Comfort veterinarians begin work in Nicaragua

Roberta Hughes,
USNS Comfort

Note: USNS Comfort is now in Nicaragua. The veternarians are hard at work treating the animals here in support of Continuing Promise 2009.

We are getting a lot of good receptivity with the rabies pamphlets, and I see people reading them at every place we go. The animals here are very thin and have poor hair coats. The horses are small in body size, and the same goes for the dogs and cats. Sometimes I think I am dealing with a kitten or puppy, and in reality it is an adult.

The cattle seem to be in a bit better condition, although some of them are thin as well. Many farmers don't have adequate pasture for their cattle to graze, so they take them to graze by the side of the roads and other common areas. I haven't seen much quality grass here; instead, the cattle are eating broad-leafed plants and weeds.

The pigs, on the other hand, seem fairly well fleshed.

The Surgeon General of the United States made a brief visit to the ship to learn about Operation Continuing Promise and visited us at our work site.