14 Aug 2023
Ellie Meikle says working with British Divers Marine Life Rescue has been a “life-changing and remarkable experience and commitment”.
Lacey Pitcher
Job Title
A Yorkshire-based veterinary nurse has appealed for fellow professionals to join her in volunteering with a charity that works to help injured and stranded marine mammals.
British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) received thousands of calls last year and calls on the skills of volunteers across the UK.
One of them is Ellie Meikle – an RVN with Swift Referrals in Wetherby – who is urging colleagues to consider using their transferable skills to help benefit marine mammals and the teams working to save them.
She said: “To volunteer for a charity that dedicates their time to injured and stranded marine mammals is a life-changing and remarkable experience and commitment.
“Although a veterinary qualification isn’t needed to partake in the training, as an RVN we can use our transferable skills to benefit our marine mammals and the team.”
Miss Meikle continued: “By watching online lectures and carrying out an interactive practical day, you can get up to date with the latest wound care, injuries, diseases, and anatomy for our seals, dolphins, porpoises and whales, as well as learning refloat techniques for the larger mammals.
“Last year, more than 3,000 calls were made to the charity and with only 200 vets and RVN medics across the UK volunteering, when they aren’t working in practice, it can make rescues and treatment difficult and limited due to not having suitably experienced staff on site.”
To find out more and potentially undertake training to become a marine medic, visit the BDMLR website.
