More vet services in Hay River, N.W.T., as Alberta clinic starts offering house calls

A new veterinary clinic will soon be offering services in Hay River, N.W.T., in the form of house calls and gas station meet-ups.

The Manning Veterinary Clinic said it is expanding its services to the community. Currently, there is no established, permanent veterinary clinic in Hay River, N.W.T., although one other Alberta-based clinic already travels there about once every two months.

Thaney Lupichuk is the practice manager at the Manning Veterinary Clinic. She said after the stress of all the floods and fires in Hay River, the decision for staff to start travelling there was a no-brainer. 

"We have many amazing clients from Hay River who usually come to us. By making regular trips up there, we can alleviate some of their travel burdens," she said.

Accessible care

They also want to ensure everyone has access to veterinary services, whether they can travel or not. Lupichuk said the bonus for clinic staff is exploring new places.

"We kind of see the opportunity for new adventures for us, too, and that's something we all thrive on here," she said. 

The clinic wrapped up its first trip with Veterinarian Dr. Jennifer McCracken earlier this week. They plan to return between Aug. 14 and 19 and then visit monthly. Until it can find a location to set up a clinic, it only offers house calls.

"We're looking for the most affordable and cost-effective option for establishing a physical place in town," Lupichuck said. 

Out-of-town clients can meet at another location in town, such as a hotel or gas station. 

Lupichuk said expanding their services to the north is important because veterinary care in rural areas is often not easily accessible.

"We kind of felt that vet care in the north is challenging enough," she said. "Even if people from Fort Smith can make it to Hay River, it's much closer than travelling all the way to Manning."

While surgeries are unavailable until they establish a physical space, Lupichuk said the mobile service will cover wellness exams, vaccinations, and other non-surgical needs. Residents can call the Manning Vet Clinic for more info.

Long drive for life-saving services

Martina Jerome, who lives in Fort Resolution and breeds purebred Yorkies, said puppies must be vaccinated promptly, so she now vaccinates her dogs herself.

"Due to such distance, many people don't get their pups vaccinated and lose them to Parvovirus," she said.

There is also the issue of emergency situations. Not having access to a vet can be deadly for some pets in medical distress. With no emergency services available in Hay River, the closest emergency vet for Fort Resolution is in High Level, Alta., which is just over 450 kilometres away.

Jerome said she's also had some close calls with her pets and had to deal with the situation herself or fly to Yellowknife, which can be costly.

"[The] N.W.T. is desperate for vet services," she said. 

Jerome also hopes that with added vet services in the region, more people will get their pets vaccinated and spayed or neutered.