London vet clinic offers reduced rates for low-income pet owners
The East Village Animal Hospital is working to curb overpopulation
A veterinary clinic in east London, Ont., is offering services like vaccinations, spay and neutering to low-income cat owners who may struggle to afford animal care.
Along with pets, The East Village Animal Hospital (EVAH), 1777 Dundas Street, treats feral cats and stray cats. They charge anywhere between $60-$100 per visit, depending on the animal's age and health.
The clinic's executive director, Laurie Ristmae, told CBC's London Morning that they are seeing a large number of cats on a drop-off basis and through volunteers helping trap feral cats.
"We do 25 to 35 surgeries a day," she said. "These can be the lower-income public, and we have a day every week that is a drop-off day for cats and traps without an appointment."
'It's simply not humane to kill thousands of cats'
To treat outdoor cats, the clinic uses the Trap, Neuter, Return process, where cats are humanely trapped and brought to the clinic to be spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and ear-tipped for others to recognize that they are sterilized.
Ristmae highlights the importance of neutering and vaccinating outdoor cats instead of using methods like poisoning or euthanizing them. She believes "it's simply not humane to kill thousands of cats" to prevent overpopulation.
"We would rather try and look after cats in a humane manner," she added. "When they're fixed, they're also not spreading disease, not fighting as much, and sticking closer to their colonies ... so they're not hunting to survive."
The clinic also works with rural property owners who have large populations of stray and barn cats. Ristmae points out that outdoor cats do a service in helping the ecosystem out as well.
"These can be generations of cats who are assisting us in a way by keeping the rodent population under control and are part of our health system out there," she said.
Every loving pet owner really needs accessible vet care
EVAH works as a non-profit clinic to help support pet owners, Ristmae wants to make sure that money isn't a factor in pets not receiving the appropriate care that they deserve.
"Every loving pet owner really needs accessible veterinary care, and just because you don't have the same amount in your wallet as someone else doesn't mean you should be denied the right to accessible care,"
To qualify for EVAH's services, clients are usually referred to them from community agencies such as women's shelters, community housing, and they need to show that they've qualified as low-income or are receiving social assistance.
Understanding the importance of pet care
Statistics from London Animal Care Centre, show that in the past six months, cat adoptions have nearly doubled. Almost 50 cats have been adopted in September, alone. Ristmae and her team want to ensure that clients know what measures are needed to keep pets healthy.
Although her staff of twelve doctors, is very busy--sometimes working over time, Ristmae says the gratitude of their clients keeps them motivated. "Overall, they're just thankful," she added.
EVAH also runs a mobile service that travels to Northern Ontario, have a second location in Kitchener, and will be expanding into Hamilton early next year.
