From Sidmouth to the Souks - Globetrotting vet faces a new challenge
10 February 2005
The Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad (SPANA) announced today that Michael Crane has been appointed as its technical director in Morocco, based in Rabat. He replaces Gigi Kay, who has stepped down from SPANA after five yearsMichael is now in charge of ten clinics in Morocco with a complement of 40 vets and 60 ancilliary staff. 100,000 animals are treated by SPANA in Morocco every year.
Michael said "I'm very excited about the prospect of working out here. The problems I've seen so far are very typical of those in under-developed countries - poor feeding, no worming bad harnessing. Accidents are common - animals hit by trucks, eating discarded plastic bags, colic picked up though parasites."
"SPANA has had a base in Morocco since 1923 and everyone knows us. This means that we can be treating donkeys in the souks of Marrakesh one day and pack horses carrying tourists into the High Atlas mountains the next."
Michael graduated from the Royal Dick Vet School at Edinburgh University in 1983. He then spent four years working in mixed practice for the Farthings Veterinary Group in Horsham, West Sussex. Between 1987 and 1990 he worked in the Sultanate of Oman, and on his return in 1990, worked in his own practice until 1993 in Cheltenham. Between 1993 and 1997 he worked in a vet practice in Sidmouth, Devon, before joining the Donkey Sanctuary where he worked as senior vet surgeon until the end of last year.
For More Information - Simon Pope - Head of Communications, SPANA - 020 7629 2689 or 07811 404 874
Or email simon@spana.org