A pet project: Vets in the Community
There’s no bond quite like the bond between pet and owner. Thanks to your support for Cascade, veterinary students have been out in the community helping pets belonging to homeless and vulnerably housed people in the Nottingham area for the last four years.
Based at Nottingham’s Big Issue office, the Vets in the Community clinic sessions offer basic veterinary care to a range of pets. The clinic is student led, under the supervision of qualified staff, and gives students the opportunity to develop skills in a real life practice scenario.
Once a monthly clinic, the sessions have been so valued by the community that the clinics now take place fortnightly.
"You can see on people’s faces how much they care about their animals"
Veterinary Medicine and Science student Ben Horner has been volunteering with the vets in the community project at the clinic as part of his final year studies.
“For a lot of these people their pet is their lifeline and that’s the thing that motivates them. You can see on people’s faces how much they care about their animals, and how happy it makes them to help treat them and keep them healthy” Ben said.
“All pet owners see their pets slightly differently, but for the majority of people on the streets I think they really do have a lot of joy from their pets and I think it’s great that we can help.
“We have a vet supervising, but they take a back seat. We welcome the client in, take a history and do the examination. From there we’ll make a plan to discuss with the supervising vet. We get a lot of responsibility, which helps us to get a grasp of routine health problems – it’s quite basic but gives us experience that we’ll need in our future careers.”
This experience not only makes a difference to the student’s personal and professional experience, but is also is serving the community in a unique and rewarding way.
Making an impact
While not treating major issues, the clinics cater for basic vet care such as flea and worming treatments, nail clippings and ear infections. Pets leave the clinic with improved health, and owners leave with a smile knowing their pet has been cared for. Thanks to the initial funding from Cascade, this project was able to get off the ground and has now touched the lives of so many members of the community – both the people and their companions.
The project is the brainchild of Clinical Assistant Professor, Jenny Stavisky, who lectures in Shelter Medicine.
“The students have such a great time at the clinic,” Jenny said.
“They learn so much about communication skills. They see the patients so they practise their clinical skills and they realise the importance that animals have in people’s lives. They really get to appreciate that special bond that the owners have with their pets.”
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