Peace, Love & Paws

04/11/2024

We regret to inform our clients and volunteers that we will have to postpone our regular monthly clinics until early next year---we are still actively looking for a new location, but have been unsuccessful thus far. And as we are entering the holiday season, we often have very few volunteers available to help. Additionally, we have very little funding available to continue for long, so this is another roadblock to providing ongoing veterinary services. We need a location and we need more financial support.

So, we have decided to cancel the November 2024, December 2024 and January 2025 clinics while we continue to find resources. We hope to resume again in February 2025---please stay tuned for more information here and on our website.

We truly apologize for being unavailable to those who need help---please see our website for a list of low-cost veterinary clinics that provide vaccines, general wellness and urgent care.

6075 Parkway Dr.                                                                                                                                                                                             ....

08/10/2024

COLORADO STATE BOARD OF VETERINARY MEDICINE VIRTUAL MEETING--THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10TH

Hello my veterinary friends and anyone who loves animals! If you are interested in learning about how Colorado veterinarians are practicing, please join me tomorrow for another meeting of the Colorado State Board of Veterinary Medicine Thursday, October 10th---it takes place in a virtual setting and is open to the public---the link to registration for the meeting is below.

The Colorado State Board of Veterinary Medicine is our state regulatory agency for the practice of veterinary medicine and is essentially in charge of making sure veterinarians and veterinary technicians are practicing in a way that aligns with our Veterinary Practice Act (what is best and safest for animals). This month, we will discuss investigative reports about someone practicing medicine without a license, review veterinarian and veterinary technician individual licensing application concerns and questions and discuss potential malpractice claims and unprofessional conduct concerns for both vets and techs named in a number of cases. Individual names are kept confidential---only the case numbers are stated in public. However, if a violation is found, discipline will be made public on the individual's license on the DORA website.

What you'll hear is this: one of the board members will give a brief synopsis of the case (example: a client complains that Dr. Vet did xyz and then their cat had complications and died. Or Dr. Vet didn't do xyz and and subsequently their dog had to go to the ER or a diagnosis was missed. Or the Vet Tech did xyz and because of that the pet needed additional care). Then there will be a discussion about the case amongst the board members about what may or may not be a violation of the Veterinary Practice Act, listing the violations specifically or what is questionable but may not be a violation, ending in a motion to either dismiss the case, refer the vet or vet tech for disciplinary action or sometimes the case needs legal advice and it is referred to executive session for discussion with the board attorney. There are some egregious cases of malpractice, but the most common violation is Communication---meaning, a client did not clearly understand what was going on with their pet or they were never called by the vet or given important information needed to understand their pet's condition. It appears that this is what bothers clients the most. Following that is a vet having incomplete, illegible or minimal records. The old saying is unfortunately true---if you didn't write it in the record, it didn't happen, regardless how minor or unimportant it seemed at the time.

To sum it up, these meetings are a good way to learn what our state considers standard of care and what doesn't measure up to those standards. It is a valuable opportunity for anyone who is a veterinarian or technician, but it can be quite educational for anyone who is an animal-lover in general. What are the professionals in your area doing and how are they practicing? But more importantly, are they practicing in a way that is safe and with your pet's best interest in mind?

The meeting is virtual (don't worry, there are no cameras on the public, only on the Board members!) and is essentially all day, so feel free to drop in anytime 8:30 am - 5:00 pm. The most interesting case information will be somewhere between 9-3. Here is the link to the meeting registration:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_y9rxpvzUTuSaE8m9YCEKoQ #/registration

Feel free to share with your friends and colleagues---you don't even have to be in Colorado! Learning is open to everyone!

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Colorado State Board of Veterinary Medicine Meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

24/09/2024

Unfortunately, we have not yet found a space for our Peace, Love & Paws monthly clinics, so we will not have an October clinic. :(

We have been actively looking for a new location for our clinics since July---and we believed we secured a great space that would allow us to continue to provide our services. We planned to move forward with our regular September clinic, however, at the last minute, they backed out and would not allow us to see any of our old clients or anyone from the general public who needed help. So we were forced to cancel the September clinic this week.

We will continue to look for another location---please watch this page or our website for updates!

