census of the island’s canine population and she will be doing animal welfare education for the 204 school children on Mangaia. EHF does not charge for this service and has sourced the necessary drugs, medicines, census model and educational supplies required to perform this outreach programme through its worldwide support network.  Included in this centenary Vet Trek group is researcher Brooke Nicholls-Mack, who came to the Cook Islands as a child with her father Dr Barry Nicholls, who has a long association with the foundation as veterinarian liaison, board member and donor Brooke says, “It’s is an incredible honour to be involved in this centenary Vet Trek and to return to the Cook Islands. My family has a long association with the Cooks through EHF, and this year I have brought my husband with me so we can both do something positive for the animals of the Cooks, but also so I can share my own childhood memories with him.” Galvan confirms that the EHF team members are paying for their own travel and living costs to Mangaia but would like to thank Air Rarotonga for providing discounted airfares and Mr Nga Tuara for assisting with accommodation and logistics on Mangaia. _____________________________________________________
AITUTAKI 2008 (X2)
►Esther Honey takes care of cats on Aitutaki
Cook Islands News: May 28 2008 A total of 114 cats on the outer island of Aitutaki have been desexed, thanks to an EHF Vet Tre®.  The visits which were held last month also resulted in 125 cats being treated, making a considerable difference to the cat population. There are no dogs on Aitutaki. __________________________________________________ A number of residents on the island have been extremely appreciative of the efforts of the EHF team. “They did a terrific job and it is greatly appreciated. I hope the organisation can continue to send vets over here from Rarotonga on a regular basis to keep the cats under control,” says Larry Richards. “I think I can speak for many people here on the island who thank them for all the good work that the organisation does,” says Richards. EHF is grateful to Aitutaki vet trek liaisons, JoAnne and Jim Brittjin and extend their thanks to all businesses and individuals who enabled EHF to provide service by donating products, services or their time during the two visits – Maria and Allan Mills for lodging; The Dive Centre for their contribution toward the volunteers’ airfares; Pacific Resort and Jason for providing the EHF vet trek clinic site; accommodators Etu Moana, Popoara Ocean Breeze Villas and Sunny Beach Lodge; for meals – Etu Moana, Pacific Resort, TeVaka, Larry Richards and Bishop’s Cruise and activities with Aitutaki Adventures (Puna and Tutu) and Popoara Rentals. — Tara Carr ► To read about EHF VET TREK® Mangaia 2007 in the CI NEWS: Click Here ► To read about EHF VET TREK® Aitutaki I 2006 in the CI NEWS: Click Here (Large file) |
EHF VET TREK® MAKES HISTORY IN FRENCH POLYNESIA |
 EHF began working in 2001 to bring an EHF VET TREK® team to French Polynesia.  Following three years of planning and preparation by The Esther Honey Foundation and its partners, French Polynesia’s first-ever Sterilization Campaign was held on the island of Bora Bora in the spring of 2004. EHF's veterinary team sterilized 664 cats and dogs during a month long free clinic. Read about EHF VET TREK® BORA BORA in the Tahiti Beach Press: View |
In a press conference broadcast nationwide, Bora Bora Mayor Gaston Tong Sang,  christened this historic event with an eloquent address to the country that outlined the benefits of the sterilization clinic to the animals,  their guardians,the Bora Bora Community and the French Polynesia's tourism industry.   Among those joining the mayor in the televised presentation were: French Polynesia Minister of Agriculture, Frederic Riveta, President of the Committee of Tourism, Teivea Buchin, EHF President and Founder, Cathy Sue Ragan-Anunsen, EHF VET TREK® Bora Bora Veterinarian, Byron Maas and EHF's Tahiti partner, Fenua Animalia's, Helen Desmeroux. Bora Bora veterinarian, Wilfred Clarke's, support for the EHF proposal to allow the EHF VET TREK® team to conduct a free clinic on the island was critical to ensuring that the previous years of effort came to fruition. |
 EHF extends its profound gratitude to all the campaign partners, to Teivea and Michelle Buchin who welcomed us into their home and treated us as family, the Bora Bora Municipal Counsel and the entire Commune de Bora Bora.  We send our appreciation, too, to the French Navy for shipping clinic supplies from Tahiti to Bora Bora and for loaning the indispensable cages to the Sterilization Campaign.  Sunspots International and Air Tahiti Nui made travel costs affordable for EHF volunteers and Tahiti Air generously donated roundtrip airfares from Tahiti to Bora Bora. Bora Bora’s world-renown hotels and restaurants generously donated elegant accommodations and five star meals.  Days away from the clinic were filled by our sponsors with adventure including jungle safaris, swimming with green turtles and manta rays and diving.  The outpouring of generosity and kindness from EHF’s Bora Bora hosts is a lifetime memory for each volunteer. |
Every member of the BORA BORA EHF VET TREK® team will be forever grateful for   the foresight and leadership of Bora Bora Mayor, Gaston Tong Sang and  for the determination and passion of our Tahiti partner, Eric Loeve and Fenua Animalia.  |
| EHF extends a special thank-you to two compassionate tourists, Helen McCloskey and her sister Margo Blair for sending Pongo, a homeless dog with a bleeding disorder, and his companion Ta'a to the US for veterinary ca  re and permanent loving homes.The handsome Pongo  and the lovely Ta'a |
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97% of EHF Expenditures Go Directly to Our Animal Care Programs ► To Make a Donation to The Esther Honey Foundation Click Here  Thanks a bunch! Pounds, Euros, Yens, Rupees, Bananas, Francs, Pesos, Schillings, Colones, Dollars, Marks, Guilders, Drachmaes, Kronurs, Lires: Every Contribution Counts! EHF Privacy Policy: EHF does not sell, rent or lend the names or email addresses of our supporters. |
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