Janice Olynich knew she wanted to move out of Toronto, and was considering the Barrie area. Then she stumbled upon a listing for 4552 Concession 9 Sunnidale, the former home of Leishman Pottery. She and her partner made an offer within hours of seeing the property and since last October it has been home to Paws Ability, a service providing custom prosthetics and orthotics for animals.
Olynich is a certified prosthetist who worked for a number of years making artificial limbs for people at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. She had worked at a vet clinic during high school, and because of her passion for animals continued to work part-time in the veterinary field. She stumbled upon a blog post about a border collie needing help with a congenital limb difference and was able to fit him with a prosthetic. Soon people began asking for braces to address mobility issues ranging from limb amputations to degenerative diseases. Eventually, she scaled back her schedule at Sunnybrook to devote more time to her animal patients and in 2011 decided to make Paws Ability a full time thing.
Olynich works exclusively on referrals from vets who diagnose the injury and discuss the range of treatment options available. Sometimes surgery can fix a problem versus bracing which is more about managing the injury. Physiotherapy and strengthening exercises can maintain mobility and range of motion. She does between five and seven fittings per week, 80 to 90 per cent of which are for braces, typically costing between $1,000 and $2,000. Prosthetics can be more expensive.
Given the specialized nature of the service, Olynich deals with clients from all over the province. Typically, clients visit three times: once for a casting, once for a test fit and then for a final fitting. For clients travelling from afar, the first two appointments can be scheduled on the same day. Olynich often recommends they fill the two or three hours between fittings with a visit to Creemore to enjoy the shops and restaurants.
A local Air BnB operator has been very helpful in arranging accommodations for people travelling from out of town to seek treatment for their pets. Kim Zayac became aware of Paws Ability when people booked a stay so their dog could be fitted with a prosthetic. Zayac is an animal lover. He says he often has capacity for Tuesdays and Wednesdays and is happy to offer special arrangements for Olynich’s patients.
Shortly after moving to Sunnidale, Olynich filmed Season 2 of Adaptable Animals, a six-part series showcasing pets who have been given a new lease on life by adaptive devices. It will air on Accessible Media (AMI TV) starting July 25, or it can be streamed at AMI.ca.
Olynich continues to operate her Toronto clinic, but is now down to one day per week in the city. Eventually she says she will wind that down, because Clearview is now home.