Bond between people, pets reason for free vet clinic
Virginia Stover travelled from Surrey to attend a free pop-up veterinary clinic in East Vancouver on Sunday with her dog and four cats.
“Mine have all got worms and they need their shots,” said Stover, a disabled single mother who relies on social assistance — and a little help from her friends — to get by.
A friend offered to drive Stover and another friend, with all their pets, 11 in total, to the Paws For Hope free vet clinic.
“We decided to carpool and split the gas money,” said Stover.
Stover budgets carefully to care for her brood, but when her kitten choked on something and had to be rushed to the vet, her whole food budget went to cover it, leaving her short.
She said, “I’d rather starve than let my daughter or my animals go hungry.”
Her pup Yoshi has helped her with weight loss and depression.
“I’m not as sad because I have him. I don’t stay inside and hide from the world anymore,” she said.
Paws For Hope, has been running free animal-health clinics, offering checkups, parasite control and vaccinations for low-income pet guardians, for six years. Animals that need further care get followup with volunteer vet partners.
“We support keeping pets at home with their families and value the importance of that companionship, particularly among marginalized populations. We see the bond between people and pets,” said Paws For Hope executive director Kathy Powelson.
Paws For Hope is a charitable organization that relies on donations, grants and volunteer vets to help those with low incomes care for their pets. Powelson said Paws For Hope wants to expand their donor base so they can help more animals.
“Access to veterinary care is an animal-welfare issue,” said Powelson. “The lack of access is a crisis in this country, and keeping animals in their homes improves health and welfare, and keeps them out of shelters.”
“Depression and loneliness was an issue for me,” said pensioner Jeysoca Kardell.
But adopting Molly, a 10-year-old Maltese that was abandoned in a snowdrift three years ago, changed everything.
“I will take care of the dog when I won’t take care of myself. If she doesn’t go for a walk she gets depressed, so I get her out and then I get out,” Kardell said.
Kardell, who came from Burnaby for the clinic said, “Having an animal is unconditional love, and it’s helping me.”