Alaska Native Rural Veterinarians to visit Norton Sound villages
It’s not the first time that Angie Fitch and her cadre of veterinarians and vet technicians travel to Norton Sound to serve dogs and cats here. But it’s taking place as the COVID pandemic is in its second year and despite the challenges it poses, Alaska Native Rural Veterinarians haven’t missed a beat. Fitch and a team of three vets and vet technicians will be traveling to Elim, Golovin and White Mountain this month and to Koyuk, Shaktoolik, Unalakleet and Shishmaref in January.
The nonprofit organization ANRV Inc. are performing spays, neuters, vaccinations, deworming and wellness checks at no cost to the pet owners. Fitch said the organization travels to the villages upon invitation and partner with Norton Sound Health Corporation to perform the services to rural pets. She said NSHC send a rabies vaccinator along, who gives rabies shots and also trains people to administer rabies vaccines. “The communities host us and we have at least one volunteer from the community who helps us with administrative work, fills out paperwork, makes phone calls and helps with the scheduling,” Fitch said.
ANRV has visited all Norton Sound and Bering Strait villages multiple times, except for Little Diomede, in the past. They tried a visit to Little Diomede, but weather didn’t cooperate and the visit was postponed.
This time, due to COVID considerations, they are bringing only four people, including Dr. Mikaela Vetters, to conduct the clinic. Also, masks are required and clients come in one person at a time with their pet.
Fitch started the nonprofit in 2011, with Brian Berube and Dr. Tim Hunt, a musher, dog food producer and Iditarod finisher, as the founding veterinarian. Fitch said most of the ANRV board members are from rural Alaska and many are mushers or from a mushing family.
The organization first traveled to the villages of the Yukon-Kuskokwim delta and then expanded their services to Norton Sound and other rural areas. They also bring veterinary students from the veterinarian medical program at UAF along. “It’s a good experience for them and after our trips, many of them plan to become rural vets when they graduate,” Fitch said.
Their schedule is to visit Elim from Dec. 13-14; Golovin from Dec. 16-17 and White Mountain from Dec. 18-19.