Tag: veterinary help

Categories
News/Blog

Helping animals after flooding devastates B.C.

Table Of Contents
  1. Greenbelt Veterinary Services
  2. Joanne's Sanctuary
  3. Janine's Equine Therapy Farm
  4. Dian’s rescued animals
  5. Donate toward flood evacuee veterinary support

In November of last year, devastating floods hit British Columbia. Nearly 15,000 people and their companion animals were forced to evacuate their communities; others were affected by floods through road closures, veterinary office closures, and more; homes and barns were damaged and destroyed; more than 640,000 farmed animals lost their lives.

Many families suddenly found themselves unable to afford veterinary care for their beloved companion animals. As those impacted by the floods began the long journey to recover and rebuild, our province came together to support them.

Hundreds of kind people gave toward VHS’s Flood-Impacted Veterinary Assistance fund. These generous donations from people like you helped flood-impacted people ensure their beloved animal family members were safe and healthy, and helped local organizations and veterinary offices to keep their doors open to continue providing essential care for animals affected by flooding.

Here are some of the stories of the flood-affected animals who have received assistance through VHS’s veterinary assistance fund.

Greenbelt Veterinary Services

A pig roots in gravel after escaping floodwaters in Abbotsford.
During the rescue, a Greenbelt veterinarian found and helped a pig who had miraculously escaped on her own and found her way to higher ground.

Greenbelt Veterinary Services joined in the effort to rescue 6,000 dairy cows from flood waters over the span of 36 hours. Animals who had stood chest deep in water, unable to lie down for more than 36 hours were found in flooded barns as the waters receded. Many of these animals required immediate and ongoing veterinary treatment and supervision on their road back to health. Greenbelt took in animals who had been evacuated, including calves experiencing hypothermia. A gift from a generous anonymous donor enabled them to continue their vital work helping animals to overcome these devastating conditions.

Donate toward flood-impacted veterinary support

Joanne’s Sanctuary

Two rescued cats, Elvis and Cleo, received veterinary care with the support of VHS donors.

The VHS also reached out to Joanne, whose sanctuary for farmed and companion animals was completely flooded. Joanne, her husband Mike, and a dedicated group of volunteers came together to rescue as many animals as possible with trailers and boats. The barn ended up six feet underwater and the house four feet. Gifts from incredible animal champions covered veterinary costs for two rescued cats, Elvis and Cleo, and provided funding to the veterinarians who work with the sanctuary’s horses, goats, and sheep.

Donate toward flood-impacted veterinary support

Janine’s Equine Therapy Farm

Through the generous support of donors, Beethoven received much-needed treatment including nuclear medicine to cure his hyperthyroidism.

Janine runs an equine counselling therapy farm (pictured on page 1). When the floods hit, this safe haven for humans and animals ended up in waist-high water. Between the costly damages and emergency care for the animals, Janine quickly ate through all her savings. She reached out for help for top dog Finnegan, who had a lump on his back; Daisy the 18-year-old horse, who was experiencing lameness from the flooding; and Beethoven, a gorgeous cat with hyperthyroidism who began experiencing seizures.

Thanks to generous donations from community members, the VHS worked with Janine and veterinarians to make sure all of these loved animals got the veterinary care they needed. Since our last update, Beethoven has received much-needed radiotherapy for his hyperthyroidism!

Donate toward flood-impacted veterinary support

Dian’s rescued animals

Keri has begun gaining back his lost weight after being hospitalized for 24 hours.

Dian is a longtime rescuer of animals who lost her home in the flooding, but managed to save all her animals by carefully moving them to high ground and rationing water for herself so they could have enough.

You may remember the story of Dian’s senior rescue dog Buhrmeez, who received essential support for his recently-diagnosed leukemia which meant he could live out his golden years with his loving family.

Since we shared this story, Dian’s other dog Keri frighteningly began to vomit blood and had to be hospitalized for 24 hours. Keri has begun gaining back his lost weight with the help of medication and Dian’s loving care.

