On the road with Dr. Helga Kausel
Imagine visiting every single country in the world.
That would amount to 195 countries spread across 7 continents in 24 different time zones – wow!
But Dr. Helga Kausel knows that. She’s crunched the numbers. In fact, this Austrian veterinarian has already ticked many countries off her list. Since graduating from University of Veterinary Medicine of Vienna, travelling has become central in Dr. Helga’s life. Believe it or not, she has visited 80 countries so far…and counting!
From riding horses in the Tundra of Mongolia to vaccinating lions in Zimbabwe and volunteering with monkeys in Peru, she truly embodies her nickname, “the travelling vet.”
Vet Candy is excited to have talked with Dr. Kausel between trips. Today, she shares a few details about her life as a veterinarian, mother, and wife always on the go, plus explains her creative initiative to raise money for animals in need, one postcard at a time.
Without further ado…
Introducing, the adventurous and bighearted, Dr. Helga Kausel!
Combining Two Passions: Travel and Animals
Dr. Helga made her first dollar cleaning horse stables.
But when she discovered Jane Goodall and learned about the selfless compassion this woman has for chimpanzees, the environment, and animal welfare work, suddenly the pieces all fell into place. In that moment, Jane Goodall became Dr. Helga’s childhood hero. She knew deep down in her heart that she wanted to improve the lives of animals as well.
So, with perseverance, intelligence, and reliability, she worked her tail off to become a veterinarian.
Following graduation were plenty of externships around the world. Seeing the sheer number of creatures in need, Dr. Helga quickly realized she could combine her two loves: travelling and animals.
Dr. Helga explains, “Since my trip to Washington State in 2011, I got addicted to travel whenever I have time and money! I changed my life to have enough money for travelling. My aim is to visit every country in the world and help as many people and animals as I can.”
Now, she documents her work on social media, sharing her trips with 86.5k Instagram followers (travelling_vet) and 46.6K followers on TikTok (travellingvet).
Welfare Work that Feels Good
Dr. Helga Kausel knows how lucky she is.
Not everybody has the opportunity to see so much of the world. To afford to travel abroad and volunteer her time and veterinary expertise, she has purposefully built a life to achieve her goals. For example, she rarely buys new clothes, shoes, alcohol, or books, doesn’t eat out at restaurants, drives a 17 year-old car, and even cuts her own hair!
It all goes towards her dream in life: being a working mom of two, a wife, a traveller, and a do-gooder.
This desire to do good is also what led Dr. Helga to launch her Donate a Postcard program. For a donation, she will send funders a postcard from one of the places she travels to. The money goes towards veterinary care for pets in need.
“It feels good,” she explains. “I have a good job, I earn enough money to live the life I love and I am happy. Every cent more is luxury. And guess what? Luxury is not my aim. So, thanks to everyone who helps me helping!”
According to Dr. Helga Kausel, the biggest problem facing veterinary medicine today is “owners who have no insurance and can’t afford treatment.”
So, remember, every little donation and time spent volunteering adds up. Even a few dollars and hours can drastically change an animal’s life – for the better!