Boston Bar, BC 2024 by Rose Tubman-Broere, CAAT volunteer
Every CAAT trip is different, and yet there are similar threads that run through them all. The camaraderie of the team, a group of people from all walks of life thrown together and united with a common love of animals and their families, the desire to give back and make a difference. The much-loved pets, always a riot of different colors and shapes and sizes, tails wagging, ears flicking, tongues lolling, going from bright and bouncing to sleeping soundly to waking slowly, cuddled in blankets and petted by many hands. And especially the members of the community in all their capacities, the owners who are ensuring their pets won't contribute to overpopulation, the volunteers who donate their time and effort to keeping us running smoothly and coordinate the whole community. Every trip has these similarities and yet every trip is a whole new experience!
Boston Bar was no exception. From the first time seeing where we would be setting up our operation to loading the last totes into the truck, the community embraced us whole-heartedly. Not only by filling our days with surgeries and exams, but with so much more. Helping us unpack and take over the medical clinic, working at a moment's notice to help us schedule and reschedule appointments when there were hiccups with timing, feeding us incredible homemade meals daily and opening their longhouse to us as a place to rest and recharge during our busy days, helping in recovery to keep our patients warm, safe, and thoroughly snuggled -- the list goes on and on. As our final day meandered towards a late finish and patients headed out the door, their owners and other community members (most of whom had been with us for hours, patiently waiting for their pets or volunteering themselves!) were all smiles and gratitude. Their kind words lifted our tired spirits in a way that's difficult to describe -- it feels strange to be thanked for doing something that brings so much joy.
Our last hour saw the last of the pets come off the surgery table and into recovery. Teenage volunteers lay on the floor next to the dogs and stroked them back towards wakefulness, adding their body heat to the foil blankets and donated bedding keeping them warm. The air was full of stories shared between new friends and old; community members recounting old adventures with their pups, telling us their likes and dislikes, their daily routines, their lineage. A puppy was brought in for an exam and was passed around from hand to hand until everyone was heady from the intoxicating rush of puppy kisses and soft fur. As the clinic slowly emptied and our supplies returned to their totes an older woman who had brought her dog to us for a spay caught me by a doorway. She had seen firsthand the difficulties unwanted litters caused and had wanted for some time to have her pup fixed but was unable to -- until we arrived. Now she could stop worrying and her dog could lead a happier, healthier life. She thanked me profusely and I found myself uncharacteristically lost for words, settled for a smile and an excellent hug. As she disappeared into the rainy night with a sleepy pup in tow, I found myself reflecting on the trip and wondering if they knew, these incredible people who had opened their hearts and home to us to help us make such a tangible difference in their world -- if they knew that all the good it did them was reflected in all the good that it did for us. And I knew that if the chance came again for another trip to Boston Bar, I would be jumping for it.
Reaching people who want to provide vet services for their pets but simply cannot is what makes this work worthwhile! There is such a great need within remote and under-served Canadian Indigenous communities. We know we are making a difference in the animal's life, the family's life and the community. Having the ability to get there (thanks to generous donations of Aeroplan points) makes it possible!