Donate toward flood-impacted veterinary support

Donate toward flood evacuee veterinary support

Categories
Urgent Care

Urgent care needed for Tiger

Tiger needs life-saving veterinary care

Update: Tiger’s care has been fully funded thanks to many generous donors.
Tiger’s guardian, Alan, became concerned with Tiger when she stopped eating and going to the bathroom. A visit to the emergency veterinarian identified that Tiger is having severe liver problems. Alan and the veterinarian believe that she is suffering from secondary poisoning after eating a mouse that got into the house after consuming rodenticides from a nearby property. Tiger is now hospitalized at the vet and the veterinary bills are expected to be around $3,000.

Alan is a senior who is coping with disability and needs some help getting Tiger well again.

Alan told VHS, “When she was growing up as a kitten, she would follow me and cling to my leg. She means so much and she is the only family I’ve got. I recently lost two friends and Tiger is a big support.”

Tiger is only 7 years old and has a lot of love still to give in her life. Can you help Tiger get better by donating?

Categories
News/Blog

Support for flood recovery saves animals

Table Of Contents
  1. 1. Veterinary assistance for flood evacuees: Finley's story; Niwe and Sherman's story
  2. 2. Partnerships with local organizations in flood-affected areas: Beauty's story
  3. 3. Financial support for veterinarians: Cascade's story
  4. Donate toward flood evacuee veterinary support

It has been more than two weeks since the first floods hit B.C., forcing people and animals from their homes and devastating our province. The effects are still impacting guardians and their pets who live in flooded areas, some of whom have told us they will be stuck in motels well into December. 

While these past few weeks have been a time of incredible tragedy, they have also been a demonstration of the amazing power of community.

We are grateful for the outpouring of support for those impacted by the flood, and have seen amazing action from our community in offering their time, sharing resources, and donating toward our flooding support fund. Through the generosity of people like you, we have been able to help many people and animals to begin the long recovery from this crisis.

Here are some of the stories of flood-affected animals getting assistance from the Vancouver Humane Society.

1. Veterinary assistance for flood evacuees: Finley’s story; Niwe and Sherman’s story

Our Flood Evacuee Veterinary Support fund has covered expenses for flood-impacted people and their companion animals, ranging from vet-recommended pet foods to medications to urgent surgeries. One of the animals whose care was covered through the program is Finley.

5-year-old Finley started urinating blood after evacuating from her home. Her guardian Chloe immediately reached out for help getting her veterinary assistance.

The veterinarian believed Finley could be suffering from stress-related cystitis, a urinary condition. She and her entire family had been incredibly anxious since the flooding hit. With two young children and one on the way, Chloe’s family is struggling to cope with the stress of being away from home.

With help from donors, VHS has covered the cost of Finley’s care so she can begin to recover from this tragedy with her loving family.

“Thank you so much! The help has relieved so much stress,” said Finley’s guardian, Chloe.

You can assist animals like Finley by donating to the flood evacuee veterinary assistance fund. 

Other guardians have reached out for assistance with veterinary care that would help them stay with their animal family members as they looked for emergency accommodations.

“We were evacuated due to the flooding. We were able to go stay with my cousin but they have dogs too and since our dogs don’t have their shots they needed us to get shots to stay with them.  I know the SPCA was offering temporary shelter for pets, but for us pets are comfort and safety in an emergency.”

Lena was evacuated from her home with her family, including young Niwe and five-year-old Sherman. She worried she would not be able to keep her two beloved dogs with her—she knew housing them temporarily in a shelter would place added stress on all of them.

Lena was grateful to find a temporary home moving in with a cousin, but needed to get Niwe’s first shots and update Sherman’s vaccines to keep the other dogs in the home healthy.

VHS’s flood evacuee veterinary assistance fund helped Niwe and Sherman to get the vaccines they needed and stay together as a family during this stressful time.

Donate toward flood evacuee veterinary support

2. Partnerships with local organizations in flood-affected areas: Beauty’s story

With the help of donations, we have partnered with local organizations working on the ground in flood-impacted areas to cover the veterinary costs of animals rescued in the floods. One of those organizations is the Animal Lifeline Emergency Response Team Society (ALERT). 

When flooding began to devastate parts of B.C., ALERT mobilized their team of local volunteers to rescue and care for animals like Beauty.

Beauty was on her way from a rescue in Manitoba to a veterinarian in the Lower Mainland when she was stranded by flooding. Once the floods hit, Beauty and the other dogs traveling with her had nowhere to go. ALERT stepped in to help these 76 animals and were concerned about Beauty’s rapidly deteriorating leg injury. A volunteer triaged Beauty and found she was showing signs of sepsis, a deadly infection if not treated.

