PAWSing to Keep Pets and Families United

Category: Winter 2017 176 0

Free events bring vaccines, microchips and more to underserved neighborhoods

On an autumn Sunday in Barrio Logan’s Chicano Park, hundreds of pet families gathered for the good of their animals. Hundreds of dogs and cats received free vaccinations. Dogs received complimentary microchips. Owners scheduled free spay and neuter appointments for their unaltered pets. Volunteers distributed free leashes, harnesses, collars, Halloween costumes, treats and food. And a community of adults and children received as much information and education as they could carry—all thanks to PAWS San Diego, a program of San Diego Humane Society (SDHS).

Working toward a goal of helping people keep their pets by providing essential pet services and support to low-income families throughout San Diego, PAWS spent the second half of 2016 ramping up its efforts to reach out to communities with the greatest need. In June, the organization held its first event in City Heights; in October, Barrio Logan.

“We are targeting underserved communities that we’ve determined to be resource deserts,” explains Geraldine D’Silva, director of PAWS. “In these communities, there are a lot of animals that aren’t spayed, neutered, vaccinated or microchipped. But these are also animals whose families love them just like all other pet families; they just don’t have the resources to provide these essentials. A lot of residents don’t have a regular veterinarian, don’t know about SDHS, don’t have transportation to get care, or don’t have the financial means to pay for care.”

That’s where PAWS comes in, bringing these critical services to them—providing much-needed medical care and safety services for pets and peace of mind for owners.

“The people we talked to at these events said they could never have dreamed they’d be able to receive such support for their animals,” D’Silva adds.

This support is made possible by the generous donations PAWS receives from the public and the support it has from SDHS, which the organization merged with in September 2014. Over the past two years, thanks to the multitude of resources the merger provided, PAWS has been able to expand its reach and increase its accessibility as San Diego’s safety net for animal lovers in need of support.

“Thanks to this partnership, PAWS has become bigger and better,” D’Silva says. “Now, we can provide behavior training and medical services we couldn’t before, simply because we didn’t have the resources. To have all the teams at SDHS get together and be at one place and provide these services at one time is remarkable, and really makes a difference for the communities and populations we strive to serve.

PAWS plans to grow its community outreach efforts and hopes to hold events each quarter in other neighborhoods in need.

“What we need are neighborhood ambassadors to help us select a community in need and get the word out,” D’Silva says. “There’s certainly great need in both North and East County, and we want to make sure those populations benefit as well from all PAWS has to offer.”
Christina Orlovsky Page


For more information, visit sdhumane.org


 



Add Comment