Red Lake ON Pet Clinic

Hello everyone! I, Kristy McFadden, have created this Go Fund Me to raise money to bring a vet to Red Lake, Ontario!

The nearest vet is 2.5 hours away. After conducting a survey, I have found that out of the 155 answers I received, 100% with a pet agree the town needs one, and even those without pets have also commented on the importance of having one in our community. The city has had many beloved pets, mainly dogs and fish, lizards, hamsters, and others. Many have had pets pass away because of the distance and couldn’t survive the drive. Many people answered in the survey saying their pet needs vet attention, but due to the space, it’s tough, and for some, it is impossible to get their pet the care they need.

Red Lakes' residents answered a survey that confirmed 53.1% DO avoid making trips due to the distance, while 23.4% said sometimes. 20.8% said they hadn’t gotten a pet due to the space, and 91% said they’d take their pet to the vet more if it were closer. Although Red Lake is a small town, these numbers prove how the vast majority would benefit. The city has recently added a dog park; this is a great addition. However, it may come with consequences such as injury and death.

The residents have a range of pets whom they love, like family. It’s heartbreaking to know our family isn’t getting the care they need! Many residents don’t have access to vehicles, time off or the required financial ability to go out of town, have a procedure done and stay the amount of time to recover and drive back, plus any medication the pet may need. This would eliminate the need to travel, the hotel and the restaurant costs. An average vet trip for the Red Lake resident costs $2K. The average number of trips is 5 per year.

Having a vet in Red Lake would also open up jobs- I predict at least 15 employees- co-op opportunities for students, and provide residents with the comfort their pets are taken care of. The vet clinic would have a place for foster dogs to stay until they find their forever home It would also donate a portion of its profit to local animal businesses to help and support them! We would be open 24/7 to ensure pets are getting care at all times, and we will hold several events to help pets find GOOD homes! For a pet to be adopted, there would be an application and background check and three home evaluation visits. Although we will have this process, we will ensure pets go to their forever home as soon as possible.

I’m hoping to raise enough to create a start-up of $500k; this would put a payment on a location, hire employees and the equipment needed. Red Lake is a home for our pets, yet they don’t have proper access to health care. The residents love their pets, and this would make a world of difference for our fur families! (Or scaled or winged!) If you could spread the word as much as possible, it would benefit our beloved animals! If you can’t donate, any information or suggestions are welcome, as well as a veterinarian who has knowledge of a variety of animals and has a passion for helping them!