Woods Humane Society is providing free vaccinations for San Luis Obispo County pets this fall. The free vaccines are made possible through Petco Love‘s new national vaccination initiative to distribute 1 million free pet vaccines to its existing animal welfare partners, including Woods Humane Society, for family pets in need.
Parvovirus and distemper in dogs, and panleukopenia in cats, are some of the most prevalent deadly diseases impacting pets that are preventable with a simple vaccine. An estimated 30 percent of pet parents do not take their pet to a veterinarian annually for preventative care. To address this critical need, Woods Humane Society and Petco Love are partnering to make pet vaccines free and accessible in an effort to ensure the health and wellness of the community’s beloved pets.
Woods Humane Society plans to vaccinate 500 pets through this joint effort, which will span from September through November 2021 at both its Woods-Cashin Surgery Center in San Luis Obispo and its Daphne Fahsing Spay & Neuter Clinic in Atascadero. The free vaccines will be offered to current clients as part of Woods Humane Society’s spay and neuter package.
The free vaccines distributed through the Petco Love initiative include the DAPPv Canine and HCP Feline vaccines. During spay and neuter appointments for publicly owned pets, Woods regularly offers both of these vaccines at low cost, in addition to offering low-cost Rabies and Bordetella vaccines, FELV/FIV testing for cats, microchips, flea treatment, post-operation pain medication, and e-collars.
The Woods Medical Team performs nearly 4,000 spay and neuter surgeries each year. All Woods animals are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped prior to being placed for adoption, and the organization also provides spay and neuter services for San Luis Obispo County Animal Services, many other local nonprofit rescue groups, and owned animals in SLO county.
“Thanks to Petco Love’s generous donation, we can offer these important vaccines at no cost to our current local clients and ensure the health and wellness of 500 more of our community’s owned pets,” said Alessandra Belloumini, Woods Veterinary Services Manager.
“It is heartbreaking when any pet suffers or dies from a disease that could have been prevented. It is further exacerbated when unvaccinated pets come into busy shelter kennels, where these deadly diseases can spread quickly, resulting in multiple deaths, skyrocketing expenses, and hindering saving pet lives,” said Susanne Kogut, Petco Love President. “By creating greater awareness and making this crucial preventative care more accessible to pets not currently receiving these lifesaving vaccines, we can prevent the dangerous spread of disease.”
For more information about Woods Humane Society’s spay/neuter clinic services, contact Woods North County at (805) 464-5034 or Woods SLO at (805) 543-9316 x12, or visit www.spayslocounty.org. To learn more about Petco Love’s lifesaving impact, visit PetcoLove.org.