A chance encounter between high school teacher Andrea Robinson of Baker Lake and Rankin Inlet Fire Chief Mark Wyatt led to the first veterinarian clinic to be held in Baker Lake this past month from April 17 to 21.
Robinson said the two became friends and she came down to Rankin Inlet to have Wyatt show her how to properly vaccinate dogs.
She said Wyatt also sponsored seven high-need dogs from Baker to come to a Rankin clinic to get spayed.
“He’s (Wyatt) just been super, super supportive of everything in addition to giving me vaccines and medications,” said Robinson.
“He’s been a true angel for helping Baker Lake get a vet clinic here too.”
Robinson said the vet clinic in Baker Lake (sponsored by Baker Lake Cause for Paws and Nunavut Purchasing and Supplies) was delivered by a team from the Winnipeg-based Grant Park Animal Hospital and went really, really well.
She said the vets animal health team performed one feline neuter, nine canine spays (with one gastropexy), six canine neuters, a grooming, a lump removal, 20 examinations and numerous nail trims.
“The vet team didn’t have any comments about the pet population in Baker, so much as in terms of the vet clinic organization and running of the clinic itself — they said it was absolutely awesome.
“They said the accommodations and the food were great and all the people were very appreciative of everything.
“The vet team was just overjoyed with how well everything was run and how people were responsive to them being here.
“They would be so happy to come back to Baker Lake again to conduct another clinic.”
Robinson said there are a lot of people in Baker who love their pets and take great care of them.
She said getting the vet clinic to Baker on a regular basis would be a huge step forward in limiting the number of pet rescues through having regular spays and neuters performed.
“I have a partner, Patrick Angoyuaq, who has been a saint in terms of helping to organize everything, handling paperwork, picking-up the dogs and bringing them to me so that I could foster them and taking them to the airport.
“He’s been instrumental in making everything happen and, ideally, the vet clinic is going to be held annually now.
“Due to a family emergency, I had to fly out before the vet clinic actually happened, so I wasn’t even here to be a part of it. That was really sad, so I’m really looking forward to the next one.
“My goal going forward is to have this be sustainable locally through people in the community running Baker Lake Cause for Paws and being part of the Cause for Paws committee.”