Wheely great grant keeps Tiree vets on the move

The cash from Highlands and Islands Enterprise was enough to buy a pick up vehicle kitted out with all the gear vet landing on the island would need ready to go straight out on a call.

And there was more left in that funding pot’s kitty to help with other start-up costs including brand new dental equipment for horses and smaller animals.

Since the service launched on February 16, it has already taken more than 150 calls.

"We’re flat out. We have not stopped since we opened which proves just how much the service was needed," said crofter Rhoda Meek who is chairperson of Animal Care Tiree and one of the islanders involved in making the service a reality.

April is one of the crofting community’s busiest times of the year with calving and lambing.

Animal Care Tiree opened eight months after the island’s only veterinary practice closed when the owner retired and no buyer came forward.

For a community of around 650 people, four hours by ferry from the mainland, the loss of veterinary cover was not an inconvenience it actually threatened the foundations of everyday life, said Rhoda.

Without a vet, routine care, emergency call-outs, lambing and calving support, and basic animal welfare checks became dependent on weather windows, ferry timetables, and the availability of overstretched mainland services.

Local economic modelling indicated that the loss of local veterinary provision risked around £390,000 a year in knock-on impacts for the island economy, through preventable livestock losses, additional travel costs, and reduced confidence in crofting as a viable livelihood.

However, backed by local development trusts, Animal Care Tiree  raised £70,000 to set up the service, signing up more than 190 island households before  its doors even opened. 

The service, which covers both pets and livestock combines visiting veterinary surgeons providing in-person cover with telemedicine support when no vet is physically in Tiree which makes sure there are high levels of availability during the most demanding points in the agricultural calendar and emergency care all year round.

As the service beds in, efforts continue to see out extra funding from organisations and agencies to build it up even more.