Winchester MP Danny Chambers recently visited working animal charity SPANA’s centre in Marrakech, Morocco, where he completed an internship as a young vet in 2009.
Danny has been the Liberal Democrat MP for Winchester since 2024, but before entering politics, he was a practising vet and served on the Council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. As a vet, Danny has also worked in Gambia, India, Iraq, New Zealand and across the UK.
Last month (23 January), Danny returned to the centre where he spent two months as a newly graduated vet, to meet the team and the working animals in their care.
“It was fantastic to return to SPANA’s Marrakech centre after 16 years and see so many familiar faces, which really shows the team’s dedication,” he said.
“My placement as a young vet in Morocco was one of the most formative experiences of my life. I saw firsthand how essential working animals, such as horses, donkeys, and mules, are to their communities.”
Danny, who recently spoke about riding road safety at a Westminster Hall debate, is an advocate for improvements in animal welfare and champions One Health. He has discussed the approach in Parliament on multiple occasions, recognising that animal, human and environmental health are inseparable.
“Supporting animal health overseas not only improves welfare for the animals themselves, which is deeply important, it also helps prevent the spread of diseases,” he said. “It’s one of the most cost-effective ways to protect UK public health and livestock, while making a real difference to the lives of animals and the communities that depend on them.”
SPANA provides veterinary treatment for working animals and support and training for their owners. Within certain countries, the charity continues to offer placements to local student vets and technicians, focussing on those who wouldn’t usually have access to hands-on experience.
“In many of the countries where we work, vets and veterinary technicians often qualify with minimal direct experience caring for working animals,” said Professor Hassan Alyakine, SPANA Morocco Country Director. “In Morocco, our student placements give local and regional vets practical experience, directly improving the care working animals receive.”
Images by SPANA
