Passengers boarding the Peaks Island Ferry couldn’t help but notice the little drama taking place on the nearby dock. The frightened terrier with the wild hair squirms in his owner’s arms as the green-smocked man inserts his otoscope into the dog’s ear for a closer look. The dock, gently rocking under the influence of the ferry’s wake, has become a makeshift exam room complete with folding deck chairs to welcome the island’s small animal patients. Willy doesn’t have an appointment but no matter. The sun is shining on this warm Saturday in late November and the veterinarian is in – or should we say on board.
Before he could begin making rounds to the islands in Casco Bay, Dr. John Flood first had to learn to dock his veterinary clinic, a 37-foot Albin Trawler. A longtime sailor unfamiliar with powerboats, Flood’s initial attempts admittedly lacked surgical precision. He practiced docking along the wharves at the Portland waterfront and soon could nudge the twin-screw cruiser expertly into its berth. After transforming the main cabin into a surgical suite and filling the stowage compartments with medical supplies, Flood launched the new division of his Brackett Street clinic.
Now in its second year of operation, Island Veterinary Services (IVS) travels to Little Diamond, Great Diamond, Long Island, Cousins, Cliff, Chebeague and Peaks Island year-round. In the winter, IVS averages two trips a month. Busier in the summer, the RITA JOAN (named after Flood’s mother) steams out of Portland Harbor up to three times a week.
Visits to the islands require careful scheduling. The key is to book a sufficient number of appointments to cover expenses including salaries. Flood has a crew of two veterinary assistants, Melissa Walker (also IVS’s First Mate) and Danielle Stinett. IVS handles mostly routine procedures and refers all elective surgery to the Brackett Street clinic. On regularly scheduled trips, IVS fees are no higher than those at the in-town practice.
Today’s trip to Peaks Island is at the request of Friends of Feral Felines, an organization dedicated to stabilizing cat populations. Peaks Island has a feral colony of roughly 25 to 30 cats. Flood spays and neuters six of them. He offers his services at a reduced rate for this non-profit group. “They catch the cats in Havahart traps and bring them to us at the dock. We also vaccinate them and clean their ears,” says Flood, who treats the feral cats at his Brackett Street clinic as well. Appreciation for the service and Flood’s style of veterinary medicine runs deep. “He’s so good about giving back,” says one of his clients. Several pet owners drop by unscheduled. Stinett checks with her boss to see whether it’s okay to fit them in. “You don’t say ‘no’ to islanders,” says Flood.
Meeting Flood at the dock is far more convenient than coaxing a reluctant cat with an attitude into its carrying case, catching the ferry and taking a cab to Portland. “IVS is a natural extension of the Brackett Street Veterinary Clinic. We are the closest animal hospital to the ferry,” explains Flood. Before opening his Brackett Street office in 1999, Flood ran a small animal practice in Acton, Maine.
IVS helps to build the land-based business by getting the word out among offshore pet owners. “I expect IVS to earn its keep after three years, that is, to cover the wages, fuel, medical supplies, and boating costs. To try to do it any faster than that would mean pricing our services only for an affluent clientele.”
When you bring animals, the sea and boats together you have to expect the unexpected. A “routine” de-worming of a flock of sheep on Chebeague Island became an impromptu aerobic event. Because the owner didn’t corral the animals beforehand, Flood and his crew spent a lot of time running through rocky pastures chasing their uncooperative patients.
The weather can also throw a few curves. Returning to port from Long Island last winter, the RITA JOAN got hit by a sudden snow squall. “There was a point when we were so blind we couldn’t see 40 feet ahead of us and considered turning back,” Walker said. She took the wheel on the flying bridge and Captain Flood carefully plotted a course through the whiteout using radar and GPS. “He was calling out directions to me from the chart room,” explains Walker. “After what seemed like forever, we made it back safely. John is a great captain.”
It’s obvious that Flood and his crew derive much satisfaction from his latest venture. He admits that “the challenge of practicing from a boat held more allure than the pursuit of profits.” Walker reflects on the attraction of those intangible returns. “We’re out here on the water in the sunshine with the music cranked up helping animals. Does life get any better?”
To contact the Island Veterinary Service, call the Brackett Street clinic in Portland at 207-772-3385.