In the current economic climate, more and more pet owners are struggling to afford the expensive veterinary procedures needed in some special cases.

Veterinary fees can be high and, with the economy the way it is, some people simply can not afford the procedures needed to keep their pets healthy.

This weekend, a local clinic opened its doors for several patients in desperate need of some veterinary attention.

8 patients were helped for no charge. Most were general wellness checkups, including vaccines, but in the cases of a dog and a cat, a more drastic procedure was needed.

An eleven-year-old dog named Pepper received around $3,000 worth of dental work, having all her teeth removed due to dental disease.

"She had such bad dental disease that it was causing her pain and discomfort. Her guardian had noticed that she wasn't eating as well and struggling through her dry food. She's got such bad disease that her life will be turned upside down," said Happy Paws Clinic Doctor Erin Heck. 

A cat also had around $3,000 of work done to help properly amputate a leg that had previously been partially amputated.

Heck said they put on the compassion clinic to help underprivileged Airdrie residents that could not have afforded the procedures normally.

"Each and every day here in the vet clinic, we see the best and the worst of people and their pets. I really consider myself to be a part of the human/animal bond. That's my job, to keep that together."

"Vet fees get in the way of that sometimes. This is our opportunity to help those pets that really need us and we can make a difference for them for the rest of their life."

The entire team volunteered their time in order to help the 8 patients.

"They are really the biggest component of the success of this day and the true heroes."

Heck said that there is a huge struggle for pet owners to provide the proper care their pets need.

"Times are tough here in Alberta for a lot of people and we can see that translating to different approaches to care where there are less preventative wellness check-ups and more (emergency) moments."

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