For retired veterinarian Teresa Wills, giving back means using her lifelong skills to make the world a little safer — for both people and animals.
Wills, the former owner of Wills Animal Hospital, recently returned from a trip to Goa, India, where she spent two weeks training newly graduated veterinarians to perform spay and neuter surgeries as part of a global effort to control stray dog populations.
The trip was organized through Worldwide Veterinary Services (WVS), an England-based organization that operates clinics and outreach programs around the world. Willis first became involved with WVS in 2024, when she traveled to Cambodia to work with Mission Rabies, a branch of the same organization focused on rabies prevention.
“Every 9 minutes, a child dies from rabies somewhere in the world, and it’s totally preventable,” Wills said. “Almost all of those cases are from dog bites. Mission Rabies works to vaccinate at least 70% of dogs in a region to create herd immunity.”
During her first trip to Cambodia, Wills joined teams of local veterinary students and drivers walking the streets of Phnom Penh. Using GPS mapping on tablets, they tracked and vaccinated dogs house by house.
“In about a two-week period, we vaccinated almost 200,000 dogs,” Wills said. “It’s making a real impact on the community.”
Her most recent journey to India focused on addressing overpopulation. In Goa, WVS runs a clinic where stray dogs are rounded up daily and brought in for sterilization surgeries. Newly graduated veterinarians — whose training programs in India are shorter than in the United States — receive hands-on instruction from experienced professionals like Wills.
“It’s very competitive to get into the program,” she said. “These young vets learn how to spay and neuter, and then they’re able to go out and do it on their own. It’s rewarding to know you’re helping them develop those skills.”
Wills said the experience also offered a deeper look at local culture.
“In Cambodia, dogs live with the people, but they’re not really pets,” she said. “They’re part of the community, but people are just trying to feed themselves, so the animals fend for themselves, too. In India, there are many strays, but people still put food out for them — and for cattle too. It’s just a different way of life.”
Though retired for nearly three years, Wills said she plans to continue volunteering internationally about once a year. She’s already looking into a program in the Galápagos Islands, where veterinarians help manage the invasive dog and cat populations.
“It’s a fun way to give back and see the world differently than when you’re just a tourist,” she said. “You get to immerse yourself in the culture, meet people, and use your skills to help both animals and people.”
Wills encouraged anyone interested in supporting animal welfare worldwide to learn more about Worldwide Veterinary Services and Mission Rabies.
“They’re doing incredible work,” she said. “It’s not just about saving animals — it’s saving people too.”
