The Power of Partnership
For many of us, pets are family. But for people experiencing homelessness, that bond can be even stronger. This makes it all the more stressful when veterinary care is needed, but the resources aren’t there to provide it.
StreetVet is a national charity and RCVS practice that delivers free, essential, and accessible veterinary care directly to the pets who need it. From outreach clinics to partnerships with hostels, day centers, and other homelessness support services, their teams provide a range of services including:
- Health checks
- Vaccinations
- Flea and worm treatments
- Microchipping
- Pain relief
- Surgeries
- Emergency care
As well as the clinics that they run you are able to refer directly to StreetVet on their website to help a pet owner in need.
To make this happen, StreetVet rely on a host of compassionate and highly-qualified volunteers as well as corporate partners. Through a shared vision of ‘companionship enriching lives,’ Elanco have partnered with StreetVet for the past 5 years to provide free medication across the country.
This includes donating NeptraTM ear drops, a one-dose treatment for otitis externa in dogs.1 As a product, Neptra is given by the vet with no additional burden on the owner. That makes it a great fit for the StreetVet team.
According to Jo Godfrey of StreetVet Plymouth, “The absolute beauty of carrying Neptra in our outreach bags is that we are able to provide on-the-spot treatment for otitis externa that requires very little ongoing care by the owner .”
Partnership In Action
When her owner brought Macey, the labradoodle into the monthly StreetVet clinic in Cornwall, she was suffering from chronic otitis externa. Macey’s ears were painful and she was constantly shaking and scratching, making her owner very conscious of how uncomfortable she was.
“StreetVet was monthly, so using Neptra suited us well,” says Zoe Abbotts, a volunteer RVN with the Team. “We were able to review in a month and the owner didn’t need to worry about interim ear cleaning or treatments.”
Meeting owners where they are
Since its inception in 2016, StreetVet has helped care for over 3500 pets, mainly dogs, but recently more cats and other companion animals as well. With treatments like Neptra, these dogs get quality care while their owners avoid the daily struggle of medication.
Recalling a recent otitis externa case at StreetVet Glasgow, Team Lead Louise Peddie says, “We had previously used another twice-daily drop, but the owner both struggled to see us regularly and would frequently get her stuff stolen.”
Cases like this help StreetVet build trust with owners they don’t see regularly. “They reach out when they need us,” says Louise. Owners and vets alike get peace of mind and the dogs get the treatment they need and deserve.
Elanco and StreetVet’s partnership highlights the importance of protecting the human-animal bond, through even the toughest circumstances. Together, we can make a difference to animals and their owners—one dose at a time.
1. Neptra Summary of Product Characteristics
