Anyone who lives on the islands of Casco Bay knows that securing the most basic of amenities can be challenging. Caring for pets, depending on the animal, can be even harder.

That’s where Dr. Kate Domenico comes in.

Domenico works as a clinician at Portland Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Care, but she also runs Island Veterinary Service, conducting house calls for pets on the islands of the bay.

“It bridges my two passions: Veterinary medicine and being on the water,” she said on a recent trip Thursday, Aug. 3.

Twice a week, weather permitting, Domenico goes down to Aspasia Marina in South Portland hops on the Rita Joan -- her 27-foot converted lobster fishing boat --  and ventures into the bay. Pet owners meet her on the docks of islands for everything from basic exams and vaccinations to diagnosing and treating more serious ailments.

Dr. Kate Domenico, owner of Island Veterinary Services, secures a line on her converted lobster boat at the dock at Peaks Island Thursday. (Spectrum News/Sean Murphy)

“We can do pretty much anything a brick-and-mortar clinic can do except surgery,” said Elspeth Pennel, one of two vet techs that usually join Domenico on her trips.

Domenico, a Chicago native, spent much of her childhood with her parents on sailboats on Lake Michigan. She came to Maine nine years ago, and heard about Island Veterinary Service, which had been run by Dr. John Flood for more than 10 years.

“Somebody told me somebody was going around to all the islands, and I said, ‘I’m going to do that,’” she recalled.

So she did, joining Flood three years ago. When Flood retired in 2022, Domenico took over the business. It was already doing well, fueled almost entirely by word of mouth, but since taking over she has added a strong social media presence, which has given the business a boost.

Domenico estimated having as many as 250 different animal patients throughout the bay, enough to keep her busy just about year-round.

A typical day can involve trips to as many as six different islands, with multiple pets lining up on the docks to see her.

Elspeth Pennel, center, a vet tech with Island Veterinary Service, feeds a treat to Harley, a four-year-old Greaer Swiss Mountain Dog, while his owners, Mark Fazio, right, and Karen Fazio, left, help maneuver him onto a scale for weighing on the dock of Great Diamond Island. (Spectrum News/Sean Murphy)

On Thursday, there was a light schedule: Two island stops to see three different pet owners and their animals.  

First, Domenico and Pennel ventured to Great Diamond Island. They pulled a large, battery-powered dog scale from the boat and placed it right on the dock as they greeted Harley, a four-year-old Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. 

Harley’s owners, Mark and Karen Fazio, who live in the Philadelphia suburbs and summer on the island, helped maneuver the good-natured giant onto the scale, which indicated roughly 168 pounds. Mark Fazio said the size of the dog alone makes the value of Domenico’s service obvious.

“It would be planes, trains and automobiles trying to get him to the mainland,” he said.

His wife agreed: “This was a 10-minute walk, as opposed to a 20-minute ferry ride.”

This wasn’t a routine visit for Harley. The Fazios recently found a large lump under the skin of his neck, roughly the size of a tennis ball. Mark Fazio said a previous pet had gone through a long and painful illness before passing away, which had been gut-wrenching for the couple. When he saw the lump, he said, he feared the worst.

“I thought, ‘Here we go again,’” he said.

Happily, after a short exam, it was clear Harley was not suffering from anything so dire. Domenico diagnosed it as an abscess, most likely caused by an infection from the bite of a playmate. 

Dr. Kate Domenico, owner of Island Veterinary Service, treats Strawberry, a a five-year-old Buff Orpington chicken, on the deck of her converted lobster boat while docked at Peaks Island Thursday. Domenico performs house calls for island-based animals twice a week. Here, vet tech Elspeth Pennel, right, and Abbott Kelley, 11, the bird's owner, center, keep her calm. (Spectrum News/Sean Murphy)

When asked if she was relieved to hear the news, Karen Fazio said, “You have no idea.”

After draining and cleaning the wound, Domenico gave the Fazios a prescription for antibiotics to fill on the mainland, and she was on her way.

Next, Domenico traveled to Peaks Island to meet “Strawberry,” a five-year-old Buff Orpington chicken. The bird’s owners, year-round island residents Scott Kelley, 60, and his son, Abbott, 11, brought Strawberry down to the dock for a case of bumblefoot, essentially an infected wound on the chicken’s foot.

While Abbott Kelley held Strawberry still, Domenico cleaned and dressed the wound, remarking, “I’ve never bandaged a chicken foot before. This is new.”

While Domenico worked, Scott Kelley said the family keeps several chickens, along with a rabbit, a dog and even a lizard. He said he’s grateful that Domenico’s service comes to them.

“Going into town, everything’s harder,” he said, then corrected, “Going into town makes everything harder.”

Scott Kelley said he can’t imagine trying to wrangle animals of any kind across the bay.

“Going anywhere, doing anything, is just,” he said, trailing off and shaking his head.

Finally, summer resident Pat Hughes, 67, brought a cat carrier onto the boat bearing “Leo” and “Marsha,” two one-year-old cats of unknown breed. Both received an annual checkup and rabies vaccine. 

“It’s so convenient to walk down to the dock,” Hughes said.

Both cats’ treatments didn’t take long, and after processing more electronic payments for her services, Domenico was off back to South Portland. She said this was a light but good day, while Pennel, who used to live on Peaks Island, said she loves getting the chance to return.

“I guess the island communities always have a special place in my heart,” she said.