Kim Thorn regularly lines up on Second Avenue, outside of Eugene Mission, with a cat carrier. Her cat, Oliver, has severe asthma and requires monthly shots in order to stay alive. 

A shot of cortisone, the drug used to treat feline asthma, costs between $70 and $90 — making the annual cost upward of $1,100. Thorn says she is grateful that Pro-Bone-O, a pet clinic aimed at serving homeless individuals, covers the cost every month. 

“He comes once a month to get his allergy shot that keeps him from having terrible attacks, which, if I couldn’t get the shot anymore, it’s just too terrible to watch and too scary to deal with,” Thorn says. “I’m very thankful that Pro-Bone-O is here for me and my cat.”

Pro-Bone-O is a completely volunteer-run organization that provides free veterinary care for people who are homeless. Many of the volunteer staff are veterinary medicine students from Oregon State University, or from local vet clinics nearby. The clinic is open biweekly and serves patients on a first-come, first-serve basis. Patients line up outside the clinic entrance on Second Avenue, and when called, are redirected to Eugene Mission, located on First Avenue. 

The clinic began in 1998 and received nonprofit status in 2002. It used to provide pop-up clinic services in a church parking lot, but moved permanently to the Eugene Mission in June 2016. It has a section to examine bigger dogs, a small cat or small dog room and a “rainbow room” for euthanasia.

The only requirement for homeless individuals to receive services is to commit to spaying or neutering their pets to reduce the number of stray animals in Lane County. 

Joanna Wallace, a Pro-Bone-O board member, has been involved with the nonprofit since October 2025. Before moving to Eugene, she looked for an organization that would let her help unhoused people and work with animal welfare. Wallace says this organization was the perfect fit.  

“An overarching theme of Pro-Bone-O and the people and the pets that we serve is just that bond between unhoused folks and their pets. A lot of them rely on their cats, their dogs or even rats and chickens,” Wallace says. “They rely on their pets to get them out of bed in the morning and give them a sense of purpose, and in return, pets are loving you unconditionally.”

A 2025 study done by MetLife Pet Insurance found that 15 percent of pet owners experience pet poverty, and 22 percent of all pet owners currently carry over $2,000 in pet-related debt. Additionally, 58 percent of pet owners have skipped meals to afford their own pet’s needs. 

People have been known to line up the night before to guarantee that their pet gets treated, with an estimated 60 animals receiving care every four-hour session. Pro-Bone-O frequently vaccinates pets, provides skin treatments, sedations for surgeries and performs euthanasia. One of its main services is  providing free spay and neuter vouchers. 

Dr. Donna Dimski, the board president, drives from Cottage Grove to aid the animals on the weekends. Many of the other veterinarians drive from Albany or Corvallis.

“People just really care so much about it, that they’re coming at like the crack of dawn on a Sunday morning and basically spending their entire Sunday doing this,” Wallace says. 

Trudi Fox brought in her dog, Bella, for her rabies vaccination. It was Bella’s second birthday. Fox planned to make a “doggy cake” and throw Bella a party after her appointment to celebrate. 

 “She’s my world. She’s my best friend,” Fox says. She has been coming to Pro-Bone-O for the last 15 years to seek care for her three dogs. 

There is also a walk-up window where established clients can receive a two-week supply of cat or dog food. Pro-Bone-O has a variety of treats and can accommodate special diet requests for puppies and senior dogs, if the food is in stock. It receives many donations from community members and from Greenhill Humane Society. 

Pro-Bone-O doesn’t receive funding from the city of Eugene or Lane County, and relies completely on donations and grants. It recently received $5,000 from the Banfield Community Care grant to buy vaccines. Staff estimate that the annual expenditures for the clinic are between $40,000 and $50,000.

Currently they are budgeting for “one-off” medical procedures, such as dental care, tumor removal and hematoma care. 

“I didn’t know much about taking care of a dog, but he’s been such a good dog. A perfect dog,” Erin White says of Jet, 15, who she brought for his routine check-up and prescription refills.

White says when she first brought Jet in as a puppy, he was “all limp” and he came in “like dead.” “I brought him here to put him down,” White says. The medication Jet needed would have been “unaffordable,” but White says Pro-Bone-O has provided all of the medication for free. “They have been great.” 

While their pets are getting treatment, clients have the opportunity to “shop” at the Bone-tique, a station with free used toys, beds, clothing and leashes. Clients are limited to how many items they can take during the visit. 

Dana Sengen-Diaz waited outside in line for the clinic since the evening before it opened, and was desperately trying to seek care for her cat who had fleas and her dog battling a skin disease. Sengen-Diaz brought her two dogs and her two cats to visit the vet. 

“It’s OK, sweetie — the allergy is so bad. The medicine isn’t working anymore,” Sengen-Diaz says, concerned about her cat that has licked herself so much that she started to lose fur. “She’s got other joint pain and joint issues too, we get joint medication from here often.”

Sengen-Diaz complains there is no bathroom for the long wait to be seen, but she says she is grateful for all of the support she receives from Pro-Bone-O.

“They give food, they give toys, they give all kinds of supplies — everything that dogs and cats need, they provide,” Sengen-Diaz says. “The lady in there that gives the toys out, she makes blankets and puts labels on them from her brother, who passed away.”

“They’re my kids,” Sengen-Diaz says. She reaches back into the van to comfort her dog who has visible lesions to the skin, due to a skin disease coming from fleas. “I’m scared that they’ll have to put him down because he’s getting so bad — I just feel lost.”

Sunday, August 23 is the next clinic, and Pro-Bone-O is accepting clients from 9 am to noon at Eugene Mission, 1542 West 1st Avenue. All services are first-come, first-served and there is a maximum of two pets per client. Find out more at ProBoneO.org.