Vets Beyond Borders Australia

Dr Sally Nixon

VBB is excited to introduce Sally Nixon, our new Project Manager for the Bylakuppe Rabies and Disease Control Programme in India.

Sally Nixon graduated as a veterinarian in 2000 and started work in a busy mixed practice in Kadina, South Australia. After a good grounding with a lovely crew, she decided to stretch her wings and started exploring, gradually expanding her radius of travel. 

For three years Sally worked as a locum throughout Australia and explored the varying seasons, climates and habitats of her home country. It was also during this time she took the chance to do her first stint as a volunteer overseas and spent three months in the Cook Islands with the Esther Honey Foundation treating both stray and owned dogs there. It was a fabulous and satisfying experience for Sally as she got to do a lot of vet work, as well as being able to care for very sick dogs that needed days of rehabilitation before being easily homed.

In 2007 Sally left for England and spent six months working in small animal practice before travelling to Africa and volunteering with a monkey project for two months. This was interesting work but she realised that, for her, the work with dogs was more rewarding. So on her next volunteering trip she decided to find a good organisation that worked with dogs and found Vets Beyond Borders.

In 2010, she spent 14 weeks in Delhi working with the ABC-AR program and helping to improve conditions of an animal care centre, as well as working with local veterinarians to improve skills in surgery, diagnostics and ultrasound. After 14 weeks in Delhi, Sally went to Ladakh to volunteer on VBB’s project based in Saboo, which she found to be greatly rewarding. 

Wishing to volunteer again in 2011, she hoped to go to Ladakh but found there was a great need for volunteers at the new VBB Bylakuppe project so booked to spend a month to work there instead. Subsequently, Sally generously accepted on the role of project manager at Bylakuppe, feeling that there is so much potential for the project to improve the lives of the dogs and the people in this fascinating setting. It is a very exciting prospect for her for 2011-2012 and Vets Beyond Borders is grateful for her commitment.