In the meantime, if you need veterinary help or booster vaccines, please visit our website at www.peacelovepaws.org and click on the Resources tab for a list of low-cost veterinary clinics and vaccine clinics in the Denver and surrounding areas.

We are a registered Colorado non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to help care for pets of the homeless and indigent community and those who are economically disadvantaged in the Denver metro area. We do this by providing free pet exams, vaccines, dental evaluations, nail trims, minor...

02/09/2024

We regret to inform everyone that we must CANCEL OUR SEPTEMBER CLINIC. :(

We have been actively looking for a new location for our clinics since July---and we believed we secured a great space that would allow us to continue to provide our services. We planned to move forward with our regular September clinic, however, at the last minute, they backed out and would not allow us to see any of our old clients or anyone from the general public who needed help. So we were forced to cancel the September clinic this week.

We will continue to look for another location---please watch this page or our website for updates!

In the meantime, if you need veterinary help or booster vaccines, please visit our website at www.peacelovepaws.org and click on the Resources tab for a list of low-cost veterinary clinics and vaccine clinics in the Denver and surrounding areas.

30/07/2024

We regret to inform everyone that we must CANCEL OUR AUGUST CLINIC. If you need veterinary help or booster vaccines, please visit our website at www.peacelovepaws.org and click on the Resources tab for a list of low-cost veterinary clinics and vaccine clinics in the Denver and surrounding areas.

We will no longer be at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church moving forward---we will be re-organizing and relocating to a new facility in September. Please check back here in the weeks ahead for more information about this! :)

29/07/2024

https://www.9news.com/article/life/pets/denver-animal-shelter-offering-free-spayneuter-surgeries-to-low-income-pet-owners/73-c505a6c8-7dff-4a18-bd0c-cd2a4b78b837

Every month the Denver Animal Shelter has a free clinic for people who can’t afford to spay or neuter their pets.

14/07/2024

I don't know anyone in the veterinary industry who has not experienced some kind of hateful or threatening interaction with a client. That's how common this really is. Having served on the Colorado State Board of Veterinary Medicine for more than five years now, I have seen this over and over---a client is dissatisfied with something, didn't get what they wanted, there was a bad outcome for their pet, or perhaps they were just in an unfortunate place in their lives at the time and lashed out in an insulting and hateful manner at the veterinary staff.

Peace, Love & Paws has existed for 11 years as a registered Colorado 501c3 non-profit, solely to help the less fortunate with their pet's veterinary care. We are a fully volunteer staff (myself included), no one gets paid anything, we show up each month so we can do the right thing by helping people who would otherwise struggle to obtain veterinary care. Every month, we pack into a local church and run this free vet clinic for the homeless and indigent for about 4-5 hours, trying to help as many people as possible.

But it's the nature of what we do that sometimes we just can't help everyone. We do our absolute best to take care of their needs and give alternative options if we can't do it ourselves, but there are times when we just don't have the capacity to be everything to everyone.

And as we all know in veterinary medicine, this is when people get angry.

At every free clinic, I and other volunteers have experienced hateful speech, threats and verbal abuse by clients. Every single time. Each month, people become angry they have to wait, upset that we are triaging sick patients before their pet's vaccines, or they yell or become belligerent just because they can't get what they want. I am always surprised at this, even as many times as it occurs.

The woman who sent this text is not unique---but she is the classic reason many of us leave the industry, and for sure the reason that Not One More Vet, Inc was started (an organization that supports veterinary staff to prevent su***de). This woman has been coming to PLP almost every single month for years and she has multiple pets that have chronic illnesses who require significant and ongoing care. She is quite manipulative and will compliment me and others when she wants something, then if she doesn't get it, she becomes mean and belligerent. She has historically taken about 1.5 hours with a vet each time she has come, so this month, we had to triage her as lower priority and just refill her medications because there were so many other clients, most of whom were brand new. And it did not go well, as you can see. Her words were mean and hateful, even to a personal level. She even threatened to euthanize her dog if she didn’t get what she wanted. Completely unnecessary and damaging to those of us who simply want to help people.