The team at ALERT and the local community rallied to make sure Beauty and her travel companions had homes to stay in while they waited for the waters to pass. Beauty spent the night with Keith, a caring local resident. As soon as they could, ALERT rushed her to a veterinarian.

Her already injured leg had to be amputated; the quick thinking of ALERT’s volunteer team helped to save her life. Beauty is recovering with an experienced medical foster. Keith, who fostered her for the night she was stranded, indicated an interest in being Beauty’s forever guardian.

Donate to help more animals like Beauty

3. Financial support for veterinarians: Cascade’s story

A generous donor reached out to Vancouver Humane Society to help veterinarians who are caring for animals impacted by the floods. With this financial support, we have begun distributing gifts to veterinary clinics in need who are helping with the flood assistance, including the Cascade Veterinary Clinic in Princeton.

When flooding hit Princeton, the staff were faced with the challenge of how to stay open during the crisis. The clinic was cut off from many essential resources. Still, as the only emergency clinic in a two-hour radius, they knew it was essential they stay open to help the animals.

Since the flood, the owners and staff have been working hard to keep their doors open and their clinic safe for animals in need. That has meant sourcing clean water to maintain sanitary procedures, bringing towels and laundry home to wash, using space heaters when their furnace broke down, and dedicating extra hours to help out with the clinic’s needs while also dealing with flooding in their own homes.

We were able to distribute a gift to Cascade to cover a portion of their operating costs for the week of the flood. This donation is helping them to continue offering vital assistance at a time when it is needed most.

Donate to the flood evacuee veterinary assistance fund

Donate toward flood evacuee veterinary support

Categories
News/Blog

Peanut receives care after flooding leaves him and family trapped at home

Earlier this week, Cultus Lake was hit by flooding and landslides, completely blocking road access into or out of the area. Some households had been given evacuation orders and some people were unable to leave their homes at all.

Two of those left stranded were Sylvie and her dog, Peanut.

“I’ve never seen such destruction in Cultus Lake,” Sylvie said. “There are huge holes in the road and they are filling with water. We’ve had landslides like this here before, but I’ve never seen anything like this before in my life. The parking lot at the community hall is now a big crater!”

But being homebound would become much more troubling for Sylvie. Peanut soon injured his dewclaw, leaving it bent all the way back. Sylvie said that he seemed like he was in such pain that his eyes and ears were turning red. While she would have normally rushed him to the veterinarian, she now had no way of getting there.

“The lake now has floating wood and debris in it all around the shoreline. At first we couldn’t leave the house at all for resources because it wasn’t safe or possible to leave.”

Sylvie was finally able to get Peanut to the vet yesterday where, with help from Vancouver Humane Society’s Flood Evacuee Veterinary Support fund, he had the claw safely removed and received pain medication.

Many stories like Sylvie and Peanut’s are now emerging; we know that more pet guardians will need assistance in the coming days and weeks. Of the thousands of flood evacuees, more than half of households have pets.

In a time when people are doing their best to ensure their loved ones are safe and healthy, we are working to eliminate the financial barriers that come with unexpected veterinary costs for their animal family members.

Vancouver Humane Society’s Flood Evacuee Veterinary Support is here to help any pet guardians impacted by the flood with costs related to veterinary care, including medications and vet-recommended food that may have been left behind in the evacuation, as well as treatment for illnesses or injuries. Those needing support are asked to reach out through our online form, by email at mcvitie@vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca, or by phone at 604-336-1390.

We are truly grateful for the support of our community in this time of crisis. If you are able to donate toward veterinary support for flood evacuees, we welcome gifts through the form below. All donations toward our veterinary support fund are currently being matched 100% up to $25,000 by an anonymous donor.

B.C. Flood Evacuee Veterinary Assistance

Categories
Opinion Editorial

Government support needed to help resolve veterinary care crisis in B.C.

Closeup of cute boston terrier dog at clinic with owner. African woman carrying her pet at vet hospital. Girl holding puppy and visiting clinic for regular checkup. Pet care concept.

Article originally published on The Georgia Straight.

Veterinary care in British Columbia has reached a point of crisis, and veterinary staff, pets, and guardians are all feeling the strain.

