Free veterinary clinic for pets with senior owners coming to Waterbury

September 20, 2024  |  By Waterbury Roundabout 

Therapy dogs visit at the Waterbury Area Senior Center in 2023. File photo by Gordon Miller

The Waterbury Area Senior Center will host a special veterinary clinic on Oct. 22 for local pets with senior owners. 

Organized by the Central Vermont Council on Aging, the free veterinary services will be provided by the Mitzvah Fund Mobile Clinic. Services will be available for pets with owners who are age 60 and older who meet income qualifications or express special financial need. 

The clinic will offer exams, vaccinations, nail trimming, flea/tick products, heartworm products, blood and lab tests, dental care, small surgeries, and medications.  

The deadline to sign up is Oct. 8. Spots are limited and a waitlist will be created. One animal per household will be registered and if there are other animals from the same household, they will be put on the waitlist. 

Services will be determined during the phone consultation and review of the pet's medical records to register for the clinic. On the day of the clinic, each animal who sees the veterinarian will receive an exam and any appropriate vaccines. They may also receive a blood test if they need a heartworm/lyme test or if they are in need of a future anesthetic procedure. 

Veterinarian appointments will be scheduled with technician appointments added for pets that only need nail trims, ear cleanings, or gland expressions. 

Any follow-up care will be done directly through the Mitzvah Fund. If the animal does need a dental or surgery the owner can fill out a Mitzvah Fund Application. Depending on income, the cost could be completely subsidized. The Mitzvah Fund does not provide chronic ongoing care, emergency care, or most orthopedic procedures. 

The clinic hours will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 22. For more information or to register a pet or pets for the clinic, contact Michelle Mahikoa, Central Vermont Council on Aging’s Nutrition Outreach Specialist at 802-479-7524.