I follow an influencer on Instagram who inspires thousands of home cooks eager to learn new recipes and refine their cooking skills. Recently, she has been promoting her bread-making workshops, focusing on a single, simple bread dough recipe that helps people get off the starting line in their baking journey.

I love this concept—getting off the starting line. Not to reach a specific destination, not to win medals, but simply to take that first step. It’s about transforming what once seemed like a distant dream into a tangible reality. We don’t need to be record-breaking masters to enjoy or improve at a skill; we just need to start.

For over 15 years through my work with WVS, I have been involved in programs that focus on guiding and coaching veterinarians in India in basic surgical and anesthesia skills. My goal has never been to make them the world’s best neurosurgeons (as if I would be even qualified for that!!!) but to get them off the starting line—to instill in them the belief that they can perform surgery and, with consistent effort, continue to improve. With a foundation in surgery, anesthesia, and analgesia, a world of possibilities in clinical veterinary medicine opens up.

This work is deeply meaningful to me. I love seeing veterinarians develop confidence during the 1-2 weeks they spend in WVS India’s surgical exposure programs (www.wvsindia.org). Even more rewarding is witnessing how many of them go on to apply their skills, becoming skilled surgeons performing complex soft tissue or orthopedic procedures, or dedicating themselves to spay/neuter programs.

However, I have also met veterinarians who, years after completing the WVS India program, have not performed any surgeries due to a lack of surgical equipment in their clinics. At the same time, many stray dog ABC centers are in dire need of skilled vets, and, unfortunately, numerous regions in India lack ABC programs altogether due to the complexities of obtaining permission to start one. As we speak, thousands of free-roaming dogs—both owned and stray—are breeding and giving birth to unwanted puppies.

Encouraging Action in 2025

This year, I want to inspire as many veterinarians as possible to get off the starting line and begin using their surgical skills. Start by spaying owned dogs. Make spay/neuter surgeries more accessible, available, and affordable for more pet owners.

There are multiple ways to contribute:

• Work full-time in a spay/neuter program.
• Volunteer for an outreach campaign.
• Work as a freelancer in an ABC program alongside a full-time job.
• Set up a private clinic and offer small-scale spay/neuter services in collaboration with local community groups or NGOs.

Whatever suits your circumstances, take that first step.

In December 2024, the American Animal Hospital Association published their Community Care Guidelines to encourage innovative solutions for bridging gaps in veterinary care, particularly for pet owners facing accessibility challenges. These guidelines recognize the crucial role that private veterinarians can play in collaborating with shelters and non-profits for vaccination and neutering programs. In India, there is tremendous potential to expand the reach of spay/neuter programs by fostering such networks between private practices and charitable organizations and community groups.

Making Dreams Feasible

Recently, I have spoken with young vets who aspire to start their own clinics but feel that the financial investment is too overwhelming. If you have similar dreams but limited funds, where should you invest first to get off the starting line?

For me, the answer is clear: Surgical equipment and instruments.

To support this, the Access to Vet Care online platform is offering a limited-time Starter Kit to help vets take their first steps in surgery. This kit includes:

• 1 x autoclave
• 1 x instrument bin
• 5 sets of surgical instruments (female set) with drapes
• 1 x spay hook

Everything else can be adapted:

• Use any table or hire a catering table with bricks for height adjustment.
• Utilize a good general room light and a head torch if necessary.
• Purchase consumables from your regular medicine supplier.
• Leverage local community WhatsApp groups to promote your spay/neuter services.
• Partner with another vet for anaesthesia monitoring while searching for a suitable vet assistant.

The key is to just get off the starting line and keep moving forward. Keep spaying. Keep making a difference. I look forward to hearing about your journey!