Mobile vet clinic providing free care for pets of Nottingham people on low incomes has helped 2,000 animals
The Veterinary in the Community charity have been running for more than 12 years
By Henry Green
A mobile vet clinic providing Nottingham people on low incomes with free pet care has now helped more than 2,000 animals.
Vets in the Community (VIC) was set up in 2012 by students and staff from the University of Nottingham’s veterinary medicine department.
The team has since carried out more than 2,000 consultations and in 2020, the team launched their mobile trailer so they could take their services out into the wider community. The latest sessions were held at the Forest Recreation Ground in Nottingham on Wednesday (March 5).
The charity recently made it into the Big Issue’s top 100 change makers list for 2025 in the health and disability category.
Chris, who works at the Big Issue, said: “The demand for the service is sadly increasing because of the cost of living and, unfortunately, I can see the need for more fundraising and more people turning towards these surgeries.
“The guys from Change Makers came to the clinic for a day and they were so impressed by what they saw that the clinic automatically went onto Change Makers,” he added.
Pets of eligible people can receive free routine treatments such as vaccinations, health checks, micro-chipping and treatment for worms, fleas and minor ailments.
Benjamin Stewart brought his friend’s Staffordshire Bull Terrier Spotty, who was suffering with problems with his ears.
“I heard that the clinic was here through a friend, I’ve been before with him and they are very good at what they do,” he said.
“It’s important because people like my friend can’t really afford it, due to being on benefits, so it’s a good thing this charity exists otherwise we wouldn’t be able to bring Spotty at all and get him fixed up,”
People who have been referred to the service can access the clinic each week at one of two locations in Nottingham – King Edward Park and Forest Recreation Ground.
The team works alongside numerous support services in the area, including homelessness support charities the Big Issue and Framework.
Katie Hall, a student of veterinary medicine at the University of Nottingham, said: “We really feel like it benefits the community, and the basic care that we do here makes a big difference to the pets.
“It’s really nice to feel like you are able to offer your services for free, it’s fantastic for us as well as we get chance to learn and practice while we’re learning to be vets,” Katie added.
Donations to the clinic also help the team give away pet food and offer advice on pet health care and nutrition.
Last year, the charity conducted more than 400 consultations across 45 clinics, which is a 20 per cent increase on 2023.
All of the work carried about by ViC is funded through charity donations and fundraisers organised by the students and people can donate here.
Explore more
