Sebastian dog becomes Wellness Clinic's first patient.

		Laughing Dog Gallery's 2nd Annual "Have A Heart" Trunk Show, featuring Somers Jewelry and benefiting HSVB&IRC, is happening Feb. 3 & 4. Download your invitation now.
		Cause For Paws Gala coming in late March. Cause For Paws, the most talked-about social event in Indian River County, is happening March 29 and 30 at the Vero Beach Museum of Art in Riverside Park. If you haven't received your invitation in the mail, call us at 772.388.3331, ext. 26 so we can make certain you're included. For 2012, the Cause For Paws Preview Party and Charity Auction have... been given "facelifts" to include even more fun than ever before. For example, this years' guests will be issued hand-held, Wi-Fi bidding systems that let them track their silent auction bids and keep tabs on the competition. This feature should give you the edge you need to assure you have more winning bids.   You can learn more about Cause For Paws 2012 by «clicking here».

"Kota came home with a clean bill of health," observed Sebastian's Karen Stant, the first pet owner to bring an animal to the Humane Society's new Animal Wellness Clinic, "and now we're all feeling better."

Kota (short for Dakota), a handsome shepherd-mix who will be 5-years old in March, came to our Animal Wellness Clinic on opening day for an annual checkup and went home with a good report and a brand new microchip to assure that, if Kota and Karen ever get separated, they can be reunited quickly.


According to Ms. Stant, "Dr. (Elizabeth) Bybee (one of our consulting Veterinarians) gave him a thorough exam, including a heartworm test. She sent me home with instructions to keep on loving him - and perhaps cut back on his dinner portions a bit."


Perhaps the best thing about the clinic, explained Ms. Stant, was the cost. "Nowadays, the costs of so many things keep going up. It is easy for families to put off medical care for their animals when faced with so many other expenses. I am very grateful for the wonderful people in our community who have underwritten this program at the Shelter. They're helping us keep our pets healthy! It's a blessing."


According to Janet Winikoff, HSVB&IRC's Education Director, 14 animals were checked during the Clinic's first week's operations and 34 more appointments had been set for the second week. "Phones have been ringing off the hook," said Winikoff. "We are already taking appointments for February."


The clinic offers spaying and neutering plus basic animal health tests for heartworm, feline leukemia, and FIV. In addition, pet owners look to the clinic for core vaccinations, pet examinations, microchips, and preventive medications to combat fleas, ticks, and prevent heartworms.


"People have been traveling all the way from Port St. Lucie to participate in the clinic," said Animal Care Director Maria Ramirez. "The demand is definitely there."


Winikoff said the most requested services during the first week were rabies and annual vaccines. Most clients brought dogs to the clinic the first week, although services for cats were also available.


Shelter Executive Director Chalmers Morse said the Humane Society is delighted to reach out to so many pet owners, especially those who haven't been able to afford taking their animal in for preventive care.


"We're seeing animals which have not been to a vet in so long that, when they come to us for one vaccine, they're often asking if we can provide their animals with other wellness services too," said Morse. "We know we are definitely having a positive impact on the animals in our community."


"In a few weeks, I'll be back with Zoey," Ms. Stant adds, referring to her lab who will soon be ready for an annual checkup. "For those of us who truly care for our pets, the Animal Wellness Clinic is the best thing that's happened in a long, long time."


For more information about Animal Wellness Clinic hours and services, «click here» or call 772.388.3331, ext. 40.

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