Charity companion animal clinics & services
In some places, charities provide free or heavily subsidized veterinary services to certain sections of society. These services may be provided through existing private veterinary clinics, for example using vouchers, or the charity may operate its own static or mobile clinics. Equine clinics, as mentioned above, are one example of this. In the UK, several charities provide these services for companion animals owned by people on government means-tested benefits. The NCDL (National Canine Defence League) has programmes for helping with neutering, vaccination and parasite control of dogs. They also have specific programmes to assist homeless people with dogs. The Cat Protection offer similar services for cats. The Blue Cross, PDSA (People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals) and RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) all have their own clinics. There are many other, smaller local charities offering similar assistance, usually through sympathetic private veterinary clinics.
Some of the charities running these clinics have been operating for 100 years or more. Within their own frame of reference, these services are proving quite sustainable.