Marshall Islands: Skill-Building and Service

In partnership with RMI Love Animals and Mission Aloha, a team of Vetcor leaders and clinicians traveled to the Marshall Islands to provide essential spay and neuter services, and general veterinary care, to local pets. The group included Dr. Kelly Dowdall-Garberson, Amber Ingenluyff, Dr. Lynette Hemker, Dr. Sharon Milza, Dr. Mari Aitken, Dr. Jessica Lin, Dr. Leah Pilewski, and Cesar Molina. 

The need for veterinary care in the Marshall Islands is profound. Majuro, the capital atoll, is home to approximately 20,000 people and an estimated 6,000 dogs, many of whom are hungry, roaming, and in poor health. With no permanent veterinarian on the island, access to care is extremely limited, making spay/neuter and population management efforts essential to public safety, animal welfare, and community health. Since 2022, RMI Love Animals, with the help of Dr. Kelly Dowdall-Garberson (Chief of Staff at Aloha Affordable Veterinary Services and North Shore Veterinary Clinic) and her team, has microchipped, sterilized, vaccinated, and treated thousands of individually and community-owned dogs and cats. To make this possible, teams operate from temporary pop-up clinics set up in schools, churches, outdoor courts, and even private homes, bringing lifesaving care to animals who otherwise would have none. 

Against this backdrop, the Vetcor team stepped into an environment that demanded adaptability, creativity, and teamwork. Performing surgeries in a resource-limited setting pushed each participant to expand their skills and find confidence in new challenges. Dr. Leah Pilewski, Wintergreen Animal Hospital, shared how deeply the experience impacted her: 

“Before this trip I would have said a spay procedure is my least favorite surgical procedure. [But] being here and seeing so many cases, and ones that were unusual and difficult, has helped make it seem a little less scary. Being around a really supportive team during this crucial learning process as we were finding those really hard cases was really helpful and beneficial to my learning and I have more confidence in the surgical skill itself.” 

The mission also connected the team deeply with the community they served. As Dr. Mari Aitken, South Bay Veterinary Hospital, reflected: 

“I thought it was cool to see how involved and interested a lot of people where, I interacted with a child who really wanted to learn as much as possible. We were able to get him involved in a lot of process, cleaning up after the incision, teaching him about recovery of his pet, I feel like he was really inspired. It really helps gets people involved in the community.” 

Cesar Molina, Regional Director, also shared meaningful moments from the mission: 

“I had many memorable interactions, but one of my favorites was playing basketball with the local kids after a long day of work. Being able to laugh, relax, and connect with them—along with Dr. Hemker—was a real highlight of the trip. Another especially meaningful experience was teaching local students and children how to help with patient recovery. Seeing the community come together to support our work and learn alongside us was incredibly inspiring and something I will always remember.” 

For several team members, the trip served as a turning point in building confidence during surgical decision-making. Dr. Jessica Lin, Hazel Ridge Veterinary Clinic, described her growth: 

“Being creative during surgeries. As a new grad I was still so nervous to make decisions during surgeries when I first started on this trip - I wanted to do everything by the steps in the textbook. However, I learned that variations in anatomy doesn’t really allow you to do that for every case during this trip, and with the help of the senior doctors I was able to gain more confidence in problem solving and making decisions during surgeries.” 

The impact of the mission, both for the animals of Majuro and the Vetcor team, was made possible through exceptional collaboration. A heartfelt thank you goes to Dr. Kelly Dowdall-Garberson for her leadership, coordination, and long-standing commitment to RMI Love Animals. Her ongoing work is central to delivering sustainable, humane animal population management in the Marshall Islands and ensuring that visiting teams can serve effectively. 

We also extend our gratitude to Boehringer Ingelheim for their generous sponsorship, which made this mission possible and supported the supplies and resources needed to improve animal health and community well-being across the Marshall Islands.