This woman has earned her new status as unable to return, obviously, but this type of behavior, as I mentioned, is not uncommon. And there's no one I know in the vet field who has not experienced something like this, or worse. And we continue to lose good veterinarians and veterinary technicians to su***de or they leave the profession because of things like this. I am not immune to it either---I have most certainly considered su***de in the past and/or retiring for this reason alone. Hateful, angry, litigious and threatening clients make this profession very hard. Sometimes too hard. And it happens every single day.

I'm sure my friends who are reading this are not those people--I'd just like everyone to know that there isn't a soul in veterinary medicine who has gone into the profession for money. No one. We all just want to help people and animals. The more clients make it hard, the fewer of us there will be--we will leave the profession. And some of us will choose to leave it by su***de. That's a real thing. I'm not there, but I could be. And it's so easy to prevent...

Just be kind. That's all. 💕

Dr. Carolyn Karrh
Executive Director, Peace, Love & Paws

10/07/2024

Hello PLP friends! Our next clinic will be held on Thursday July 11th at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church---please be prepared that, due to the small number of volunteers this month, we will be turning away clients after we triage patients and reach a certain number (to be determined). We want to help as many pets as possible, but we are often at the mercy of our available volunteers---please understand that we are doing our best.

St. Barnabas Episcopal Church
1280 Vine St.
Denver, CO 80206
9 am - 12 pm (registration begins around 8:30 am, but a line forms sometimes around 7 am)

Please form a line at the front of the church.

Clients will NOT be seen in the order of arrival, by number or by place in line---a triage will occur to determine which pets need to be seen, new clients and those experiencing homelessness to be given first priority. If we are unable to see your pet, please be kind---we are truly doing all we can to help as many people and pets as possible.

You are welcome, at any point, to take a list of low-cost veterinary clinics and vaccine clinics in the area to find help for your pet.

www.peacelovepaws.org

29/06/2024

Hi everyone! Our next clinic will NOT be held on the first Thursday of July, as it is a national holiday, July 4th! The next clinic will be held on the following Thursday, July 11th at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church!

12/06/2024

Peace, Love & Paws is in the news! We are looking for a new location to continue our free veterinary clinics for the homeless and indigent, otherwise we will have to close.

Peace, Love & Paws is a Colorado 501c3, fully volunteer, non-profit organization that provides free veterinary services for those experiencing homelessness and those who are indigent. We elicit the help of local vets, vet techs and assistants and other animal loving volunteers to help provide these services each month. Vet costs are increasing and while we can't solve the problems of all veterinary needs of those with low and no income, we can bridge that gap for those who cannot afford basic vet care by providing wellness services, vaccines, heartworm prevention, addressing minor medical concerns and helping clients obtain pet food, supplies (with assistance from th Colorado Pet Pantry) and free spay/neuter vouchers from another local non-profit, Spay2Day.

We need about 1500 square feet plus an area for clients to wait with their pets (outside is helpful). A temporary space is okay, however, ideally, we would love to find someone who is willing to donate a permanent space so we can provide these much needed services on a more regular basis. We are also looking for donations to help us obtain a mobile veterinary van so we can go to local homeless shelters in the area and provide veterinary services on location where it is needed most. Those units typically cost about $100,000-$150,000.

If you or someone you know can help us obtain the space and/or mobile. van we need, please reach out to me on Messenger or email me at [email protected].

Thank you so much!! ❤

www.peacelovepaws.org

The Denver nonprofit Peace, Love and Paws, which provides free veterinary services for people in need, is at risk of shutting down its free vet clinic if it can’t find a new location.

12/06/2024

Peace, Love & Paws, Non-Profit Veterinary Services of Denver, was on Denver 7 News tonight! They visited our June clinic at St.Barnabas, saw what we are doing in the community and offered to share our story.

We are looking for a new location for our free monthly clinics for the homeless and indigent—temporary or permanent. And it’s urgent! July will be our last clinic unless we can secure a new place.

Please share so maybe just the right person will see it and be able to help us! ❤️🐾

www.peacelovepaws.org

05/06/2024

Hi PLP friends! We will be having our next monthly veterinary clinic this Thursday, June 6th! Here are the details:

When: Thursday, June 6th
Time: 9-12 (registration starts around 8:30 am)
Where: St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, 1280 Vine St., Denver---two blocks down from Colfax on Vine St.

