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Pet society strives to keep pets, owners united in face of economic hardship

Pet society strives to keep pets, owners united in face of economic hardship

A not-for-profit group is helping pet owners who live below the poverty line keep their pets in face of expensive veterinary bills.

"As long as I have my babies I can keep smiling because I have everything I need right here," says Jill Duncan, who is supported financially through Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped.

Duncan can't work as she suffers from Cushing syndrome, caused by exposure to high levels of the hormone cortisol, and a few other health conditions.

She spends much of her time at home in the company of her three toy poodles.

Recently her oldest dog had to get most of its teeth removed at a cost of $3,000.

Fortunately she found help from Alberta Helping Animals Society, which covered the bill.

"I never could have afforded that," Duncan said. "I could have lost my baby due to infection or anything like that."

The society helps people living on small incomes, who are disabled or on the verge of being homeless.

Everybody needs their pets, especially those living on the edge, said president Connie Varnhagen, a registered veterinary technologist.

"That's all they have," she said. "They have no family, maybe due to addictions, mental health problems, no other social supports.

"They may be ill and unable to go outside so they spend 24 hours a day with their precious companion animals. That's what we're trying to support, that human-animal bond."

The society also provides no-cost house-call services in Edmonton and surrounding communities to vulnerable people.

And unfortunately business is booming, Varnhagen said, outstripping donations and volunteers.

"We're finding among the low-income people, more people have lost their jobs with the economic downturn. It's a huge need."