The Anguilla Animal Rescue Foundation (AARF) and Morlens Veterinary Clinic teamed up over the weekend to provide free wellness checks and vaccinations for 68 cats and dogs.
The clinic on Saturday, 3 October, also gave pet owners an opportunity to speak with veterinary professionals and access preventatives for fleas, ticks and heartworm.
Held at AARF’s thrift shop Second Chances in The Valley, it was part of a wider community event that included a blessing of the animals, educational activities and fundraising.
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Johanna Pasila, co-chair of the AARF shelter committee, told Anguilla Focus that the team were unsure how many people to expect, but the Free Pet Wellness Clinic proved to be a “huge success”.
“We signed in a total of 68 cats and dogs and had lots of attendees showing up also just for the sake of the event,” she said.
Many took the opportunity to talk to the AARF volunteers, consult the vets on medical queries and shop at the thrift store, Pasila said.
Others brought their pets specifically for the blessing of the animals ceremony hosted by the Reverend Matt Maticic from St Gerard’s Catholic Church in The Valley.
“It feels great to be able to do something like this and I am so grateful to all our volunteers and the supporters whose generous donations made a Free Pet Wellness Clinic possible,” she added.
Veterinarians from the United States who previously adopted dogs from the AARF shelter donated all the preventatives.
“I was happy to see so many pet owners coming to the event for the sake of the preventatives, which is such an important part of keeping our beloved pets healthy,” Pasila said.
She described this as an important area of pet wellness that AARF continues to emphasise, as heartworm and tick fever remain common in Anguilla.
AARF is also running a year-long initiative named Free Fix 2026 offering free spay and neuter surgeries for dogs and cats in Anguilla.
Pet owners can schedule to bring their dogs and cats to Morlens Veterinary Clinic in Sandy Hill, a co-sponsor of the project, to have the procedures at no cost.
Free transportation to and from the clinic on Long Path Road is available for pet owners who require assistance getting their animals to appointments.
Anyone interested in participating can call (264) 497-4600 or email morlensvetclinic@gmail.com to schedule an appointment.
