The Downtown Eastside One Day Clinic offers wellness services for pets and their people.

tomtidgewellNovember 28, 2022

Several times a year, the clinic provides basic pro bono animal care, as well as pet food, supplies and education.

Longtime construction worker Jais Mooney was one of the first in line at the clinic on Sunday. I showed them how I was comfortably inside. Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG

Pet owners gathered outside the Evelyn Saller Center on Alexander Street on Vancouver’s downtown East Side on Sunday to visit a free veterinary clinic.

Some even brought their dogs for simple grooming such as nail clipping. Others were looking for ways to keep their furry companions warm.

About 20 veterinarians, assistants, nursing students and other volunteers helped organize the “Pet Fair and People Care” event by the Vancouver Group of Community Veterinary Outreach (CVO).

Several times a year, the clinic provides basic pro bono animal care, as well as pet food, supplies and education. We also work with public services and organizations such as the PHS Community Services Society to connect low-income, at-risk people in vulnerable communities to their own health care.

“We have found that people love their animals. When they trust their animals, they tend to be more open to themselves and their needs,” says Kyla Townsend, veterinarian and CVO coordinator. says Mr.

“Animals are family to everyone here, so taking care of them is a top priority.

The organization said online that a similar event held in July was so popular that people lined up for hours, and the clinic had 85 pets and 73 clients.

Emergency veterinarian Ashton Wickramaratne said there are many barriers to veterinary care on the Downtown East Side. may become.

“People come to us with their pets, and it gives us a little peace of mind that their animals trust us,” Wickramaratne said.

“These are the people who are often left out of the human health care system. Once they feel that trust, their well-being can be improved, whether by quitting smoking or harm reduction or accessing another environment that is comfortable enough for them. It opens up conversations about other aspects of

Ryan Mooney and his dog, Alaska, and other DTES residents with pets were cared for by the Community Veterinary Outreach at the Evelyn Saller Center on Sunday. Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG

Longtime construction worker Jais Mooney was one of the first people in line at the clinic on Sunday.

He then opened the top of a small bag to reveal an eight-year-old Chihuahua Shih Tzu named Bear comfortably inside.

Others with pets moved from veterinary clinic tents set up on the street to community centers to meet community nurses for flu shots or counselors for resources and referrals. I met.

Mooney knows Bear has a problem with his teeth, but the clinic did not provide direct veterinary care in the form of diagnosing and treating more serious problems.

“My biggest concern right now is housing. Once I get a house, a room that I can lock, my dog will have a house. He’s an indoor dog, so that’s me.” And I also want a room that I can lock,” said Mooney. “That’s my number one concern. Then when I’m calm, I can go to the vet regularly or whatever.”

He moved from Medicine Hat to Vancouver after being largely unemployed since breaking his back in 2014.

“I’m starting to do it. For a while it was pretty risky.

Mooney now lives in a shelter and must be evacuated during the day.

He used to carry his bear in an old duffel bag, so the clinic gave him a used dog carrier bag with breathing vents and some warm blankets to wrap him in. I was happy.

“Now you can easily transit him,” said Mooney.

jlee-young@postmedia.com