Statue of Liberty
Mark Dosher BMF company secretary and Jill Moss President and founder flew to the USA on the 3rd April 2010 to raise awareness of MRSA In animals as a first of many series of talks.
MRSA seems to have developed in a quite different way in the US compared to the UK, with the predominant strains causing infections in people being community rather than hospital acquired, but the problems faced by veterinary practices, clinic and hospitals are essentially the same.
MRSA owner to cat transmission
In traveling to the United States we hoped to be able to pass on the latest information on treatment approaches and infection control as they are recommended in the UK. BMF’s experience shows that once the main Centers of Excellence take an issue seriously, effective information can pass quickly to independent front-line practitioners.
Given that the majority of pet owners now contacting The Foundation are American, our trip there to speak to vets and medical professionals took on added importance.
We arrived in New Jersey on 3rd April to stay with some friends and I have to thank the staff of Virgin Atlantic for taking such good care of me, especially given that I am very nervous flyer. They made the experience so good for me, and I am glad to have overcome some of my fears. A thank you so much to Monica Derchi of Amsterdam hospitality www.amsterdamhospitality.com who arranged a charity discount for us to stay next door to the AMC at the Bentley Hotel.
Mark,Jill with Dr Macina and staff at AMC,NY
Mark,Jill with Dr Macina and staff at AMC,NY
Animal Medical Center
Mark, Animal Medical Center
Animal Medical Center, New York
On April 8th we addressed staff and interns at the Animal Medical Center, New York where we met with Dr Mark Macina (head dermatologist) and AMC staff. Dr Macina is the kind of vet any owner would choose; he is dedicated and passionate about infection control and prevention of the spread of diseases. The staff at AMC are dedicated to the welfare of animals and took us behind the scenes where we watched patients having physiotherapy and acupuncture treatments.
Lori and Momo
At last after four years of talking with Lori Spagnoli (who lives in New Jersey) I was finally able to meet with her face to face. Lori has helped The Foundation so much (Lori’s cat Momo has MRSA in the bladder) and Lori has become an instrumental part of The Foundation’s core helping us to raise awareness of our work in the USA. We enjoyed a vegan lunch at Angelica’s Kitchen in New York and our friendship grew as we knew it would.
Later on the 8th April we met with David Stetson from Pure Green a major sponsor of BMF; thanks to him we were able to hand out brochures to US pet owners.
Pure Green LLC www.puregreen24.com.
Whilst in New York we spoke on the telephone with the chief executive of the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation and discussed various ways in which in which the BMF and CHF can work together to raise awareness of MRSA among American pet owners.
Elizabeth Tull who lives in Tallahassee Florida is going through a hard time with her dog Delta who has had a serious infection and is still only now just getting over the removal of infected plates and screws from the hip joint. We wish Delta a speedy recovery and are delighted that Elizabeth is going to join our core group.
The next stage of our speaking tour was to travel upstate to Ithaca. Mark and I took Amtrak from NY and it was a lovely journey. We were blessed to find on the internet a special bed and breakfast and we stayed with a wonderful couple in their home Susan and Joel Savishin and this was a special visit for us as we got to know them very well and we highly recommend their hospitality if you are in Ithaca.
savishin@ithaca.edu Phone: 607-272-7890 (home); cell: 607-592-9940
If you get a chance to visit Ithaca eat at the Moosewood restaurant which is a collective and all of the staff perform different duties the food is excellent. www.moosewoodresturant.com.
Bed and Breakfast Susan and Joel Savishin
Bed and Breakfast, Mark, Susan and Joel Savishin and Jill
Cornell Vet School
Veterinary Education Center
Cornell Vet School asked us to address vet students and pet owners at their open day on April 10th. The campus is very large and impressive. There were many lectures going on in the lecture hall whilst pet owners were able to meet with staff. We were glad to have the opportunity of doing two lectures on Saturday April 10th and the response that we had was very positive many people thanking us for the information and grateful to have had the chance to learn more about resistant bacteria affecting companion animals.
Mark, Jill and Dr Oehler
University of South Florida Hospital
Mark, Jill and Dr Richard Oehler and wife Yvonne
On Sunday 11th April we travelled to Tampa Bay in Florida present our work at the University of South Florida http://www.usf.edu/index.asp. It was a real thrill to meet with Dr Richard Oehler and his family prior to our talk, and they made us feel so welcome.
Dr Oehler attended the 2nd International conference on MRSA in animals which BMF co hosted with the American society of microbiology (September 2009). Dr Oehler and Jill spent a lot of time together; he has become a very important contact for us in human infectious diseases in the USA. Jill and Dr Oehler talk on regular occasions and are preparing articles for the USA vet press on MRSA in companion animals. Dr Oehler has become a BMF adviser and helps with inquires from the public about their concerns on infection control.
Dr Richard Oehler MD (University of South Florida)
“We were very excited to have Jill Moss and Mark Dosher visit Tampa on their U.S. tour. Their ‘MRSA in Animals’ presentation was held on April 12 and was well attended by the active infectious disease medical faculty, medical residents, and students of the University of South Florida. The hour-long presentation was warmly received and included a lively discussion on MRSA in livestock and the human food supply. We hope this session will inspire each of our audience members to become more involved in our shared goal of broadening awareness of this important syndrome in patients, family members, animal health professionals and medical colleagues.”
Mark and Jill planned on having four days in Tampa to relax before heading back to the UK. The new website was due to be launched in April and Mark was in the middle of a home move. What they could not have anticipated was a volcanic eruption.
