Help the Pets that Help You
A few weekends back, the Pennington County Humane Society held another successful vaccination clinic. This particular clinic was tailored to serve low income pet owners with $5 rabies and distemper shots, along with other important protection from pet diseases. During this clinic they also discovered a disturbing fact.
In 1735, the National Archives quoted Ben Franklin saying, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” I can think of no greater use of this quote than in health, human or animal. Vaccinating cattle is a practice we have always observed along with our cats and dogs (yes, I am not just a crazy cat person.) Low income pet owners may find it even more difficult to afford the cure so it is important to help provide them with prevention.
Dr. Susan Burnette’s services are central to this project. She and her technicians provide reduced-cost services while the Humane Society provides the supplies. The operation is so efficient that it only takes about 5 minutes to process each pet.
This column was supposed to provide encouragement to participate in this clinic however all 82 open appointments were taken before it could hit the press. There is definitely a need for this service and the Humane Society would like to schedule another clinic. Hosting another vaccination clinic will take help from supporters of the Humane Society in the form of donations.
Until that next clinic, there is another ripple in the culture of pet adoption, too many dogs. Oddly enough, cat adoption has gone pretty well recently due to continued placement of cats through the Twin Cities Metro Area pet adoption centers. 200 cats have been adopted through April however dogs don’t transport that far as efficiently.
The message is simple here, adopt a dog if you are able. The disturbing fact discovered during the recent vaccination clinic is that 70 percent of pets processed had not been spayed or neutered.
This means a tremendous potential for unwanted kittens and puppies exists which means those who qualified for low-income vaccinations need a low-income source to spay or neuter their pets. MN SNAP provides such a service but needs to partner with the Humane Society to provide this service. This means support through donations.
My dad always said, “many hands make light work.” This means if everyone helps, the work isn’t so difficult. The Pennington County Humane Society serves more than just Pennington County, they bring in stray pets from all over the area. It is a pleasure to be included in this circle of hope for pets however there is also a duty to support it. This means donations, even if you don’t live in Pennington County.
We receive so much from our pets; a focus for caregiving, a source of unconditional love and a peaceful companion. Support of the Pennington County Humane Society is support for stray, lost and discarded animals which is support for the humans who depend on them. Call 218-681-8045 to help.
