Humane Society for Southwest Washington opens pet clinic for low-income owners

The Humane Society for Southwest Washington’s new clinic for low-income pet owners welcomed its first clients Tuesday.

The Nierenberg Community Veterinary Clinic at 10501 N.E. Highway 99, Suite 31, offers low-cost, subsidized veterinary care for pets of income-qualifying families across Clark, Cowlitz and Skamania counties.

Services provided include wellness exams, preventive care, vaccinations, and spay and neuter services.

“This is a dream come true for so many,” Humane Society for Southwest Washington President Andrea Bruno said. “It really is filling a big need in our community.”

The nonprofit began remodeling the facility in Hazel Dell’s Holly Park Center in March. The clinic is named for Vancouver philanthropists David and Patricia Nierenberg, big donors to the project. The clinic features four private exam rooms, three recovery rooms, kennel space for up to 70 animals, a dental suite, and integrated radiology, laboratory and pharmacy services.

Initially, the clinic will operate with a team of about 15 staff members, including veterinarians, and will concentrate on wellness and spay and neuter services.

Over time, the clinic will expand to offer services similar to those provided at the Humane Society’s Vancouver shelter, such as preventive care and expanded surgical procedures, Bruno said.

“Really, the goal is that more animals, more pets, stay in the home where they’re loved,” Bruno said.

Pet owners who are low-income or receiving government support, including free and reduced-price school lunches, Medicaid, Section 8 housing, Apple Health and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits qualify for care.

For a full list of income qualifications, visit southwesthumane.org/services/community-medicine.

History of the clinic

The campaign to build the clinic began in 2018 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Originally, the Humane Society for Southwest Washington planned to add the community veterinary clinic to its shelter space at 1100 N.E. 192nd Ave., Vancouver.

When Bruno joined the Humane Society in 2020, she decided the clinic should be located in existing space at Holly Park Center.

This decision reduced construction costs and provided more accessibility for families, said Sam Ellingson, spokesman for the Humane Society for Southwest Washington.

“The shelter gets calls all day long from people that are trying to surrender their animal because they can’t afford that care, and now we can provide that service,” said Justin Pepperling, vice president of veterinary services. “It’s just so needed.”

Vancouver resident Susan Ingles brought her 1-year-old doodle, Sofia, into the community veterinary clinic Wednesday to get the dog checked for worms and fleas.

The new clinic is much closer to Ingles’ home. She no longer has to take two buses just to get care for her pet, she said.

“I wanted to switch vets, and this looks like it’s going to work out great,” Ingles said.

The Community Veterinary Clinic is now accepting clients by appointment only. To sign up for an appointment, visit hssw.org/cvc.

About the project: This story was made possible by Community Funded Journalism, a project from The Columbian and the Local Media Foundation that is funded by community member donations. The Columbian controls all content. For more information, visit columbian.com/cfj.