Jill Moss President and Founder BMF
“I want to give some time now to thanking so many people because what could have turned out a nightmare situation ended in a wonderful gift (a holiday that we could not afford and a chance to meet and get to know some very special people along the way)
Firstly I shall never forget the unique kindness of our hotel the Tahitian Inn Tampa Bay Florida. ALL of the staff and I mean all of the staff upon learning that a small charity could not go home made us feel like we were at home. We were due to fly back on April 17th due to airspace closing down we could not return until early May. We had by then limited funds. The owners of the Tahitian Inn upgraded us to an executive room and discounted hugely to our day rate, so that we could stay. Many people were stranded at airports and without their help we would have been amongst them.
Mark jamming
Tahitian Inn Tampa Bay Florida
On every occasion of arriving and leaving the hotel we found the staff to be so friendly. The Tahitian Inn became our home for two more weeks whilst we waited for air space to open and flights to reconnect. Virgin were not going to fly anyone home until it was safe and I did not want to take chances flying through volcanic ash.
Tahitian Inn Poolside
The Tahitian Inn has a beautiful swimming pool with live music and by the pool (as I relaxed something I had forgotten to do) we met some brilliant people who took us to dinner and introduced us to friends. Mark even jammed with the resident musicians!
Please tell all of your friends how kind the staff were to us and we will go back to a hotel that forever will stay imprinted in our minds. Tahitian Inn www.tahitianinn.com 813 877 6721
Dr Oehler and his wife Yvonne and their children RJ and Stephanie provided us with many lovely meals and entertainment, inviting us to their home and making us feel so welcome, it was comforting to know that we had such good friends so nearby.
Hugo and Mark
We visited Mad Dogs And Englishmen, as authentic an English pub as you might find in Tampa, run by Hugo Morley, grandson of the actor Robert Morley and son of the poet, critic, broadcaster and writer Sheridan Morley. This was a true oasis of calm. In fact everyone was so gracious and friendly, even the theme parks invited stranded tourists to come along for free! http://www.maddogs.com
Clearwater Seagulls
Mark and I could not get over the way in which we were made to feel that Tampa Bay was a place that we felt so welcome, the weather always sunny and hot, the beaches beautiful people so friendly, yes except for one species the SEAGULLS!
Mark and I in order to economise did not eat out so much but made packed lunches to take to the beach. We visited St Petersburg, St Johns Pass, Sarasota and Clearwater. Now Clearwater became our favourite as there was free parking, so we sit down one day to eat our lunch as usual Mark has finished his sandwich in seconds, I get myself comfortable on my bed, sun cream on, hat in place, just about to bite into my delicious hummus and olive pate sandwich when whoosh a flock of seagulls swoop down on top of me, nipping my finger and scratching my hand and steal with sandwich from my hand! We were later told by a local resident to eat like a chipmunk hiding the food in your hand watching around as you dear to take a bite.
Onto larger animals and I have to say thank you to all of the theme parks who let stranded tourists in for free yes FREE!
Seaworld was a disappointment with no emphasis on conservation of education but on entertainment forcing whales and dolphins to perform and breeding on the premises... Their resident orca whale called Takillim (already has killed his trainer and another person) looks so confined in a small space being made to jump and throw his humongous tail in the air for families to applaud. I left feeling terribly sad about the forced confinement and the public’s lack of awareness of this kind of cruelty.
I did however find an aquarium in Clearwater beach which is dedicated to restore and preserve the marine environment. They provide education and rescue and rehabilitation for injured marine life and if I could and I really mean this I would volunteer to work there.
Winter
Rescued dolphins at Clearwater Aquarium
A large dolphin called Winter was caught up in the propeller of a boat and his tail was cut off. Clearwater aquarium vets worked hard to save him and now he lives with a prosthetic tail with two other dolphins that were washed ashore and sunburnt unable to now be rehabilitated into the wild.
Visit www.seewinter.com to hear about the vets work and if you visit Tampa make your way to Clearwater Aquarium at 249 Windward Passage.
Big Cat Rescue
Big Cat Rescue
Staying on the theme of animal conservation whilst we were stranded with no funds available to visit tourist attractions BIG CAT RESCUE let Mark and me in for free. Now as president of an animal charity I know how hard it is to raise awareness and I personally will help this non for profit organisation with their work which is to provide a sanctuary to home all species of wild cats. You can help save lives by adopting and supporting their work. Big Cat Rescue is a charity and through their dedicated care they provide unwanted wild cats including leopards, lions and tigers, cougars, bobcats and many more with a permanent home. Please visit their website and become involved.
Learn where abused and abandoned cats come from and what you can do to help. www.BigCatRescue.org 12802 Easy Street, Tampa FL 33625 a special thank you to the staff for allowing BMF to see their work for no entry fee. Also if you want to learn more about advocacy work and how you can help to change legislation to preserve wild cats visit www.catlaws.com.
Sunset Tampa Bay
Gorillas at Busch Gardens
Brad (manager of Tahitian Inn)
Jill with birds at Busch Gardens
Mark Dosher down to his last hundred dollar bill
So there we have it BMF’s time extended in Tampa Bay Florida where we met some great people and made some special friends. I was sad to leave and I plan for sure to return to see all of the friends we made and to make many more.
Special thanks to Busch Gardens for free entrance.
BMF plea - we are looking for a voluntary bookeeper please pass the word around.
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