Pets in Fort Liard and Wrigley got a little extra attention this month thanks to an annual visit from six representatives from Veterinarians Without Borders (VWB).
A non-profit that provides care to pets in remote communities, VWB sent its team to Fort Liard from Dec. 7-8, and were due to be in Wrigley Dec. 10-11. This marked the fifth year the organization has visited the two communities.
Kristie Waddell, a vet tech from Prince George, B.C., was one of the members of the team. It was her second such trip of the year, having also joined VWB in Lutsel K’e and Kugluktuk this past May.
“I’m excited,” she said from the Yellowknife airport as she waited to fly to Fort Liard. “The weather is very different weather this time. It actually delayed our arrivals.
“But I’m very excited to see how things are different in the winter and spring, and to go to two different communities this time.”
Waddell was joined in Fort Liard and Wrigley by two veterinarians, two other vet techs, and an administrator. Together, they facilitated spay and neuter surgeries, administered vaccines, provided basic wellness exams, and more.
Robert Firth, Fort Liard’s assistant senior administrative officer, can vividly remember the days before VWB started visiting his community. He said the situation has changed completely as a result of the organization’s work.
“The dog situation was challenging,” he recalled. “[There were] packs of dogs roaming around, dogs in heat, puppies everywhere and not being looked after.
“[VWB’s] education and their spaying and neutering program made a huge impact on the number of dogs we saw on the streets of Liard,” he said. “So did it make a difference? Huge. There are still challenges with dogs but slowly people are getting it.”
While the situation in Fort Liard has improved, Firth said VWB’s visits remain critical.
He is the owner of three rescue dogs, and estimates that every household in the community has at least one dog of their own.
With so many pets around town, VWB had a “full slate of appointments” during their visit, including roughly 20 spay and neuter appointments.
The organization was set to be similarly busy in Wrigley.
While pets were the focus of VWB’s visits to Fort Liard and Wrigley, the organization also held celebrations in each community to commemorate its five years of work there. During those gatherings, the team also received feedback relating to the ongoing needs of local pet owners.
“I found the people are all very welcoming and lovely to meet and really love their dogs,” Waddell said, speaking of her first visit to the North in May. “I could tell that they really appreciated the partnership we have with them and that they’re able to receive veterinary services that would otherwise not be available to them.”
Fort Liard and Wrigley are two of 11 communities VWB works with in the North. Prior to visiting the NWT, the team made stops in Gjoa Haven and Taloyoak.