The animal welfare organization Vincent’s Animal Welfare Fund held its first free veterinary clinic on Canouan on Sunday, February 26.
Officials of the organization told the St. Vincent Times that they had been fundraising for the event since late January 2023, when the organization was first set up.
“Our vet, Eric Audain, with whom we are collaborating to provide clinics throughout this year on Canouan, travelled over from St. Vincent. Soho Beach House is supporting our organization, and they provided Eric with accommodation whilst he was on the island. We had many volunteers on the day, who were both islanders and a couple of business owners. The clinic ran from 1000 to 1900 at the Pan Yard, which we were kindly provided as a venue for the day”.
The clinic was primarily for spaying and neutering animals and also for examining and treating other sick animals.
The organization successfully neutered and spayed 11 dogs and cats and treated and examined a further 17 sick animals. The spay program is imperative for improving animal welfare conditions on the island and preventing overbreeding. Sunday’s clinic was predominantly attended by islanders bringing their animals.
“We were happy to be able to help so many animals on the first day of our clinic. At our next clinic, we will coordinate more of the stray dog and cat population to be rounded up by volunteers. To advertise for this first clinic, we relied on social media and reaching groups and individuals on Canouan, and we hope that as the organization gains awareness, more and more people will be aware of upcoming clinics. As an organization, we also learned a tremendous amount from our first clinic and will look to implement improvements at the next”.
The next clinic will be held in late March or early April. You can find Vincent’s Animal Welfare Fund by following these social media handles: Instagram: @vincentsanimalwelfarefund; Facebook: Vincent’s Animal Welfare Fund
Vincent’s Animal Welfare Fund says the objective of the fund is to save the lives of as many animals as possible.
