A London initiative is bringing veterinary care directly to residents, helping pet owners overcome financial and transportation barriers to keeping their animals healthy. Progressive Animal Welfare Services (PAWS) partnered with East Village Animal Hospital to host a pop-up veterinary clinic at Village SoHo on Monday, offering subsidized services to cats and dogs living in the affordable housing community. The clinic provided wellness examinations and core vaccinations, along with additional treatments and nail trims. Among the pets receiving care was Chimmo, a four-month-old kitten whose owner, Crystal Kennedy, brought her in for a checkup and vaccinations. “I brought Chimmo here for a checkup and to get her vaccinations done,” Kennedy said. “She needs her second vaccinations, and hopefully she’ll be able to get spayed.” Dr. Ellen Denstedt, a veterinarian with East Village Animal Hospital, said the clinic allows the veterinary team to address the health needs of pets without their owners having to travel elsewhere for care. “We are examining dogs and kitties that live here at this apartment complex, doing physical exams, updating vaccines as needed, and just ensuring the overall health of the pets that live here that are very well loved by their owners, which is really important for both pet health and for the owners as well,” Denstedt said. PAWS board chair Linda Armstrong said bringing veterinary services directly into communities can help prevent the spread of disease, particularly in high-density housing where some residents may struggle to afford routine care. “What’s super important is to protect not just a person’s pets, but the pets in a community,” Armstrong said. “When you have these high-density locations where some people have, unfortunately, not enough funding to pay to go and get their vaccines and their checkups, then you have the potential for rapid spread of disease.” Armstrong said cost is not the only obstacle for some pet owners, with transportation also making it difficult to access veterinary services. “We need to bring care into the community, and we need that because some people have barriers of not just cost but also transportation,” she said. PAWS helps pet owners overcome financial barriers to routine and emergency veterinary care. The organization also provides resources and education to individuals and community agencies. Its broader goal is to reduce animal suffering, overpopulation and unnecessary euthanasia or surrender to already overburdened animal shelters. The Nov. 2 initiative was made possible through support from the Lawson Foundation’s Miggsie Fund, with veterinary services provided by East Village Animal Hospital.
