New low-cost vet care program opens in Nanaimo

The locations both offer three tiers of care; general veterinary  medicine, a rescue division where they work with local rescue groups, and the “Pawsitive Care” low-income program. (Lauryn Mackenzie /CHLY 101.7fm)

Nanaimo is full of animal lovers, and while people want to give their furry friends the best care possible, veterinary care can come at a high cost.

To combat the rising costs of vet care in the city, Fantastic Beasts Veterinary Services has opened a clinic in Nanaimo offering three different tiers of care.

Sarah Christensen, is practice manager and Dr. Jill Harrison is medical director for the new Fantastic Beasts location in Nanaimo. Both are part owners of the branch.

With the first branch located in Parksville, Christensen said they opened this second location to expand veterinary care accessibility in the region.

“Parksville is getting super busy with people coming from all different towns,” Christensen said. “We had a lot of clients from Nanaimo and down Island, even Victoria. So we figured Nanaimo would be a great second location to start.”

The Parksville clinic first opened in 2024 with the focus on servicing rescue groups such as the SPCA. Later, seeing the need for low-cost vet care in the community, they opened up their clinic’s services to the broader public.

The Nanaimo location currently offers services for dogs and cats, while the Parksville location also serves rabbits. There is a hope to expand the services in Nanaimo in the future. 

The locations both offer three tiers of care; general veterinary  medicine, a rescue division where they work with local rescue groups, and the “Pawsitive Care” low-income program.

Christensen said the low-income program is where people can apply for veterinary services at a reduced cost.

“We do need people to apply, and they have to have a certain criteria met to be approved. If they are approved, they get an annual exam and core vaccinations for a $100 plus tax, and then they are approved to be into our low income spay and neuter program,” Christensen said. “If any animal is sick or they need any additional things, they get a 20% off total for the year.”

The program is open for anyone whose household income is either under $35,000, has a BC Person with Disability designation, or was referred to by a community organization. Program participants will need to reapply every year to confirm eligibility.

Harrison said opening this clinic and offering low-cost services will greatly support the community during a period of rising costs.

“The cost of living right now is atrocious, and unfortunately, veterinary bills fall under that category, so being able to offer slightly lower prices than some of the other clinics that are here in town, but not out-competing them,” Harrison said. “Being able to offer that accessibility program for low income individuals, I think will make a huge impact for those families that really want to do the best thing, but may have been limited in the past. Also offering some services to the rescue organizations, I think will just help to get more pets into an adoptable state, which helps them to get out of shelters and helps them get into homes.”

They said they chose their location just off Terminal Avenue at 1100 Princess Royal Ave because of it being central in Nanaimo with nearby bus routes, allowing easy access to the clinic. This reduces the need for those with low-incomes to travel all the way to their Parksville clinic.

While the clinic has only been open for just over a week, they said they have had many people apply for the Pawsitive Care program and have already treated several pets.

Harrison said one of their goals at the clinic is to create an environment they would want to bring their pets into.

“So we're working really, really hard to establish a healthy clinic culture, and that trickles down into the quality of care that we're able to provide to our patients and our clients,” Harrison said. “We want to make sure that every client that walks through that door feels like they're the most important person in the room, and they should and so should their pet.”

Along with veterinary services, Christensen said they run a food bank for pets funded by community donations.

“The more known we are, people will come and donate like medications that they don't need for their pets anymore, which we can give to people that can't afford medications and pet food for dogs and cats,” Christensen said. “We don't ask for donations, but we can accept donations if people want to, that can go towards somebody that can't afford it when their animal is sick or injured or even in desperate need. We can use it for anything with the low income program.”

The Nanaimo branch of Fantastic Beasts is taking in new clients, and more information about their services can be found on their website.

Funding Note: This story was produced with funding support from the Local Journalism Initiative, administered by the Community Radio Fund of Canada.