Vet nurse and BVNA Council member Matt Wright shares his experience of volunteering with StreetVet .
Volunteer Matt Wright , RVN Charity StreetVet , UK
The sense of love and responsibility felt by homeless people for their animals is profound , whether the bond has been formed before or after becoming homeless . Jade Statt and Sam Joseph recognised this and founded StreetVet in 2016 to support homeless people ' s pets with veterinary care , advice and medication . The registered charity now provides support in a number of towns and cities across the UK , including Cambridge , where vet nurse Matt volunteers .
In 2018 , I had some free time and wanted to give back to my community , so I applied to volunteer with StreetVet . I completed the extensive application process and paperwork , which included making sure I had insurance cover in place ( you could be covered by your practice insurance but it ’ s best to check ). My first shift was in January 2019 and I ’ ve been volunteering regularly ever since .
StreetVet welcomes as much help as you can comfortably commit to so , initially , I volunteered every couple of months ; now I put my name forward every week . I love being part of a close-knit team with people from different practices and walks of life who share the same goals .
New volunteers are shown the area by a lead volunteer . This could entail walking around the streets with a vet , talking to the locals to see how they and their pets are getting on , just as you ’ d chat with a client in practice .
I ’ m now a lead volunteer so I ’ ve taken on more responsibility . I know StreetVet ’ s clients and they know me – mainly because I ’ m highly recognisable as a fairly big lad with a beard ! I ’ ll be out on the street and clients will often shout , ‘ Hi Matt , how are you ?’ or the dogs will recognise me and come running over . It ’ s very rewarding .
StreetVet founders Jade and Sam
Since the charity began , over 1,000 dogs have been helped , along with a few rabbits and cats . A pet is often the centre of a client ’ s world and provides much needed comfort , companionship and emotional support . The love is such that a client will sometimes go without food so they can feed their pet .
At the moment , most hostels won ’ t allow homeless people to stay overnight with their animals . This means they have to sleep on the street if they don ’ t want to be parted from their pet , so StreetVet is developing a scheme to give accreditation to hostels that take in homeless people with their pets .
StreetVet tailors its support to the needs and resources of the area . In Bournemouth , for example , a team visits locations where homeless people are known to hang out , in case there are any animals in need of care . Once a vet has given their diagnosis , follow-up treatment is provided by volunteers who make rounds with backpacks and trolleys stocked with medications and food .
Other StreetVet centres partner with soup kitchens and hostels . Some teams cover a vast area , such as Devon , so they ’ ll be at designated locations at specific times . The Cambridge team works closely with three hospitals , while other teams are supported by local practices which offer specialist skills , see local homeless pets , or carry out a few operations free of charge each month .
VOL 38 • July 2022
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