About us
“Access to vet care – how to improve accessibility for basic veterinary care – has been sort of a theme describing most of my career and it continues to be something I am really interested in. There is a vast combination of factors from veterinary skills to employment structure and policies, and from human demographics and socio-economics to culture and traditions, that influence the accessibility to veterinary care. The implications concern animals and humans worldwide.”
– Ilona Airikkala-Otter, founder and proprietor of Otter Animal Health Solutions
Otter Animal Health Solutions was established in 2023 on the firm foundation of our experience in developing and managing animal welfare organization activities in India for nearly two decades.
Most of this time I have worked with Worldwide Veterinary Service, helping to establish and grow veterinary capacity building and rabies control projects that would directly improve animal welfare.
Over these years I have come to understand about many of the barriers that prevent animals to get the basic care they would require for good quality life. I have also learned about barriers that might prevent young veterinarians from reaching their full potential as veterinarians and as ambassadors of the field of animal health and welfare. My belief is that with customised mentoring and simple, practical models to follow, many more veterinarians could find meaningful career opportunities in India and this in turn would help to provide better access to affordable veterinary care to many more animals.
