College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine

Vet checks for homeless people’s pets

Vet students are offering free treatment and advice for pets belonging to homeless people in Edinburgh.

People without a permanent home will be able to access basic treatments for their pets free-of-charge.

They will also be offered advice to help them better manage their pet’s behaviour.

Treatments

The All4Paws clinic will offer free vaccines, flea, tick and worm medications.

Owners will also be encouraged to sign up for The Dogs Trust Hope Scheme, which provides microchips and free spaying and neutering.

Supplies

All4Paws will also provide animals’ basic supplies such as winter coats, collars, leashes, toys, beds and food.

Students

Students from the University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies will work under the guidance of qualified vets.

All4Paws has been coordinated by students Biana Tamimi and Calla Harris.

We hope to provide those who have very few options for their pets with the best care possible. At the moment there are hardly any services in Edinburgh that support the pets of those that are homeless, but they deserve the same veterinary care and attention as any others.

Biana TamimiFourth year student, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies

 

We would really like to create an environment where people will want to come back. We hope that this is a friendly place that people can come to, grab a piece of cake, have some tea and chat while receiving vet checks for their companions. This is not meant to be a formal clinic, but a fun place with friendly faces.

Calla HarrisFourth year student, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies

Donations

The initiative has been made possible thanks to fundraising from the local community and donations, which have included supplies from Dechra Veterinary Products and Virbac.

It will be held at the Fort Community Centre in Edinburgh on Saturday 5 March from 1 until 4pm.

We’ve offered a limited veterinary service for companion animals within several Edinburgh hostels since 2008, but the students’ initiative is more ambitious and allows the opportunity to give more in depth care and advice when it is needed.

Dr Andrew GardinerSenior Clinical Lecturer, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies

Related links

All4Paws

Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies

Veterinary medicine - undergraduate study

Veterinary medicine - postgraduate study