Aims

The main aim is to allow the care access for pets who otherwise would never have seen a vet.

It can ensuing only positive consequencies not only for Pets, but on top for the whole Polynesian society:

• A true reducing of the animal suffering ;
• An identification and an overseeing of the zoonosis (animal diseases transmissible to humans) ;
• A true prevention and a reduction of epidemics;
• An identification and a medical check of Pets who come in consultation ;
• An information and a minimal education of the visitors on pets in general, on their in particular ;
• An owner responsabilities awareness, as for their pets as for the community.

Definition

Free-Clinics for Pets are defined by the Code Rural Français, Article 276.3:

• Only associations or fundations of animal protection officially approved can manage these institutions ;
• Veterinary acts must be given for free ;
• Cares are reserved to pets owned by persons short on resources.

In France, it already exists more than a dozen of Free-Clinics and the situation there is far from as splited up as here.

As for a shelter, the Free-clinic have a House Rule, made systematically by its administrator because the first danger is the same as for a shelter: A lack of cleanliness able to bring epidemics inside. Which oblige the immediate general euthanasia and, too often, the definitive close of the centre.

There are, of course, other threats (attacks from outside, animals escapes, accidents on persons coming to consult, on housed animals, on the staff, on the stuffs, etc ...), against which there is to shield.

The Code Rural Français is not legally applicable in French Polynesia, it wears only a value of advice, of instruction.

This measure stemed from the Autonomie Interne created a wide legal hole that our legislative bodies still haven't filled:

There is still no "Code Rural de Polynésie" ...

This doesn't prevent us to act, of course, but "all is allowed", and, thus, "everything" too.

Fonctionning

A Free-clinic welcomes all its visitors for free.

It is awfully allowed to receive gifts in return to assume its fonctionning.

It is at least made with aveterinarian, a person to assist him and an other to take in charge the management dof the whole. Depending on its incomes and on the demand, each of these three basis fonctions may be reinforced by supplementary staffs.

Viewed as a whole, it is expensive and never have enough:

What it financially brings is not judged in direct terms for it, but in general social impact, and, there, the operation is profitable under financial view too:
Drop of nuisances, accidents, municipal or territorial varied interventions, thus money keepings. If it was not French Municipalities would never have accept to contribute to their buildings and their fonctionnings, but it is not the case.

Results

The main is thus to allow the care access to Pets who otherwise would never have seen a veterinarian.

In terms of impact, the predictable expected result is a growth of the general well-being around the Free-clinics:

• Reduction of abandons ;
• Reduction of wanderings ;
• Reduction of accidents and serious situations (this going fast over the scope of animals) ;
   
• Reduction of epidemics and zoonosis:
  Their direct supervision bringing elements exploitable by the Health and Agriculture Ministries ;
• Increase of the treated animal population ;
• Increase of sterilizations ;
   
• Increase of the animals respect ;
• Increase of the owners responsability awareness ;
• Reduction of the very big negative impact on the Tourism which is given by the present over population, but a Free-clinic won't be enough for that (see Problematics and The possible solutions).