Parachutes For Pets vaccine clinic helps low-income families ahead of holidays
The average vet bill can cost anywhere from a few hundred all the way up to thousands of dollars, which is why Parachutes For Pets helped 50 low income families cover the hefty burden.
Melissa David, founder of the non-profit organization, said the vaccine clinic held Saturday at Fen Vet in Airdrie provided vaccines, dental check ups, x-rays, and everything in between for cats and dogs young and old.
Several veterinary professionals and volunteers gave their time to provide 100 per cent free pet care thanks to help from numerous sponsors who donated to the cause.
“A lot of our individuals today are seniors, which I think is very important to realize that a lot of them are making choices between their groceries and their medication and their pets,” said David.
“It’s important to provide them with a peace of mind at Christmas time that their pet is taken care of.”
David added that Parachutes For Pets received more than 300 applications.
“The need here is just a great example of how important these types of clinics are,” she said.
“We actually had a client come in with a dog that was limping and it turned out that their leg was broken. That family was unable to afford an X-ray before and they weren’t able to get the treatment, but now their dog is being casted and taken care of.”
The clinic was especially important for people like Kim Weyman and her four-year-old therapy dog Fiona that she relies on to help her through mental health struggles.
“I am very thankful for the program for people that are in the economic crisis the way it is right now and this is something that's extremely helpful,” said Weyman.
“My dog is part of my family, she does so much for us so it’s important that we can keep her happy and healthy.”
Other people like Lynda Clarke just moved to Alberta six months ago and had been struggling to find vet care.
“We needed to get vaccinations done for our 12-year-old dog Matti and this has been the perfect opportunity to meet a vet and get the help we need.”
OVERJOYED
Cody Creelman, the owner of Fen Vet, was pleased with the turnout and says his staff members are overjoyed to be able to help animals in need of care.
“This is really part of the fabric and the culture of our practice,” he said.
“It’s been extremely rewarding for the entire team here, they’re grinning ear to ear today and it feels so nice to give back especially around Christmas. I wish we could recreate this feeling every single day.”
Parachutes For Pets says it is continuing to work with volunteers and sponsors for additional clinics that will be set up in the New Year.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
For the first time in report's history, Canada's air quality worse than U.S.
Air quality in Canada is now worse than in the U.S., according to the 6th Annual World Air Quality Report. Of the 15 most polluted cities in the two countries, 14 were in Canada.
A newspaper says video of Prince William and Kate should halt royal rumour mill. That's a tall order
Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home, The Sun newspaper reported -- the first footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago.
WATCH LIVE As former prime minister Mulroney lies in state, public tributes in Ottawa begin
Members of the public who wish to pay tribute to Brian Mulroney can visit his casket in Ottawa starting this afternoon.
BREAKING Roy McMurtry, former Ontario attorney general, dies at 91
CTV News has confirmed that former Ontario attorney general Roy McMurtry has died.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Images taken deep inside melted Fukushima reactor show damage, but leave many questions unanswered
Images taken by miniature drones from deep inside a badly damaged reactor at the Fukushima nuclear plant show displaced control equipment and misshapen materials but leave many questions unanswered, underscoring the daunting task of decommissioning the plant.
DEVELOPING Canada's annual inflation rate ticked down to 2.8 per cent in February, defying expectations
Statistics Canada says the annual inflation rate edged down to 2.8 per cent in February.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.