Pet guardians report months-long wait times seeking care for their animals, who are suffering due to staff shortages.

Meanwhile, veterinarians are more than twice as likely to experience suicidal thoughts when compared with other Canadians. Some aging veterinarians in B.C. worry that they will feel guilty leaving their work to their colleagues when they retire.

So how did we get here, and, more importantly, how do we fix it?

To start with, there are simply not enough veterinarians to handle the sheer volume of pets who need help. In Canada, there is about one cat or dog for every two people. In British Columbia, there is just one veterinarian graduating into the workforce each year for every 102 doctors—an especially bleak statistic considering there is also a doctor shortage in the province.

Anyone who wishes to become a veterinarian in this province must vie for one of only 20 spaces with financial aid, which would allow them to study at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon for a reduced tuition fee of $11,000 per year. Those who cannot find a coveted spot must cover the entire tuition themselves—a whopping $67,000 annually.

The time, difficulty, and expenses incurred in becoming a veterinarian and maintaining a veterinary practice can drive up the cost of care for pet guardians.

Since veterinary care is not subsidized by the government, this can spark a vicious cycle that leads to stressed pet guardians, less than ideal communication between guardians and veterinary staff, and animals not getting the care they need until their health is in a severe state of crisis.

All those factors can contribute to veterinarians and veterinary technicians taking on even further mental and emotional burdens.

A recent research article from the Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) and Dalhousie University assistant professor Haorui Wu proposes steps that would help break this cycle. The research delves into recommendations from pet guardians who experienced barriers to veterinary care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It ultimately finds that changes like financial support for low-income pet guardians and training for veterinary staff on a trauma-informed approach could reduce the stress of both guardians and veterinarians while improving the lives of animals.

The link between the health of animals and the well-being of the humans around them is common sense to many people who share their home with a pet. When a guardian is unable to afford needed care for a beloved pet, the guardian often experiences stress, guilt, and shame. When a veterinarian euthanizes a pet that was unable to receive preventive care for financial reasons, the loss of that animal can take a severe emotional toll on all who are involved.

The interconnectedness between human and animal well-being has been explored in recent years under the moniker “One Health, One Welfare”. VHS’s research highlights this approach as a best practice.

One local example of this practice in action is Community Veterinary Outreach (CVO). “Our group utilizes the One Health approach,” says Doris Leung, veterinarian and regional director of CVO in Vancouver. “We recognize that by improving an animal’s health and well-being, you can improve the pet guardian’s health and well-being as well. Our volunteers support marginalized pets and their owners in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES).”

With CVO events, pet guardians have access to caring, trauma-informed veterinary services in concert with human health services. For instance, they can learn about the importance of tooth brushing to promote good oral hygiene for their pets and to prevent pain and suffering with periodontal disease. At the same time, they can get support for their own oral health from volunteer dental hygienists at the clinic.

When pet guardians have positive experiences in seeking care for their animal—whether that means finding care with a holistic model similar to CVO, being supported through payment plans, or speaking with a veterinarian who has received training in trauma-informed care—they are more likely to prioritize veterinary care in the future.

These services help to ensure that animals will receive preventive care and decrease the need for euthanizations performed due to a lack of funds. A trauma-informed approach improves the communication between veterinarians and their clients, transforming normally stressful interactions into productive partnerships. If implemented now, these changes can even begin to decrease burnout in the veterinary sector.

Note: If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, you can call the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention at any time.

Categories
Media Release

“Nobody should have to choose between paying rent and for veterinary care,” says pet guardian in new research from Vancouver Humane Society

VANCOUVER, Oct 26, 2021 – People living on a low income have strong bonds with their pets. However, structural barriers – like a lack of animal-friendly transportation and financial affordability – make it difficult for these loving guardians to access needed veterinary care. The existing barriers have been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, when animal hospitals had to cancel or limit appointments and guardians were unable to accompany their pets into the clinic.

A new journal article published by the Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) and Dalhousie University Professor Haorui Wu offers unique insight into the barriers faced by low-income people accessing veterinary care in 2020. The article details the lived experiences and recommendations of twelve animal guardians who accessed financial support for urgent veterinary services.

