Don't get me wrong.. I love shooting weddings. I’m always honored to witness vows and moments reserved for that day alone but if I had to choose whose story to tell with my camera, it would be those who can't afford to pay me for it.
I was fortunate to spend part of December working with an incredible non-profit, Spay Panama, that travels through the country as a pop-up vet clinic to rural areas that may otherwise go years without vet care. Offering low-cost sterilization to pet owners in hopes of curbing the number of animals that would likely starve, the organization is due to a generous retired canal worker, Patricia Chan.
This shows part of my time spent with the crew after a tired bus filled with medical equipment, veterinarians and volunteer techs carried us through the mountains to a schoolyard in El Valle. Between street dogs we rounded up ourselves and pets brought in by village residents, over 450 animals were fixed in just two days.
I used to volunteer as an O.R. assistant at a spay clinic in Wisconsin with lofty dreams of becoming a vet, so it was great lending a hand doing similar work when I wasn't documenting it. If you would also like to help, please follow the links to donate. This year Spay Panama celebrated 100,000 operations and have started averaging 20,000 surgeries per year. They've won numerous awards for transparency and utilize resources efficiently.
CLICK HERE to make a tax deductible donation to Spay Panama
CLICK HERE to "Like" their Facebook page
