Alumni news
Lending a helping paw
Lending a helping “paw”: students set up veterinary clinic for the dogs of the homeless and vulnerable
The Trusty Paws Clinic in Liverpool was set up by veterinary students from the University of Liverpool and was inspired by similar clinics in Nottingham, Glasgow and London. Many of the homeless and vulnerable in Liverpool have dogs but there is no accessible veterinary care for them.
All treatment at the monthly clinics is carried out by vet students under the supervision of a qualified vet. Freya Townsend, one of the team of students at the Liverpool Trusty Paws Clinic, explains why the students were so keen to set up such a clinic: “The relationship between a dog and its owner can be very special, especially when you’re vulnerable or living on the streets.
“However, looking after your pets in these circumstances can be very difficult – a lot of homeless people don’t qualify for care from the major animal charities. The clinics help keep the dogs healthy and provide the people with some friendly interaction and a chance for a chat.”
Setting up the clinic has required a lot of time and dedication from the students involved. A fundraising campaign was launched that included the Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge; in which 86 vet students climbed 2,388 feet and walked 23 miles in a bid to help reach their fundraising target of £5,000. The students smashed their target and raised more than £6,000 through a combination of crowdfunding and sponsored events.
This money was used to fund the initial start-up as the students needed everything to run a basic veterinary clinic from vaccine fridges and weigh scales to microchips and disinfectants. All the hard work paid off and the first clinic was run on 2 December 2017. The first patients included a Collie-cross for a first vaccination and a Mastiff with a recurrent urinary tract infection.
Now Trusty Paws will be refining how the clinics are run and planning how to work with more charities, hostels and organisations. All this will ensure that the clinics are as successful and sustainable as possible, and, of course, they are also planning some more fundraising activities!
If you would like to donate to Trusty Paws you can do so via their website: www.thetrustypawsclinic.co.uk/help-us or purchase something from their Amazon wish list: http://amzn.to/2EWxuMt.