“I still have the fear if you can’t pay for the bill, they may ask you to surrender the animal,” explained one animal guardian living on a low income. “I didn’t want to surrender the animal. I can feed her. She’s loved. She’s not abused.” When a veterinarian or animal shelter requires a low-income person to surrender their pet to get access to veterinary care, a serious ethical dilemma exists as the pet is then rehomed into a wealthier family.

Examining and addressing barriers to veterinary care is a key part of creating a more equitable society. Companion animals are an essential part of their guardians’ lives now more than ever – with evidence suggesting that animals positively impact how people react, cope, and recover from disaster situations.

“Nobody should have to choose between paying rent and for veterinary care,” another participant said. “I find that a really scary thought.”

The article lays out suggestions to help low-income animal guardians access care, such as offering payment plans and training staff to offer trauma-informed services – the same approach used by social services workers who already interact with underserved communities daily. Creating an environment where all guardians can access veterinary care can reduce their stress, help animals get the urgent care they need, and encourage low-income individuals to bring their pets in for preventative care before their health is in crisis. It can also remove the need for financially motivated euthanasia, which needlessly takes animal lives and takes a severe mental toll on veterinarians and technicians.

The research process was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). It can be found on the VHS website.

-ends-

For further information: Amy Morris: 604-416-2901, amy@vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca

Related links:

https://vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca/posts/new-research-veterinary-care-covid-19

Categories
News/Blog

New research examines barriers to veterinary care during COVID-19

Taking your companion animal to the clinic can be a stressful experience for anyone—between trying to make difficult decisions and pets struggling in a new environment. For people living on a low income who access veterinary services during COVID-19, the stress of accessing care can be amplified beyond belief.

“I still have the fear if you can’t pay for the bill, they may ask you to surrender the animal,” explained one animal guardian living on a low income. “I didn’t want to surrender the animal. I can feed her. She’s loved.”

VHS examines the unique set of barriers low-income individuals face when accessing veterinary care during COVID-19 in a new research article. The article, entitled “Barriers to Care in Veterinary Services: Lessons Learned From Low-Income Pet Guardians’ Experiences at Private Clinics and Hospitals During COVID-19”, details the lived experiences and recommendations of twelve animal guardians who accessed financial support for emergency veterinary services from VHS’s McVitie Fund in 2020.

“I still have the fear if you can’t pay for the bill, they may ask you to surrender the animal. I didn’t want to surrender the animal. I can feed her. She’s loved.”

The article affirms what anyone who shares their heart and home with a pet already knows: that the bond between an animal and their guardian is unique and valuable. Sharing a life with a companion animal has countless emotional and mental health benefits. In fact, evidence suggests that animals positively impact how people react, cope, and recover from disaster situations.

People living on a low income, who have often faced other barriers in their life due to oppression, trauma, disability, or mental illness, benefit strongly from sharing this bond with their animal loved ones. Providing people with the support to keep their animals healthy and at home is not only the humane thing to do; it is a key part of building a just and equitable society.

The research article raises suggestions for improving access to services, including:

  • payment plans
  • compassionate pricing for individuals living on a low income
  • government regulations to standardize veterinary bills

Animals and guardians would also benefit from services using a trauma-informed approach—which is highlighted in a recent report from VHS.

Reducing the financial strain and relieving the mental stress of low-income animal guardians would have far-reaching impacts. These measures would:

1. Improve the lives of animals their guardians.

A person hugging a brown dog outdoors

Animals would be able to receive the care they need and stay in their loving homes.

2. Reduce burnout in animal services staff.

An animal clinic staff member holding a cat while she gets an ultrasound

Animal services staff experience high rates of burnout and compassion fatigue from interacting with anxious animal guardians and facing seemingly hopeless situations in the face of financial barriers. Offering more options for low-income animal guardians would empower animal services staff to have more positive interactions with their clients.

3. Encourage animal guardians to seek veterinary care more often.

A person carries a dog toward a veterinarian's office for a regular check-up

In one study, one in four animal guardians could not afford to seek preventative veterinary care. Having more financial options and positive experiences with veterinary care would motivate animal guardians to seek care for their animal before their health concern becomes a health crisis.

