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Non-profit animal clinic in Nanaimo receives donation of 500 pet microchips

Helping Paws also provides health check-ups and flea prevention
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Pets receive basic care during Helping Paws clinic hours at St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church in Nanaimo earlier this year. (Photos by Courtenay Large)

Thanks to a donation, a non-profit animal clinic in Nanaimo can help alleviate stress for clients if their ‘fur babies’ go missing.

Helping Paws, which provides basic veterinary services and minor medical procedures to pets belonging to low-income households, recently received 500 identification microchips, a value of nearly $6,300, from the B.C. Pet Registry created by the B.C. SPCA.

Free clinic hours held earlier this month were the second opportunity for Helping Paws to be able to offer clients microchips since the donation.

“They’re definitely not all used up, by any means,” said Courtenay Large, Helping Paws founder. “We still have lots left.”

Helping Paws, which formally celebrated its three-year anniversary on May 19, has served just shy of 500 clients – many of whom, however, have been repeat visitors since the organization’s founding.

“A lot of times we see somewhere between 30 to 60 pets in the two hours of our clinic,” said Large.

Although the B.C. Pet Registry does usually require a registration fee, Helping Paws clients will receive a lifetime registration without charge.

According to Large, microchips are quickly becoming the preferred method to animal identification over traditional tattooing.

“Much of the province, based on the guidelines from the College of Veterinarians of B.C., has moved away from tattooing now,” she said, adding some clinics consider tattooing borderline unethical because of the assumed pain caused to the animal. “And [with microchips], it never fades.”

Clients interested in a complimentary microchip are encouraged to contact the Helping Paws Facebook Page to make arrangements.

The next clinic hours are scheduled for June 23 at St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church.

Services also offered by the organization include health check-ups, basic treatment, flea prevention and nail trimming. Anyone interested in using the services can monitor the organization’s Facebook page for updates.

READ MORE: BC SPCA urges federal protection of animals from fireworks


mandy.moraes@nanaimobulletin.com

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Mandy Moraes

About the Author: Mandy Moraes

I joined Black Press Media in 2020 as a multimedia reporter for the Parksville Qualicum Beach News, and transferred to the News Bulletin in 2022
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