Along with regular vet services, Fantastic Beasts Veterinary Services in Parksville offers no and low-cost pet care options and helps animal rescue groups across the mid-Island. Here vet tech Andria helps one of their first clients during their free Pawsitive Care program. (Submitted/Justine Morrison)

By Jordan Davidson

pet care

Parksville vet clinic providing free and low-cost care for furry friends in need

Jun 17, 2024 | 6:29 AM

PARKSVILLE — Low-cost veterinarian services are now available in Oceanside for those struggling to find the funds.

Parksville-based Fantastic Beasts Veterinary Services, located inside Wembley Mall (826 Island Hwy. W), opened its doors to the public for regular vet services in December but has been providing care for local animal rescues for over a year.

Rescue division manager Justine Morrison said they launched their Pawsitive Care program in April, offering a free wellness clinic once a month at no cost, with staff members donating their time.

“Things like vaccines, de-wormer, flea and tick preventative, they would get an exam by the vet. That is all no cost. It is a community-driven program. And we of course depend on funding from the public to make this possible.”

Morrison said they normally see around 30 animals per clinic and receive up to 15 online applications per day, with spots currently booked until September.

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Following a check-up at the no-cost clinic pets can then be referred to their low-cost spay and neuter programs.

She said they also work closely with Nanaimo-based free pet care clinic Helping Paws, which also offers a free pet clinic at St. Peters Church on Machleary St., recently celebrating five years in operation.

“Helping Paws was really what inspired us to get this clinic going,” Morrison told NanaimoNewsNOW. “Knowing it was such a need in our community…of Parksville, Qualicum, and north, I think it’s only Helping Paws, there’s Vets for Pets in Victoria and then there’s us and nothing else.”

Vet Dr. Mackenzie Drake, vet tech Sarah Christensen and vet assistant Sam Maughan performing a spay surgery for a cat during their low-cost spay/neuter clinic on June 13. (Submitted) (Submitted/Justine Morrison)

Morrison said when they first started their rescue division in June 2023 they were only working with two Island animal rescue groups.

Now it’s closer to 20 organizations ranging from Nanaimo to Courtenay, with Fantastic Beats handling animal care.

“Assisting them with spay and neuters, vet care exams, vaccines. We know quite a bit of animal rescue organizations struggle to pay that cost too and we know how expensive it can be. So we create partnerships with as many rescues whose interested in working with us.”

Groups like CatSpan Ferals and Island SPCAs will bring groups of animals to their clinic for treatment, with vets completing their 1,000th surgery for rescue animals earlier in June.

Morrison said they’ll regularly treat 10-15 shelter animals a day providing them with exams, vaccines, and spay and neutering.

“It just creates a shorter time for the animals being in the shelter that they can be adopted sooner because they don’t adopt out animals that have been not spayed and neutered.”

Donations of pet supplies from the community and rescue groups like local SPCA’s pour into the vet’s lobby during their Pawsitive Care clinics. (Submitted)

She said they know the demand for cheaper vet care is high in the area, and they appreciate the amount of support they’ve received from the community, but more is always needed to keep their free and low-cost programs running.

“We want to keep offering the service. Right now we’re doing it on a monthly basis, but if we could do it more often just knowing how high the need. I feel like we’re going to be booked up until the end of the year in no time.”

Morrison said it’s important for pet owners to spay and neuter their animals to avoid additional unwanted animals needing to be rescued in the future.

More information about Fantastic Beats Veterinary Clinic, including where to find them, is available here on their website.

You can find the Fantastic Beasts Veterinary Services clinic at 826 Island Hwy. W in Parksville, unit 21 inside the Wembley Mall. (Submitted/Justine Morrison)

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jordan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @JordanDHeyNow