Pet-care program the cat's meow for deployed base personnel
Posted By IAN ELLIOT, THE WHIG-STANDARD
Michael Lea The Whig-StandardSue Markell of the Barriefield Animal Hospital holds the clinic's own cat Zsa Zsa. She is the co-ordinator for the Paws For Deployment program.
An east-end animal hospital has started a program to remove a little stress from the lives of deploying members of the Canadian Forces. Barriefield Animal Hospital on Hwy. 15 has created Paws For Deployment to provide foster care for pets belonging to military personnel who are being sent overseas and who may have no one else to look after their animals while they are gone.
It is the first program of its kind in Canada. Co-ordinator Sue Markell, herself a military spouse, said many clients of the animal hospital are members of the forces and she recognized the need for such a program.
"It's the least we can do to give back to these guys who are looking after us," she said.
Military members are in constant rotation -- they can expect to move every couple of years -- and Markell said someone newly posted here may not have family or friends who can look after their pets in the event they are told to deploy, especially if it is on short notice.
While some deployments, like to Afghanistan or on a course, are predictable and known months in advance but Markell said military life has more than its share of unexpected assignments.
The Disaster Assistance Response Team is based in Kingston and many of its members live on 24-hour notice of engagement.
Members of the regular force can also be deployed on little notice in the case of a disaster or other event requiring a military response.
"Haiti really brought home how quickly people can be deployed," she said.
"That's the thing with the military. If anything happens they'll be the ones that have to be there. We saw that during the G20 when the military was there but behind the scenes, but everyone else was on 48-hour standby just in case they were needed."
The clinic has volunteers willing to foster pets if someone will be gone for months at a time. Shorter stays are handled by the animal hospital, which has a cat condo and a dog boarding facility, with staff and volunteers willing to take animals home with them on weekends.
The military member agrees to pay for food, grooming and medical care while the animal is in care and Markell says rates are negotiated on an individual basis.
She said one of the most gratifying aspects is that pet food and health companies offered to provide their products free of charge to the program when they heard about it.
"We're really, really excited to be able to offer this program," she said.
"It's a great program and a wonderful support system for the members of the military."
ielliot@thewhig.com
Article ID# 2659032
