The Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society (AARCS) is helping Calgary seniors care for their pets through a free Senior Pet Wellness Clinic. The one-day clinic is open to eligible seniors aged 65 and older. Pets receive veterinary wellness exams, core vaccinations, deworming and microchips. “If they have a health concern that we might be able to help work that up a little bit,” said Amy Corpe, director of animal health at AARCS. “So for example, say a dog has a lump or bump on their body and they want that assessed or they’re scratching at their ear, something like that, we’re happy to help out with that as well.” To qualify, seniors must be at least 65 years old, live on a fixed income, have their own transportation to the clinic and complete an application for approval. Corpe says as the cost of veterinary care continues to create challenges for pet owners, AARCS’ community programs aim to help local seniors while reducing the risk of pets being surrendered to already-busy animal shelters. “We are definitely seeing a gap in services being rendered,” she said. “A lot of it just comes down to the cost and the economy, everything these days is skyrocketing with cost and it really impacts pet owners especially a senior who may be on a fixed income.” AARCS is a non-profit organization that rescues and rehomes animals, provides veterinary care and offers community support programs across Alberta. For seniors approved to attend the clinic, knowing their pets are receiving care from qualified veterinarians can make a significant difference. Wavey Borden brought her cat Stevie in for a checkup. She attended the senior’s wellness clinic in 2024 for the first time. “It’s wonderful,” she said. “It’s absolutely wonderful because seniors can’t really afford expensive vet visits or anything but I always try to make a donation.” Veterinarian Dr. Andrea Gohm said many seniors might otherwise go without veterinary visits for their pets, and she finds it rewarding to help them care for their companions. “It’s very rewarding, definitely,” she said. “It’s great to interact with the seniors and hear their stories, for example the lady that I just saw, her cat is her companion and she’s the cat’s companion so it’s really nice to see that relationship and how they just keep each other going and happy so it’s wonderful.” Corpe says the Senior Pet Wellness Clinic and Compassionate Veterinary Program are funded through public donations and she says thanks to a generous donor, donations are currently being matched up to $20,000. Donations can be made at aarcs.ca/match. “The Compassionate Care Program is the umbrella program for these little programs that we work underneath,” said Corpe. “So throughout the year, we do aim to help any pet owner who may be low income despite their age or just despite what their life situation might be if they reach out for help and we’re in a position to assist them, then we will certainly go out of our way to ensure that they get the help that they need.” Senior pet owners can apply for further assistance if needed following the wellness exam. Learn more about the program here.
