Visiting vets find plenty to do for pet owners in Inuvik, N.W.T.
Pet owners in Inuvik, N.W.T., are getting their little ones checked out this week while a visiting team of veterinary technicians is in the community.
The clinic is organized by Arctic Paws, a local non-profit started in town in 2012 by Angela and Raven Firth.
Raven wants to help lower the dog population in the region by offering these clinics and letting the community know it's best practice to get their animals spayed or neutered.
"Start at the root, which is spays and neuters to make sure there's no more puppies. Dogs can have two to 10 puppies per litter and that causes huge problems for us," said Raven.
The vet clinic comes to town twice a year for simple procedures like spays and neuters, and to give needles.
Megan Klain is one of the veterinarians who is in Inuvik this week. She said the clinic can handle small procedures but anything requiring X-rays or bigger surgeries needs to be referred to the south.
"Sometimes we do have more in-depth cases that require further diagnostic work-up. When we do have those, we recommend going to a closer centre that will be able to provide those services," said Klain.
Janesta Mcleod brought her eight-year-old Shitzu, Gibson, for his vaccinations. She is grateful for the visiting clinic so that she can keep her dog up-to-date with his needles and give any updates during his check-ups.
"I always see people reach out on social media when they need an urgent medical need for their pet. It's a scary idea to think you don't have full-time access to those kind of services," said Mcleod.
"The vaccinations are the most important thing for myself."
The vet team is set up in the fire hall until Friday afternoon. All of their surgery and appointment time has been booked.
Another clinic is planned for the fall.
