"Thanks to the support of the Susy Utzinger Animal Welfare Foundation and Kompanima, I was given the opportunity to complete a 3-week internship at the SUST Animal Orphan Hospital Bucharest under the direction of Dr. Irina Corbu. The main aim of this internship was to strengthen my surgical skills in the field of neutering dogs and cats. Other important topics included first aid for animal emergencies, common anesthesia for surgery and how to do good with little equipment. 
The SUST Animal Orphan Hospital Bucharest is specialized in the neutering of dogs and cats. These are often animals from the street, wild animals - but also more and more animals in human care. The daily number of animals to be castrated is accordingly large. In addition to the daily operations, normal consultation hours are held and emergencies are treated. The young bitch 'Yuka' will remain in my memory: rescued from the street by a veterinary medicine student, she was brought to the clinic for first aid after the removal of massive numbers of ticks. During the first two days she was in a critical condition as she had a parvovirus infection and needed intensive support. Gradually her condition improved. In the end she recovered so well that she could romp around as a healthy young dog again. 
In my first internship week I concentrated on the castration of queens, tomcats and males. It was not only about the correct surgical technique, but above all to become faster without sacrificing quality. In addition, I supported the TPA's in preparing the animals for the operations (anaesthesia, scissors, washing). In the following two weeks I also neutered bitches. Irina is a great coach and with her calm, but concentrated manner she always stood by my side when I had questions or problems. In these 3 weeks we additionally carried out several castration actions in the countryside and on the coast of the Black Sea. These missions helped me to gain additional routine. During my stay I could not only improve my surgical skills, but also gain self-confidence and security. 
At this point I would like to thank the Susy Utzinger Animal Welfare Foundation und Kompanima for this great experience. During my internship I could not only improve my surgical skills, but also work together with very nice people".
med. vet. Gina Steiner, May 2019