For those who find themselves on the street, their pets can be the single most important thing in their lives.
Streetvet is a charity that acts as an outreach with 14 branches in different locations around the UK. Their primary aim is to provide health care, offer advice and be there as a crucial support system for the pets of homeless people living on the streets.
The Bristol team has grown massively since its launch in December 2017 to now include 26 vets and nurses all of whom are wonderful volunteers, giving up their spare time and extensive knowledge to give back to the community and make a real difference. They also make appearances at events such as 'Dog Fest' to spread awareness of the crucial work that they engage in.
“StreetVet Bristol was the third city that we opened and the enthusiasm, hard work and dedication shown by the Bristol team has been incredible . Sam Joseph (StreetVet Co-Founder) and I are so grateful to each and everyone of them.” - Jade Statt, Founder of StreetVet.
The team holds two regular outreach sessions, a Thursday evening once a fortnight and every other Saturday morning. Six clients with pets is typically the maximum that the team are able to see in one session.
“The numbers of people that we see and dogs (and occasionally a cat) is very variable and unpredictable but that's why we follow the routine, so that if people want to come and find us they know that we'll be there. It's very important that we are reliable!
“Many of the people who come need the regular preventative health care things like vaccinations, wormers and de-fleaing, but others come with a wide variety of ailments - Skin conditions, arthritis, minor wounds, ear infections, diarrhoea - the usual cornucopia of canine maladies you see in classic small animal practice.
“Sometimes things turn up that are more serious. The first time I was ‘Lead Vet’, a guy approached us with his dog and she had a pyometra which is a life-threatening condition that needs urgent surgery.
“It was an amazing feeling to be able to send him and his beloved dog off in a taxi to a clinic where she underwent successful surgery and ultimately a full recovery. It doesn't bear thinking about what would have happened to her if he hadn't of known that we'd be there and would help.”
The Bristol team have regular clients and form quite the bond with these pets and their owners. “We had a regular 'visitor'. She had been a challenging dog to help as she had very chronically infected ears and was virtually impossible to handle or examine and since her owner had serious health issues of his own we had struggled to help as much as we would have liked.
“When she fell seriously ill however we were able to get her seen very quickly at the local RSPCA clinic. Unfortunately we were struggling with client communications as her owner did not have a mobile phone and we were worried that he would need to make decisions for her when the clinic wouldn't be able to reach him.
“I made a trip into town and was absolutely thrilled to find him and be able to give him a free burner phone which subsequently allowed him to make the sad decision to let her go rather than let her suffer. Afterwards, the team gave him her ashes back and a paw print memento to remember her by.
“For all of those that judge homeless people who have pets, they should know about this story because within a few days of her being put down, her owner was then able to go into accommodation - He'd been choosing to live on the streets rather than give her up. What an amazing sacrifice - Would we all make the same decision in his place I wonder?
“One of my favourite things about volunteering for StreetVet is building up a relationship with our regulars. I think so many homeless people feel invisible. That as well as the reassurance of coming to see us gives them, and knowing we will be there. It's also nice to be 'seen', and listened to.
“Inevitably, the dogs begin to recognise us too, so when they see us coming before their owner has and start going crazy with excitement, that's a feeling that's really, really hard to put into words.”
The Bristol branch has their own Amazon wish list which relies on the hugely generous donations and purchases from the general public. This allows StreetVet to efficiently receive donations that they will be able to use effectively.
“It is humbling how generous people are. Often the deliveries come with the sweetest notes - There was a large delivery recently that came from a group who had held a ‘doggy first aid evening’. There was also another where a little boy had opted to donate instead of having a birthday present. So lovely!” - Juliet Pope, Lead vet in Bristol.
On Thursday the team congregate close to a local food kitchen so that the homeless visitors have easy access to them. Usually there for an hour, they then embark on their walk around the Harbour side and towards the Hippodrome to seek out their clients.
On Saturday, they position themselves around the Broadmead area from 11-12 and end up in St James Park around noon to look out for regulars who use rely on their services and advice.
If you want to learn more about how you can help Streetvet, and numerous other charities, they will have a stand at Bristol Dog Fest 2019 on 22nd & 23rd June at Ashton Court Estate - Come along and say hi!
Tickets are still available for Dog Fest 2019, click here to grab yours.
