MISSION — A team of veterinarians are volunteering to perform free surgeries on 100 dogs and cats for residents of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.  

First Nations Veterinary, in partnership with Umatilla Animal Control, is taking its mobile animal clinic on the road to launch a high-volume spay and neuter clinic on May 31 and June 1 at the Umatilla Tribal Fire Department. 

The mobile veterinary clinic is an Indigenous-led nonprofit committed to providing high-quality, culturally-competent spay/neuter and vaccine services to reservations across the country including Warm Springs Nation and Umatilla Nation. 

The organization’s mission is to support safer communities and healthier circumstances for pets living on tribal lands.

According to the veterinarian’s press release, each spay and neuter patient will receive vaccinations, microchips and flea and tick treatment. Cats will be vaccinated for feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, and panleukopenia, while dogs receive vaccinations for distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza and parvo. 

Ali Peterson, clinic coordinator for FNV, said the team will also remove any visible ticks, treat minor cuts or wounds and trim nails while patients are under anesthesia. 

FNV received a $14,300 grant from The Wildhorse Foundation to fund the first-ever spay/neuter clinic on the Umatilla Reservation.

“We are honored to have the support of the Wildhorse Foundation and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in bringing this essential care to our community,” Gina Clemmer, founder and director of First Nations Veterinary. 

Clemmer, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma who has lived in northeast Portland for over 30 years, is committed to improving access to veterinary care for Indigenous communities.

Clemmer said the grant will help them deliver quality care to their patients, maintain medical equipment on their mobile spay and neuter unit, and purchase the necessary medications and supplies. 

This support ensures we can continue offering these vital services, Clemmer added.  

Peterson said a medical procedure that would normally cost about $400 will be provided as a free service, covered by the grant.

“The rising cost of veterinary care is a significant challenge for our community, and with the nearest veterinarian located off the reservation, getting pets spayed and neutered is especially difficult,” Umatilla Animal Control Officer Kendyl Dejong said. “Traditional veterinary clinics can typically perform only four or five spay/neuter surgeries per day, further limiting access.” 

Dejong expressed gratitude for the opportunity to partner with First Nations Veterinary’s team of specialized high-volume surgeons, noting that it will have a tremendous impact on the community.

To book an appointment with First Nations Veterinary for May 31 or June 1, visit Clinic HQ.