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INUVIK
Inuvik pet owners and animal lovers are struggling to look after the health of their furry friends now that there is no full-time veterinarian in the community.

Linda Stromgren of the Beaufort Delta Regional SPCA, with Dempster, left, and Shyloh, says people in Inuvik and the region are struggling without having a full-time veterinarian locally. - T. Shawn Giilck/NNSL photo

Linda Stromgren of the Beaufort Delta Regional SPCA said it's been a hard go for many people for several months without access to local pet care.

She said she knows of a few pets that have succumbed to severe injuries because owners weren't able to get them to care in a timely fashion, while others are waiting for chances to have their animals spayed or neutered or even given their regular shots.

"We're without service," she said. "We used to have a vet come from Dawson, and he will be approached again."

Some people have taken to flying their pets out for treatment, or even driving into the Yukon, Stromgren said. That's not an option open to everyone.

"If an animal gets injured, some people don't have the funds to fly them," she said. "Some people have driven all the way to Whitehorse."

Pet ownership is popular in town, where Stromgren said it seems like "every second house has at least one dog."

Inuvik's veterinarian woes can be traced back to the ongoing legal battles of Peter Krizan, the town's former vet. He has been ordered out of Inuvik twice, the latest being last November, for a string of charges relating to allegedly violating a family violence protection order.

Moe Grant, a volunteer with Arctic Paws, a group which has been arranging occasional veterinary clinics, said the clinics were originally envisioned as spay and neuter operations. However, the lack of a permanent vet has caused an expansion of services.

"If we have people with sick animals we can't turn them away," she said.

The lack of a veterinarian causes ripple effects far beyond just emergency and urgent care. It also creates a headache for people working to curb the natural reproduction of cats and particularly dogs.

Dogs are a particular problem in the community when it comes to unwanted breeding. Without easy accessibility to neutering and spaying, fertile dogs can reproduce at an astounding rate, as can cats.

Stromgren said there's less of a problem in town with cats, for an unfortunate reason: Inuvik's large population of foxes tends to whittle down any free-roaming cats pretty quickly.

Arctic Paws is hosting a clinic with a visiting veterinarian this week.

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