A DOG'S best friend

VOLUNTEER VETS ARE HELPING AUSSIE PETS IN NEED

- By Sarah Marinos

Snowflake is Tony Paget’s lifeline. The 14-year-old terrier has been with him through countless moves and two heart attacks and now they’re inseparable.

“I was living in a caravan park in Mildura. Snowflake’s owners didn’t want her anymore so I said I’d take her,” Tony tells New Idea.

Tony, 60, began living on the streets when he was 15 and in recent times, Snowflake has shared the ups and downs of his transient life.

“We lived in my car for three years and she’s been halfway round Australia with me, but now I rent a place week-to-week. Snowflake is family,” he says.

While Snowflake is Tony's top priority, he doesn’t have spare cash to spend on expensive vet bills. It’s why he’s a regular at the Pets In The Park clinic in Prince Alfred Park, Parramatta.

Each month, the volunteer vets and vet nurses set up examination tables, a pharmacy and feeding stations where they provide free care for dogs owned by those who can't afford treatment.