'My dog is my life': caring for pets who live on Victoria's streets
Veterinary outreach program seeks volunteers to help treat pets living with city's homeless
Pets are part of the family.
The same holds true for those who live on the streets of Victoria with their cats and dogs. But for people struggling to put a roof over their head or live on low incomes, veterinary care is often out of reach.
A program run by veterinarians in Victoria who donate their time helps with that. Once a month they put on the Vets for Pets mobile clinic at Our Place, a drop-in centre that provides support for the city's homeless.
But the Vets for Pets program is in need of some new recruits, says Dr. Kristin Zajaczkowski, one of the veterinarians who volunteers.
"Basically we just gather together as a community of veterinarians and support staff and try to provide the best care that we can," she said.
"Because we are mobile, it does kind of limit us as to what we can provide. We do mostly preventative care, so wellness exams, we can take care of some minor skin problems, eye problems."
Providing care to street pets is also important for the whole animal population in the city, Zajaczkowski says.
"We are a very small population in Victoria and there is a lot of co-mingling of the pets that we see. So trying to make sure that we have some herd immunity by vaccinating as many as possible."
Samantha Mcguire has brought dog Charlotte to get checked out. The pair have been living on Victoria's streets for the last two months.
"I wanted to make sure everything is okay because my dog is my life, basically," Mcguire says. "It's good company. It's really good for the mind,"
Donated pet food that is also handed out during the clinic is also a big help, she says.
During the Vets for Pets clinic, cats also receive a bit of extra attention thanks to Sally Staples and her West Coast Sassy Cats mobile grooming trailer.
Staples clips nails and provides baths for felines to help keep them healthy.
"I think that this population loves their pets about as much as anybody, anywhere," she said.
"Because the bond between the street people and their pets is so profound, those pets have to be healthy and long lived."
