Vets look after animals despite harsh weather

KARS

Two female veterinarians in the eastern province of Kars, undeterred by the harsh winter conditions, tirelessly traverse village to village to provide health care services to a wide range of animals, from large livestock to dogs.

The 27-year-old Elif Ekiz and 36-year-old Alev Tazegül visit farms and barns in villages and towns to help animals recover from diseases and provide vaccinations against contagious illnesses.

In addition to ensuring the identification of newborn animals by tagging them, the team also educates livestock owners on ways to prevent outbreaks of diseases. Ekiz and Tazegül administer brucellosis vaccines to newborn calves and rabies vaccines to cats and dogs. Despite the challenging conditions, they expressed their dedication to their work.

"The reactions of animals are not always predictable. Of course, this job can be demanding, especially the challenging climate conditions of Kars. Nevertheless, we believe that we have successfully carried out our work with my colleague," Tazegül remarked while administering vaccinations in a village 15 kilometers from Kars.

Noting that due to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the region last year, Tazegül said that they have vaccinated animals three times this year.

"Now, we are not only identifying untagged animals but also providing vaccinations against foot-and-mouth disease, sheep pox, anthrax and brucellosis for newborn calves,” she added.

Ekiz, for his part, emphasized the importance of monitoring the health of animals to ensure the production of healthy food in the country, saying, "We are working to identify all our animals to control the movement of animals in the Eastern Anatolia Region."

"The vaccination efforts vary depending on the size of the villages. While some villages have 3,000 to 4,000 animals, in others, we are vaccinating 500 to 600 animals,” Ekiz noted.

Producer Mehti Çinkılıç expressed great satisfaction with the services provided by the two veterinarians, noting that they have been able to find solutions to various problems.

He praised the women for administering animal vaccines efficiently and for their cautious and systematic approach to their work. He concluded, "Of course, women should be present in every profession."