Clinic's full-time, volunteer vet of 30 years retired in January
By Rob Smith / ecoRI News staff
The state’s only wildlife clinic is in danger of closing for good unless the organization can find the money to hire a full-time veterinarian.
The Wildlife Clinic of Rhode Island has provided
medical assistance for free to injured or sick wildlife since 1993, operating
primarily out of its clinic on Tower Hill Road. But in
January Dr. Chi Chan, the clinic’s full-time, volunteer veterinarian of 30
years, retired.
“The
dilemma that we face is if I cannot find the funds to pay for a full-time
veterinarian to solely care for the injured and orphaned wildlife in Rhode
Island, the organization cannot continue to operate,” said Kristin Fletcher,
the clinic’s executive director.
The
Wildlife Clinic of Rhode Island treats animals such as rabbits, birds and
squirrels for free.
The clinic is a 501(c)3 nonprofit and does not request payment from members of the public who bring animals to the clinic, instead relying on donations to cover the associated overhead, as well as food and medical supplies. The organization has seven paid staff, but almost everyone else involved, including the recently retired Chan and Fletcher, operates as a volunteer. The organization has operating expenses of about $185,000 annually, and raises all of its funds through private donations, fundraising events and grants.
Fletcher
is realistic, as she doesn’t expect the clinic to find another full-time
volunteer veterinarian. It takes eight years of higher education before a
veterinarian can obtain a doctor of veterinary medicine degree. The median pay
for veterinarians in the United States is $100,370, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The
clinic just doesn’t have the money to hire a full-time veterinarian at the
market salary, with donations varying from year to year. While 2020 was a high
year for donations, with close to a quarter-million dollars in contributions,
tax returns in 2016, 2017 and 2018 show annual
donations rarely exceeding $160,000. Hiring a full-time veterinarian is crucial
to keeping the various state licenses the clinic uses to operate. Hiring more
veterinary technicians would allow the clinic to treat more animals, but
without a vet, it could not keep its licenses.
Although
the clinic is a nonprofit, it is not immune to price fluctuations from
inflation or supply chain shortages. According to Fletcher, the clinic spent
$20,000 on worms alone in 2021, to feed birds, bats and other critters.
Springtime
is the busiest season, according to Fletcher, when much of the state’s wildlife
is busy producing babies. In 2021, the clinic treated more than 6,000 animals,
primarily rabbits, squirrels and songbirds.
Rep.
Scott Slater, D-Providence, introduced a joint resolution (H8155) earlier this
year that would allocate $100,000 from the Rhode Island Department of
Environmental Management (DEM) budget to fund a new veterinarian at the clinic
for at least one year.
DEM’s
legislative liaison, Ryan Mulcahey, described the clinic as a great partner
that fills gaps in DEM’s service as a state agency.
“They
provide expertise we don’t have, or additional capacity beyond what we have at
our disposal,” Mulcahey said. “That’s a great organization that does a lot of
great work.”
The
clinic has been making do with a part-time veterinarian since January, who they
hope to make the new full-time veterinarian when funding is obtained, according
to Fletcher.
The
resolution was held for further study.
