The best time ever!!

As a vet student, I was eager to gain experience with both domestic and wild animals, so I decided to volunteer at Twala Trust Animal Sanctuary. My experience there was absolutely amazing from beginning to end. The communication with the owner, Sarah, was excellent as she was always quick to answer any questions I had. I got a great feeling about the place from the start. When I arrived, I was warmly welcomed by the staff, other volunteers, and of course, the animals. Seeing all the dogs, cats, and birds living together in harmony was something I had never seen before.

I immediately got on well Nkazie, the animal caretaker who mostly feeds and checks on the animals, and I followed her around everywhere. It was wonderful to see the great life the animals had at Twala. The dogs went on daily off-leash walks, and all the animals received fresh fruits and veggies every day. The dogs and cats even got cooked chicken every day for dinner. When I met Sarah in person, I felt even better about everything. It was clear how much she cared about every animal at the sanctuary. She knew every animal by name and would immediately notice if anything was wrong with them. She would ask the vet nurses to check up on them or ask us to give them more food when necessary.

As a vet student, I was able to assist the vet nurses with wound cleaning and watched them as they put in IVs and injections. They would also teach me about some diseases that we don't see much of in Belgium. Some days I could also go to the animal hospital in the city and watch some surgeries there, which was so interesting to see! I was always so happy to help in any way I could. On Tuesdays, the sanctuary hosted Doggy Tuesday where members of the community could bring their dogs for free food and medical care. Seeing the impact that Twala had on so many animals in need was heartwarming.

Every day at Twala was filled with new and exciting experiences, from feeding and bathing the animals to watching surgeries at the animal hospital in the city, I loved every moment of it. I am forever grateful for this experience and to the staff and volunteers at Twala for doing such an incredible job changing the lives of so many animals. I really hope I will be able to come back soon because my journey at Twala is definitely not finished!