KITCHENER - A non-profit vet clinic has opened in Kitchener to care for pets of people who otherwise couldn't afford it.

The East Village Animal Hospital provides accessible veterinary services for low-income pet owners, those on social assistance and non-profit organizations.

"We find this isn't just about helping pets. The much bigger picture is we help people," said Laurie Ristmae, the clinic's executive director.

Pet owners with a limited income often can't afford basic veterinary care, let alone treatment for an urgent and expensive situation.

"You can't look after the most important thing in life to you," Ristmae said.

The clinic will also reduce the number of unwanted animals in the community through a spaying/neutering program for feral and barn cats, as well as lessen the strain on local shelters and rescue groups.

This will be the second East Village Animal Hospital clinic, operated with the support of donations and volunteers. The first has been operating in London since early 2014, assisting more than 10,000 pets with general medical and surgical care, and spaying/neutering/vaccinating more than 16,000 animals.

"London is extraordinarily busy," Ristmae said. "We know Kitchener is going to ramp up very quickly."

The clinic on Weber Street East expects to serve 50 clients a day; half of those coming in for medical care and the other half for the high-volume spay/neuter service.

Medical care offered will be the same at other vet clinics, including preventive care.

People need to show proof of low income or social assistance to become a client. If they are unable to pay when care is received, they can borrow from the donation jar and later pay that money back to the jar.

Anyone can bring in a cat for the trap-neuter-return program regardless of income.

Ristmae said the clinic is a welcome option for pet owners who otherwise couldn't afford care for their pet, even in a life-threatening situation. That was the case for a cat on the clinic's operating table Monday that was diagnosed with pyometra, an infection in the uterus.

"It's terminal. It's a very bad thing to happen," Ristmae said.

The seven-year-old cat became quite sick, was lethargic and wasn't eating or drinking, and needed surgery to save her life but that was not within reach for her family.

"They could not afford the surgery at other places they had contacted," Ristmae said. "They were extremely relieved, very thankful to learn about us."

The clinic charged a fraction of the usual fee for the cat to be spayed, which was a more delicate operation than a routine spay because of the rampant infection.

The clinic receives no government funding. The Kitchener location is running with support from Waterloo's Bill and Marion Weber, who are cat owners and advocates.

"We have always had cats and many of them have been rescued," Marion Weber said. "We just wanted to give back. Cats have given us so much."

She said they don't like to see animal suffering of any kind and feral cats are a problem both in the city and country, which is why they were happy to help the clinic provide low-cost spaying/neutering and medical care to pets that normally don't get vet attention.

"We thought it was needed here very badly," she said.

Ristmae said the clinic can grow with demand, and "the whole goal here is to continue to lower our prices."

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The Kitchener clinic is non-profit, although not a registered charity. Donations are welcome, and there's a wish list of cleaning supplies.

People can volunteer to help with cleaning, laundry, instrument preparation, as well as admissions and discharges. Sponsors are also needed for the mobile clinic.

Contact the clinic at 519-894-2323 or evahkitchener@gmail.com or go to evah.ca.