James Herriot of Helmand
Captain Malone has the nickname of the James Herriot of Helmand.
Following a phone call from Major Paul Smith in Afghanistan, the Country Channel was given special access to footage of Army vet Captain Miles Malone, a vet posted to Helmand Province to provide veterinary services for the working dogs operating in the area. Captain Malone and other colleagues are currently developing veterinary clinics and a vaccination programme to help local farmers and shepherds improve the health of their livestock.
The pioneering new vet clinic, which operates in desert communities and villages, offers local farmers and shepherds the opportunity to vaccinate their animals, which has positive outcomes not just for the livestock, but also for the community as a whole. It’s a practical and sure fire way of winning the hearts and minds battle with Afghans.
Nicknamed the James Herriot of Helmand, Captain Malone is clearly passionate about the project and is enthused by its success: “In two and a half months this is my third trip out to treat the local livestock, he told the Country Channel. “What we are doing directly improves the quality of the milk, and meat that animals are providing. Improving the village farmers’ diet and standard of living has a bearing on their own health and that of their community.”
Watch the short documentary film, ‘The Right Approach’, online via The Country Channel. The film will also be broadcast on Sky Channel 171 later in the spring – a longer feature film is in the pipeline…
With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.