4. Remove the need for financially motivated euthanasia.

Close-up of a cat pawing at the door to his carrier in an animal hospital

When guardians cannot afford preventative care or treatment for a health crisis, often the only other option is euthanizing their beloved animal to end their pain. Financially motivated euthanasia needlessly takes animal lives and takes a severe mental toll on both guardians and veterinarians. Improved services for low-income animal guardians would quite literally save lives.

The research article was written in collaboration with Dalhousie University Professor Haorui Wu and was made possible through the support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). You can access and review the article using the button below.

Read the article

How can you help?

Vancouver Humane Society continues to advocate for structural change that would ensure all companion animals can get the care they need. Until that dream becomes a reality, generous animal advocates like you make it possible to provide emergency financial assistance to animals and their guardians in need through VHS’s McVitie Fund.

Urgent care for pets

All donations toward VHS’s McVitie Fund are currently being matched by an anonymous donor. Can you give today to make double the difference in the lives of companion animals?

Donate now
Categories
News/Blog

5 reasons why vet assistance is vital

Close-up of female vet in protective gloves examining the pet with stethoscope in vet clinic

From broken limbs to treatments for infections, Vancouver Humane Society’s McVitie Fund continues to be there for sick and injured companion animals during desperate times of need. This emergency support fund allows individuals living on a low income to access urgent vet assistance for their beloved animals, without having to make the almost impossible decision to surrender them to a shelter.

The demand for these resources has been at an all-time high again in 2021 as COVID-19 has continued to decrease vulnerable people’s financial capacity. The program has assisted 168 animals so far this year. This wouldn’t be possible without VHS’s generous supporters.

Here are some of the reasons emergency vet assistance is an important part of creating a caring and equitable society.

1. The bonds between animals and their guardians are vital.

A senior person smiles and pats their happy dog while sitting on the couch.

People of all income levels benefit from the companionship of animals. Research strongly suggests that animals are therapeutic and offer solace and emotional support for individuals with mental health issues. Just as humans bond to animals, animals become attached to humans. Splitting up the relationship between an animal and their guardian can cause trauma and suffering for both parties.

Donate toward urgent care for pets

2. Emergency assistance is often the last available option to help animals get the care they need.

A child and cat sit on the bed together.

Many people living on a low income will prioritize their animals’ needs ahead of their own to get them care. One animal guardian who reached out through the Helping Women and Pets Program, Mariam, said: “We spent our rent money to get him medicine in the hospital to prevent him from suffering. I accepted that I would have to without some basic needs and put off rent for a couple of months to catch up financially.”

Other guardians who reach out have exhausted loan options, used up their emergency savings, or even used crowdfunding to help their animals as much as possible. Emergency assistance may be the last option to help their beloved animals recover without surrendering them to a shelter.

Donate toward urgent care for pets

3. Financial difficulties are one of the top reasons animal guardians surrender their pets to a shelter.

A dog and her guardian experiencing homelessness sit on the street as people walk past.

When a guardian cannot afford emergency veterinary care, they are often faced with an impossible choice: allow their animal to suffer, or surrender them to a shelter to get the care they need. The model of requiring people to give up their pets in order to access urgent vet care splits up families who are experiencing financial difficulty.

VHS wants to reduce and ultimately eliminate the surrender of wanted pets due to systemic lack of access to financial resources. We aim to do this by providing veterinary assistance to the most families possible.

Donate toward urgent care for pets

4. Veterinary care is not subsidized by the government.

A dog sits in a veterinary office wearing a cone

Companion animals are an important part of many families in Canada—in fact, 58% of Canadian households have at least one dog or cat. Research shows that living with a companion animal has important medical, emotional, and mental health benefits.

Despite all this, there is no federal system for providing animal family members with the medical care they need. This means veterinary care costs can be too high for animal guardians to afford.

Meanwhile, veterinarians often still don’t make a profit due to the cost of rent, staffing, and equipment. Almost all of the veterinary clinics that we work with offer us discounted rates for their services; we rely on donations from generous community members to help guardians cover the remaining expenses and bring their animal loved ones home.

Donate toward urgent care for pets

5. The need for financial assistance is greater than ever.

A cat sits in their guardian's lap on the couch

People living on a low income were some of the hardest hit by the financial impacts of COVID-19. Because of the recent financial crisis, many people do not have the funds available to cover a veterinary emergency.