* When you arrive, please form a line at the front door of the church.
* Please dress appropriately for the weather, as it may be warm and you may have to wait a little while outside until it is your turn in line to register.
* Starting around 8:30 am, we will be registering each person one by one at the front desk (inside) by your place in line. If you need a chair while you wait in line, we will be happy to provide you with one.
* There is a 2 pet limit per family.
* New clients and new pets will be the first considered to see a veterinarian. We have a limited number of volunteer veterinarians and other veterinary staff, so we may not be able to accommodate everyone.
* If you were at our last clinic and your pet needs booster vaccines, you will be able to have a veterinary technician team provide vaccinations for your pet. If, last month, the vet asked you to return in February, you will be the next group considered after the new clients and new pets.
* If you attended one of our clinics in the last year but do not have a documented reason to return, and have a medical issue you'd like to vet to evaluate, you will be asked to wait until all new clients, new pets and those who have a documented reason to return have been seen. Time and volunteer staff permitting, we will then begin seeing those returning clients requesting a vet check. We want to help as many people as possible---this is solely to make sure new clients who are just learning of our services can see a vet and those who were here last month and have been asked by the vet to return the next month can follow through with their medical recommendations. In recent months, we have had to turn away many new clients because our schedule was already full with returning clients, so we want to avoid this in the future and be fair to everyone.
* Be prepared to wait several hours. If you have other specifically timed obligations that day, we cannot move you to the front of the line for this reason. Please schedule other appointments accordingly. If you are unable to wait, you may take one of our Resources handouts and make an appt at a local low-cost veterinary clinic.
* If you only need pet supplies, a spay/neuter voucher or a medication refill, you will be able to obtain these, in order of your registration. Due to a shortage of pet food donations, we will only be able to offer pet food to clients who are seen by the vet teams, though we may not have enough for everyone, unfortunately.
* Coffee, tea, cocoa and water will be provided as a courtesy inside while you wait.
* You will be asked to provide income qualification paperwork (as listed on our website), or have a caseworker. Please let us know if you are currently experiencing homelessness.
* Each pet over the age of 6 months must be spayed or neutered. If you have never been to our clinic before and your pet is not spayed or neutered, you must agree to spay or neuter, then we will provide you with a free spay/neuter voucher. If you have received a voucher from us in the past and your pet has not been spayed or neutered yet, your pet may not be able to receive services.
* Inappropriate, rude or angry behavior will not be tolerated. We provide a wonderful, helpful and free service to the community and simply ask that you show kindness to our volunteer staff and to each other. If any inappropriate behavior is seen, you will be asked to leave.
* There is no parking lot---only limited street parking (and street parking is in full swing, so please watch the signs, as they WILL ticket!)

Thank you for understanding as we make some necessary changes to our policies and procedures---we want to help as many people as possible and be fair to everyone who needs our veterinary services.

We are looking forward to seeing and helping you and your pets! 🙂

01/05/2024

Hi PLP friends! We will be having our next monthly veterinary clinic this Thursday, May 2nd! Here are the details:

When: Thursday, May 2nd
Time: 9-12 (registration starts around 8:30 am)
Where: St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, 1280 Vine St., Denver---two blocks down from Colfax on Vine St.

* When you arrive, please form a line at the front door of the church.

* Please dress you and your pet warmly, as it may be cold and you may have to wait a little while outside until it is your turn in line to register. If you believe your pet is cold, you may leave them in your car while you wait in the line.

* Starting around 8 am, we will be registering each person one by one at the front desk (inside) by your place in line. If you need a chair while you wait in line, we will be happy to provide you with one.

* There is a 2 pet limit per family.

* New clients and new pets will be the first considered to see a veterinarian. We have a limited number of volunteer veterinarians and other veterinary staff, so we may not be able to accommodate everyone.

* If you were at our last clinic and your pet needs booster vaccines, you will be able to have a veterinary technician team provide vaccinations for your pet. If, last month, the vet asked you to return in February, you will be the next group considered after the new clients and new pets.

