Assistance is out there for needy who own pets

It’s no big secret - owning a pet is expensive! Unfortunately, when pet owners are forced to tighten their budgets, some of the first costs to be cut are the ones associated with pets. But while your budget may have changed, the needs of your pet haven’t. Fortunately, there are many low cost options available to help people continue to keep their pets in their homes instead of in the shelter.

Spay/Neuter Clinics

Unfortunately, because of the high costs associated with getting your pet fixed, many pet owners opt to skip spaying or neutering their pets altogether in an effort to save some money. Although having your pet fixed can involve a high cost up front, it will greatly save you money in the long run as you will not be paying to care for unwanted litters or to treat medical and behavioral issues that can arise in pets that are not fixed. Many shelters offer spay/neuter clinics to the public at a significantly lower rate than you would find at a veterinarian’s office. There are also mobile spay/neuter clinics that travel to various locations and make it even easier for pet owners to get their pets fixed. In our area, the Rozzie May Animal Alliance is a well-known mobile spay/neuter clinic that travels around New Hampshire and parts of Maine.

Rabies Clinics

At a bare minimum, your pets need to be up-to-date on their rabies vaccines. Many shelters offer low cost rabies clinics to the public several times a year, but pet supply stores tend to offer them even more frequently. Locally, Petco Dover offers clinics twice a month and Petco Newington holds them four times a month. Although you may have to wait in line for a little while, especially during the warmer months when the clinics are busier, the wait is worth it for the amount of money you will save. Office fees at vet offices are typically around $50 – and that’s before you start adding in the cost of exams and vaccines. Since the office fee is waived at rabies clinics, you will only need to cover the cost of the rabies vaccine, which is usually around $10.

Food Pantries

Many people do not realize what resources are available to them if they are in a position where they can no longer afford to feed their pets. While some food pantries do offer pet food, they’re not usually stocked enough with donations to provide pet food to many owners on a regular basis. Many animal shelters, however, offer a pet food assistance program where pet owners can pick up food at no cost. It’s important to note, however, that you will not be able to get prescription foods for your pet and, since supplies are based on donations, it is unlikely you’ll be able to stick to a specific brand each time you pick up food. Working around the limits of a pet food pantry, however, is definitely preferable to surrendering your pet because you can no longer afford to feed him or her.

The goal of every animal shelter is to help keep pets in their homes and out of the shelter. If you find yourself in need of assistance, reach out to your local shelter to learn more about what options are available.

Alaina Goodnough is the Promotions Coordinator at Cocheco Valley Humane Society in Dover, NH. She lives in Sanford, ME with two parrots, two cats, and two dachshunds. She can be reached at CVHS at devassist@cvhsonline.org. To learn more about Cocheco Valley Humane Society, go to www.cvhsonline.org or call 603-749-5322.