Over the past month, VHS has been struggling to keep up with the demand from individuals on low income who need vet assistance. Other organizations that have offered similar services in the past have recently been making changes to their programming, meaning VHS is now the only organization in some areas of B.C. offering financial support for vet bills.

From July 1 to August 31, 2021, VHS helped 66 animals at a total expense of more than $15,000. The McVitie Fund’s program coordinator, Brooklyn, can receive up to 10 applications for help a day.

Donate toward urgent care for pets

We are almost at the point of having to turn people away.

The need for veterinary support is greater than ever, with the McVitie Fund on track to help a record number of animals again this year. Your donation can be the difference that means an animal gets the support they need.

See animals in need

Make it monthly! Could you spare as little as $5 a month? Donating monthly provides a steady source of funds which we can rely on to keep this program running.  If you are interested in becoming a monthly donor you can call our Development Director Claire Yarnold at 604-266-1012 or sign up online.

Categories
News/Blog

Odie’s his old self again

Donate Now

The McVitie Veterinary Assistance Program has been helping pets of low-income caregivers get assistance for many years, ensuring guardians are not forced to surrender the animals they love and are bonded with. During this time, other caring individuals have provided some of their own money towards the program to keep people and their pets together. Sandra Todd is one of those individuals, always working to assist those in need to ensure their pets have care. 

When Sandra was partially laid off due to COVID-19, she faced a difficult decision herself for the first time. Sandra cares for a few aging rescued animals, and her 17-year-old dog Odie was showing signs of sickness. Odie lived a rough early life, abused by his first owners and treated roughly by his second owners. He came into Sandra’s care with wounds on his neck and a broken leg. 

Since then, Sandra has worked to give him a good life. At the end of March, Odie started sleeping too much, he became too weak to walk and gastro problems were evident. Sandra knew the bill would be high for the veterinarian to diagnose the cause and hopefully heal Odie and that she would fall short with her own available funds. She reached out to the Vancouver Humane Society for help with covering the cost of a blood panel, fluids, and antibiotics to get 17-year-old Odie feeling well again. 

Please consider contributing a gift today to support the McVitie low-income veterinary assistance program.  

Categories
animal welfare compassion News/Blog Promoted

Bam Bam’s story is one that animal lovers know too well

bam-bam2

We like to tell people who support our McVitie Fund for sick and injured animals about the many happy endings the fund has achieved.

Sometimes, however, the ending is not the one we hoped for. And yet, even these stories of love, loss and bittersweet memory illustrate why we do what we do.

Eleven years ago Bam Bam was a cross-eyed kitten with a broken tail that no one wanted to adopt. Passed over by everyone, he eventually won the heart of a care-giver at the adoption centre. “He adopted me, really,” said staff member Kerry. “He always jumped on my shoulder and would kiss my face when I would come to feed him.”

Bam Bam turned into one of those “big personality” cats – demanding to sleep between Kerry and her husband Jamie every night or meowing while pushing his food bowl around the room to remind everyone that it was dinnertime. He was a little goofy, constantly bumping into sliding glass doors. But no cat was ever more loved.

Then one day Bam Bam began to lose weight and stopped eating. The first diagnosis suggested dental work was needed. That was done but still he wouldn’t eat. Test after test could not pinpoint what was wrong and Kerry and Jamie were running out funds. That’s when they reached out to VHS.

Our McVitie Fund paid for further diagnostics to discover the answer: Bam Bam had a very aggressive cancer. It was heartbreaking news but it meant Kerry and Jamie could now focus on making sure Bam Bam’s remaining days were comfortable and pain-free. With the help of a compassionate vet, he passed away peacefully.

Anyone who has loved a companion animal knows this story. It happens to all of us. It’s wonderful when we can save a sick or injured animal, but when we can’t it is so important that we ensure they leave us without pain and knowing only the comfort of our presence.

Thanks to generous supporters, our McVitie Fund works to ensure animals enjoy lives of good health, fun, adventure and love. When those lives are sometimes unavoidably cut short, we think it’s just as important that they experience only peace.

Please help us with a donation to the McVitie Fund. It will make a big difference to an animal who needs help. Even if it’s help to say good-bye.

 

Right now, your donation to the McVitie Fund will be doubled by a kind, anonymous donor – up to $20,000. We’re over halfway there – can you help?