* If you attended one of our clinics in the last year but do not have a documented reason to return, and have a medical issue you'd like to vet to evaluate, you will be asked to wait until all new clients, new pets and those who have a documented reason to return have been seen. Time and volunteer staff permitting, we will then begin seeing those returning clients requesting a vet check. We want to help as many people as possible---this is solely to make sure new clients who are just learning of our services can see a vet and those who were here last month and have been asked by the vet to return the next month can follow through with their medical recommendations. In recent months, we have had to turn away many new clients because our schedule was already full with returning clients, so we want to avoid this in the future and be fair to everyone.

* Be prepared to wait several hours. If you have other specifically timed obligations that day, we cannot move you to the front of the line for this reason. Please schedule other appointments accordingly. If you are unable to wait, you may take one of our Resources handouts and make an appt at a local low-cost veterinary clinic.

* If you only need pet supplies, a spay/neuter voucher or a medication refill, you will be able to obtain these, in order of your registration. Due to a shortage of pet food donations, we will only be able to offer pet food to clients who are seen by the vet teams, though we may not have enough for everyone, unfortunately.

* Coffee, tea, cocoa and water will be provided as a courtesy inside while you wait.

* You will be asked to provide income qualification paperwork (as listed on our website), or have a caseworker. Please let us know if you are currently experiencing homelessness.

* Each pet over the age of 6 months must be spayed or neutered. If you have never been to our clinic before and your pet is not spayed or neutered, you must agree to spay or neuter, then we will provide you with a free spay/neuter voucher. If you have received a voucher from us in the past and your pet has not been spayed or neutered yet, your pet may not be able to receive services.

* Inappropriate, rude or angry behavior will not be tolerated. We provide a wonderful, helpful and free service to the community and simply ask that you show kindness to our volunteer staff and to each other. If any inappropriate behavior is seen, you will be asked to leave.

* There is no parking lot---only limited street parking (and street parking is in full swing, so please watch the signs, as they WILL ticket!)

Thank you for understanding as we make some necessary changes to our policies and procedures---we want to help as many people as possible and be fair to everyone who needs our veterinary services.

We are looking forward to seeing and helping you and your pets! 🙂

31/03/2024

Hi PLP friends! We will be having our next monthly veterinary clinic this Thursday, March 7th! Here are the details:

When: Thursday, April 4th
Time: 9-12 (registration starts around 8:30 am)
Where: St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, 1280 Vine St., Denver---two blocks down from Colfax on Vine St.

* When you arrive, please form a line at the front door of the church.
* Please dress you and your pet warmly, as it may be cold and you may have to wait a little while outside until it is your turn in line to register. If you believe your pet is cold, you may leave them in your car while you wait in the line.
* Starting around 8 am, we will be registering each person one by one at the front desk (inside) by your place in line. If you need a chair while you wait in line, we will be happy to provide you with one.
* There is a 2 pet limit per family.
* New clients and new pets will be the first considered to see a veterinarian. We have a limited number of volunteer veterinarians, so we may not be able to accommodate everyone.
* If you were at our last clinic and your pet needs booster vaccines, you will be able to have a veterinary technician team provide vaccinations for your pet. If, last month, the vet asked you to return in February, you will be the next group considered after the new clients and new pets.
* If you attended one of our clinics in the last year but do not have a documented reason to return, and have a medical issue you'd like to vet to evaluate, you will be asked to wait until all new clients, new pets and those who have a documented reason to return have been seen. Time and volunteer staff permitting, we will then begin seeing those returning clients requesting a vet check. We want to help as many people as possible---this is solely to make sure new clients who are just learning of our services can see a vet and those who were here last month and have been asked by the vet to return the next month can follow through with their medical recommendations. In recent months, we have had to turn away many new clients because our schedule was already full with returning clients, so we want to avoid this in the future and be fair to everyone.
* Be prepared to wait several hours. If you have other specifically timed obligations that day, we cannot move you to the front of the line for this reason. Please schedule other appointments accordingly. If you are unable to wait, you may take one of our Resources handouts and make an appt at a local low-cost veterinary clinic.
* If you only need pet supplies, a spay/neuter voucher or a medication refill, you will be able to obtain these, in order of your registration. Due to a shortage of pet food donations, we will only be able to offer pet food to clients who are seen by the vet teams, though we may not have enough for everyone, unfortunately.
* Coffee, tea, cocoa and water will be provided as a courtesy inside while you wait.
* You will be asked to provide income qualification paperwork (as listed on our website), or have a caseworker. Please let us know if you are currently experiencing homelessness.
* Each pet over the age of 6 months must be spayed or neutered. If you have never been to our clinic before and your pet is not spayed or neutered, you must agree to spay or neuter, then we will provide you with a free spay/neuter voucher. If you have received a voucher from us in the past and your pet has not been spayed or neutered yet, your pet may not be able to receive services.
* Inappropriate, rude or angry behavior will not be tolerated. We provide a wonderful, helpful and free service to the community and simply ask that you show kindness to our volunteer staff and to each other. If any inappropriate behavior is seen, you will be asked to leave.
* There is no parking lot---only limited street parking.

