Otavalo (Ecuador) 

tickets terms & conditions​​​​​

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Neuter Campaign + Emergency Surgery lectures in a traditional town in the Andes!

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• Dates:

6-12 Sept 2026  - tickets will open soon! 

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• Educators:

Jamie-Leigh Thompson, DECVS Board Certified Specialist in Surgery

Marcela Pineda, DVM

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• Why are we doing this?

We believe that street animals and animals from low-income families don't deserve any less than the pets we have at home! In 2025 we spayed/neutered 794 dogs and cats (!) in just 3 weeks, in collaboration with Sante Vet Clinic and their non-profit. This prevented many thousands of animals from being born on the streets, where many would starve, be beaten up by humans, die from illness and dehydration.

 

The majority of locals coming to the campaign are low-income indigenous people, who don't have a car, and are not allowed to take pets on public transports. Many walk the whole night through the cold mountains carrying their dogs (who are not trained to walk on a lead), leaving their homes at 2am and hoping to get to the vet clinic by 5am. All this so they can make one of the spots in the campaign! At 6am the spots are gone! For these people, the logistics of signing up to a neuter campaign are a lot, and still they do it, for the wellness of their pets and their community. We want to continue to offer free spays/neuters to low-income families and street dogs. If we all give a little, we can do this together :)

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• What is included in the ticket?

- 6 nights in a colonial hotel in Otavalo called Riviera Sucre, view here. 'Hostal' means HOTEL (not hostel) in South America

- 6 breakfasts

- 5 days of neutering high numbers of dogs and cats

- surgical education

- 3h of lectures on Emergency Surgery (these will be RACE approved)

- CE/CPD certificate

- private taxi Quito airport - hotel on the day before the campaign starts, return the day after the campaigns ends

- daily private taxi between the hotel and the vet clinic​

- 24h support (local and online)

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• What is not included in the ticket?

- flights

- transport from/to locations other than Quito airport, or on different dates

- lunch/dinner (plenty of restaurants with meals starting from only £3! You can also cook in the hotel kitchen)

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• Do you need to organise anything?

Only your flights. Ohana organises everything else.

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• What is the the program?​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Day 1 (Sunday): private taxi from Quito airport to the hotel in Otavalo (1h10min).

Days 2-4 (Monday-Wednesday): at 8.40am, a taxi will be waiting for you at the hotel entrance to take you to the vet clinic. You will neuter dogs and cats until 4-5pm, when a taxi will take you back to the hotel. At this time, go explore together. 

Day 5 (Thursday): neuter campaign in the morning, lectures by a Board Certified Surgery Specialist in the afternoon.

Day 6 (Friday): neuter campaign in the morning, afternoon off!

Day 7 (Saturday): if you like mingling with thousands of people, visit the largest indigenous market in the whole of South America from 8am! After that, private taxi to Quito airport, the time is flexible to fit your plans.

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• How will it work?

If you are learning how to neuter: we will pair you with an experienced vet who teaches you the surgical techniques. After a few surgeries, you're the one actually performing the procedure! You will learn how to neuter male dogs, male cats, female dogs and female cats. Expect to neuter 3 animals/day initially, then up to 6 animals/day. We will focus on quality rather than quantity - operating with care will teach you much more than trying to rush through larger numbers. 

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If you are experienced in neutering or anaesthesia: you will learn the best surgical techniques for high-volume spay/neuter, then you will work independently. On occasions, you may need to teach a student. You will neuter dozens of animals, which will allow you to become more skilled and confident in routine surgery!

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• I am not a vet, vet nurse, tech or student, can I join? Can I bring my family or friends?

Yes! Non-vet professionals are always welcome in our courses/missions - you don't need to have a vet friend in the campaign. You can help recover animals from anaesthesia, remove IV catheters, and tattoo their ears. Or if you prefer, explore Otavalo during the day while your friend is neutering, then reconnect with the group in the evening. The principle is the same for everyone: the ticket covers your expenses and a donation towards the neuter campaign.

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• Is Otavalo safe?

Yes, this is one of the reasons why we chose this pretty town surrounded by indigenous villages.

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• What are the room options & prices?​​​

Room for 2 people (single beds; double bed if you come with a partner; a group of 3 friends can stay together in a large room for 3; private bathroom):

Vet or nurse/tech who is independent in surgery/GA: £600

Vet or student who wants surgery education/supervision; and non-vet professionals: £800​​

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Private room for 1 person (one double bed; private bathroom): +£100 total for 6 nights.​​​​​

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Why do non-vet professionals pay more than experienced vets? Experienced vets are contributing their skills and time to the campaign, directly saving lives. Since you won’t be putting in the same hard work, your main contribution comes in the form of a donation towards the campaign - I hope that's reasonable, since we are all doing this with the same goal of helping the animals.

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• Are the tickets or deposit refundable?

They are not, as we had to pay expenses in advance and these are not refundable to us. But you can transfer the ticket to a friend, so your money won't be lost! Remember that all money received will be used in the neuter campaign.

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• What are the payment options?

Google pay, debit card or transfer. A wire/bank transfer results in more money for the animals (compared with payment via the website) because there are no fees.

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• Where can I see footage/reviews of previous campaigns?

Our 2025 neuter campaigns were INCREDIBLE and you can see pictures/videos on our highlight folder 'Ecuador' on instagram @ohana.animalcharity. The easiest way to view these if you don't have insta is to create an account (it takes seconds).​​

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• Questions?

Request a call from Carolina, Specialist in Internal Medicine and co-founder of Ohana. 

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Ready to help the indigenous people of Otavalo care for their pets?

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Carolina Albuquerque,

DVM MSc CertAVP DipECVIM-CA EBVS and RCVS Recognised Specialist in Small Animal Internal Medicine

Proud co-founder of Ohana Animal Charity