Cade Lucas
Not-profits and charities perform a wide range of roles in the community, but offering veterinary services hasn’t traditionally been one of them.
But for Wyndham pet owners that has changed, with the Wyndham Community Vet now operating in Hoppers Crossing.
The not-profit clinic is the brainchild of Teresa Minniti who said the idea came to while running her cat rescue service Give a Kitty a Home Rescue.
“Our rescue can’t keep up with the amount of stray cats and surrendered cats needing a home.
“People won’t de-sex their cats, they go on and breed. People give away the kittens, they don’t get de-sexed and then the same thing happens.”
With more cats than homes, many end up being put down, something Ms Minniti partly blames on her own profession being too expensive .
“I’ve just seen a lot of animals that are homeless and being euthanised and I thought we’ve got do something about this.
“I thought if we start where the problem begins with people not de-sexing their animals then it would reduce the number of animals be euthanised unnecessarily.”
Ms Minniti said operating as a charity meant she could offer de-sexing and other services such as vaccinations and mircochipping, far below normal prices.
“We’re not for profit so we do it at absolutely minimal cost”
“As long as we can cover our vet and the rent and utilities, there’s zero profit being made”
Wyndham Community Vet is the first of its type in the municipality and believed to be one of only three not-profit vets in Melbourne.
Ms Minniti said Wyndham was badly in need of a not-profit vet as the amount of stray and surrendered cats in the area was massive.
