Pet owners this week were able to benefit from the veterinary services provided by Trail Breaker, a traveling clinic that came to Haines for the first time.. The two women who operate the clinic, Dr. Emily Iacobucci and Hannah Laza, were in Haines for eight days, working out of the Haines Animal Rescue Kennel (HARK) building, providing dental care, performing spays and neuters, and giving vaccines. They hope to make two visits a year to the Chilkat Valley.
Like many smaller Alaska communities, Haines does not have a resident veterinary clinic. Pet owners have the option of driving to Whitehorse or traveling to Juneau for their animals’ medical needs. Reality television’s “Yukon Vet” Michelle Oakley occasionally ran a clinic in Haines, but Stacey Clark, executive director of HARK, said that Dr. Oakley’s visit to Haines in February was probably her last.
The national veterinarian shortage has further dwindled Haines’ options for veterinary care. One customer was bringing his two corgis to Trail Breaker to update their shots and check out an itchy ear on Tuesday morning. The customer, who recently moved from Juneau, said that even in the state’s capital, “all the vets there either left or retired. There’s hardly any left.”
Jila Stuart, who brought her dog in for a rabies shot, said the shortage of vets in Juneau led them to turn away animals who weren’t established patients. “Last year my dog had a lump, and we had no Juneau option. We took her to Alpine Vet at Whitehorse and got great care. But it’s a five-hour drive and not that convenient.”
Earlier this year, HARK advertised across the state to around 150 vets to see if anyone could provide regular veterinary care in Haines. Trail Breaker was the only one to respond. “We struck gold by them responding,” said Clark. “I’m over the moon happy. They provide very good, high quality vet care.”
In the past, when traveling clinics came to Haines, individual care stopped as soon as the vets left. However, Trail Breaker is providing continued vet care. Every animal they saw became a long-term patient that will have access to telehealth services and an online clinic.
“The community response has been overwhelming,” said Clark. Trail Breaker had three to four times as many requests for appointments in Haines compared to other communities they’ve been in. Before coming to Haines, Dr. Iacobucci and Laza were in Cordova and Denali. Laza said in Cordova, around 40 people signed an interest form, in Denali, around 30, but in Haines the number was over 100.
The two women worked tirelessly during their time in Haines, performing as many as 20 surgeries a day. But demand was so high that they were not able to squeeze everyone in their schedule. “We have a list for next time for some surgeries,” said Laza.
Trail Breaker hopes to return to Haines in about a half year.
“Six months from now will be the middle of winter, so that’s probably not going to happen. I’m also the only vet in Kodiak, so I can’t risk getting stuck somewhere, so maybe (we will come in) spring,” said Dr. Iacobucci. If demand is still not met with Trail Breaker coming twice a year then Iacobucci said they might come more often for longer stretches of time.