Written by Alex Garland
The building at 1101 S. Airport Way remained untouched until members of King County Facilities contacted board members associated with the 30-year-old pet clinic for low-income and homeless pet owners. It was empty for months.
The city leased a series of buildings and parking lots along Airport Way South, where a homeless shelter was planned, but complaints from neighbors (including BMW Seattle, among others) left the buildings vacant. It remained as it was. A pet clinic for pets owned by unhoused, low-income people in Seattle now has a location to provide services.
Donnie Coe, which started 30 years ago as a mobile clinic, faced even more challenges during the pandemic. Volunteers stepped up efforts, and partnerships with organizations such as pet insurance company Trupanion and veterinary hospital Urban Animal provided vital support. From temporary locations such as school basements and parking lots, the clinic persevered to ensure pet patients received the care they needed.
Currently, Donnie Co. has its headquarters, is equipped with medical equipment such as X-rays and anesthesia machines, and plans to expand its services. Beyond providing initial treatment and dental exams, the clinic now offers compassionate end-of-life care, including free euthanasia services and the option to cremate your pet.
Michelle Kelly, volunteer and director of the clinic, said: emerald We were given a tour of the facility and explained why free and low-cost veterinary care makes so much sense. “If we can help owners who still want to keep their animals with the cost of keeping them, we can keep them out of shelters,” she says. “It benefits King County Animal Control, it benefits Seattle Animal Control, it benefits all of these places by having us here, so that these people are in their care. We no longer have to surrender animals because they can't be cared for or cared for.'' We can't afford to do that anymore. ”
If you would like to learn more about Doney Coe Pet Clinic's affordable and compassionate care for Seattle's furry friends, please visit their website.
alex garland I'm a photojournalist and reporter. Alex, who earned a degree in emergency management and disaster planning from the University of North Texas, spent the early part of his career as a GIS analyst for FEMA.please follow him twitter.
📸 Featured image: Charlie gets a checkup at Donnie Coe Pet Clinic. (Photo: Alex Garland)
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