It's a busy morning at Southern Cross Veterinary Clinic in Sydney's inner west.
A dog is on the operating table, the floors are being mopped, and four dogs are in the recovery room, including one being comforted by a blanket and a heater.
In many ways, it's a typical vet clinic – except it offers some of its services for free.
Since it opened in 2013, the clinic, on a busy road in St Peters, has become the first port of call for homeless people whose pets are sick or injured. They work with Mission Australia to spread the word, but often their referrals come by word of mouth.
The service is dubbed Project HoPe (standing for Homeless Pets) but the clinic uses discretion to help other pets – and people – in crisis as well.
Mark Thomson had lived in Sydney for several weeks and had briefly visited the clinic to pick up a business card when he suddenly fell ill in mid-September.
His black cat, Hocus, was home alone in Newtown and he had no family or friends who could care for her while he was in St Vincent's Hospital for a week. A nurse at the hospital called the vet to see if they could help.
Within hours, receptionist Diana Sumbati collected his keys and picked up the 15-year-old cat. Hocus was brought back to the clinic, vaccinated, microchipped, groomed and boarded – for free.
Mr Thomson, who lost his other black cat, Pocus, several years ago, burst into tears when he finally saw her after his release.
"I don't know what I would've done without them," he told Fairfax Media. "I don't know what was plan B."
The satisfaction of helping people like Mr Thomson is what drives the clinic's owner, Sam Kovac, to offer the service. Dr Kovac, 27, also treats the pets of victims of domestic violence for free at a shelter in Sydney's east, and gives free treatment to injured native animals.
"It's rewarding to be able to do it and not think about the money," he said.
"We've got our skills and drugs and things that we can pull together to make the animal better. We know we can do it. But unfortunately, if there's not someone to pay the bill, most people won't provide the service. It kind of goes against why I would hope everyone becomes a vet."
He and his fellow vet, Gianna Zuch, have a donation button on the clinic's website and hold occasional fundraisers, but when donations run dry they use their own money to continue with the project anyway.
"One month you might have three cases come in, another month you might have five," Dr Kovac said. "We haven't turned anyone away."
Even animals requiring expensive long-term care are treated under the project. Recently a dog, BJ, was brought in after a horrific accident where all four paws got caught in an escalator.
Dr Zuch had to amputate part of one paw and intensively treat the wounds for a month before BJ was released.
Dr Kovac is often contacted by other animal welfare organisations and vets from interstate who want to refer their clients. He said a recent call from Queensland made him realise there are other organisations and vets that would like to be able to do what he does, but they just don't have the money for it.
He has launched a crowdfunding campaign with an aim of $50,000, in hopes he can give money to other providers when they, too, have pets in need.
"It would be good if we could grow to a point where we can say 'here's money' to the vet and they can just provide the services up there and get the animal back on track, rather than people having to travel here," Dr Kovac said.
Dr Kovac's two corgis wander around the admin offices as another Project HoPe call comes in. A dog sleeping in the park with its owner needs to be boarded for a few weeks.
He gives the green light.
"Me, personally, I'd like to think somebody was going to be there to help my pets and help me if I was in that situation," Dr Kovac says.
"Looking at some of these people who are homeless or living in boarding houses, they were very successful before – they had careers. Something serious has happened to them, medical or just bad luck.
"A big thing is, you never know what's going to happen to you."