Thank you for understanding as we make some necessary changes to our policies and procedures---we want to help as many people as possible and be fair to everyone who needs our veterinary services.

We are looking forward to seeing and helping you and your pets! 🙂

05/03/2024

Hi PLP friends! We will be having our next monthly veterinary clinic this Thursday, March 7th! Here are the details:

When: Thursday, March 7th
Time: 9-12 (registration starts around 8:30 am)
Where: St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, 1280 Vine St., Denver---two blocks down from Colfax on Vine St.

* When you arrive, please form a line at the front door of the church.

* Please dress you and your pet warmly, as it will be very cold and you may have to wait a little while outside until it is your turn in line to register. If you believe your pet is cold, you may leave them in your car while you wait in the line.

* Starting around 8 am, we will be registering each person one by one at the front desk (inside) by your place in line. If you need a chair while you wait in line, we will be happy to provide you with one.

* There is a 2 pet limit per family.

* New clients and new pets will be the first considered to see a veterinarian. We have a limited number of volunteer veterinarians, so we may not be able to accommodate everyone.

* If you were at our last clinic and your pet needs booster vaccines, you will be able to have a veterinary technician team provide vaccinations for your pet. If, last month, the vet asked you to return in February, you will be the next group considered after the new clients and new pets.

* If you attended one of our clinics in the last year but do not have a documented reason to return, and have a medical issue you'd like to vet to evaluate, you will be asked to wait until all new clients, new pets and those who have a documented reason to return have been seen. Time and volunteer staff permitting, we will then begin seeing those returning clients requesting a vet check. We want to help as many people as possible---this is solely to make sure new clients who are just learning of our services can see a vet and those who were here last month and have been asked by the vet to return the next month can follow through with their medical recommendations. In recent months, we have had to turn away many new clients because our schedule was already full with returning clients, so we want to avoid this in the future and be fair to everyone.

* Be prepared to wait several hours. If you have other specifically timed obligations that day, we cannot move you to the front of the line for this reason. Please schedule other appointments accordingly. If you are unable to wait, you may take one of our Resources handouts and make an appt at a local low-cost veterinary clinic.

* If you only need pet supplies, a spay/neuter voucher or a medication refill, you will be able to obtain these, in order of your registration. Due to a shortage of pet food donations, we will only be able to offer pet food to clients who are seen by the vet teams, though we may not have enough for everyone, unfortunately.

* Coffee, tea, cocoa and water will be provided as a courtesy inside while you wait.

* You will be asked to provide income qualification paperwork (as listed on our website), or have a caseworker. Please let us know if you are currently experiencing homelessness.

* Each pet over the age of 6 months must be spayed or neutered. If you have never been to our clinic before and your pet is not spayed or neutered, you must agree to spay or neuter, then we will provide you with a free spay/neuter voucher. If you have received a voucher from us in the past and your pet has not been spayed or neutered yet, your pet may not be able to receive services.

* Inappropriate, rude or angry behavior will not be tolerated. We provide a wonderful, helpful and free service to the community and simply ask that you show kindness to our volunteer staff and to each other. If any inappropriate behavior is seen, you will be asked to leave.

* There is no parking lot---only limited street parking.

Thank you for understanding as we make some necessary changes to our policies and procedures---we want to help as many people as possible and be fair to everyone who needs our veterinary services.

We are looking forward to seeing and helping you and your pets! 🙂