Kiley Lafferty of Belleville spends summer in Thailand

This summer, Kiley Lafferty, 20, of Belleville spent two weeks in Thailand helping animals and learning what it’s like to be a veterinarian.
Traveling with study-abroad organization Loop Abroad, Kiley was selected as part of a small team that volunteered giving care at a dog shelter and spent a week working directly with rescued elephants at an elephant sanctuary.
The Veterinary Service program brings students to Thailand for two weeks to volunteer alongside veterinarians from the U.S. and Thailand. For one week, Kiley and her team volunteered at the Elephant Nature Park in northern Thailand to work hands-on with the giant animals and learn about animal rescue and conservation on a larger scale.
The Elephant Nature Park is home to over 60 elephants who have been rescued from trekking, logging, or forced-breeding programs. Many of them had been abused and suffer from chronic injuries or blindness.
At the Elephant Nature Park, they are cared for by volunteers from all over the world. Kiley helped to feed and care for elephants, as well as learn about their diagnoses alongside an elephant vet. The Elephant Nature Park is also home to over 1,000 animals, including cats, dogs, water buffalo, horses, and cows, and is sustained in huge part by the work of weekly volunteers like Kiley.
For the other week, Kiley volunteered at the Animal Rescue Kingdom dog shelter and helped to run Loop Abroad’s Dog Rescue Clinic in Chiang Mai, Thailand. These shelters are home to more than 200 dogs who have been rescued after being abandoned, beaten, or abused. While the dogs can be adopted, any who aren’t will be cared for by the shelters for their whole lives.
While she studied under the veterinarians leading her group, Kiley and her team made a difference in the lives of these dogs. By providing check ups and cleanings, diagnosing and treating ear and eye problems, taking and testing blood, administering vaccines, cleaning and treating wounds, and helping with sterilization surgeries, the students were able to help support the health and well-being of these dogs.
By following a study abroad model instead of a voluntourism model, Loop focuses on educating its students so that they can contribute and serve in meaningful ways. It also works with locally run animal welfare organizations so that students contribute to long-term improvement on the ground in the countries they visit. With programs in Thailand, South Africa, and Australia, Loop Abroad is able to support animal welfare and conservation around the world because of its students and their dedication to helping animals in need.
The program’s Managing Director Jane Stine said, “Our students are some of the most amazing people I have ever met. They are kind, compassionate, dedicated, hard-working individuals who have big goals and want to make a big impact. It’s amazing to see how eager they are to learn and challenge themselves. Over the last nine years, we’ve seen them go on to do some wonderful things.”
Loop Abroad has animal science, marine biology, and veterinary programs for students and young adults age 14 to 30, and offers financial aid and fundraising help. Programs range from two weeks in summer to a full semester board, and college credit through Iowa Wesleyan University is available. For more information see www.LoopAbroad.com .
Of her trip, Kiley said, “Thailand is a beautiful place with amazing people. This experience changed my life. I’m so grateful for the knowledge I have gained.
Kiley is a senior at Michigan State University, majoring in Animal Science.