News Briefs for the Week of December 30, 2002
By Marcella Durand for Cat Facts
- Pets Not Forgotten by Meals on Wheels
One of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the country has a program to make sure the pets of the elderly aren't neglected or given away. Meals on Wheels (MOW) of Taggart County, which includes Fort Worth and over 60 other cities in Texas, knew that more and more of their elderly clients were sharing their meals with their pets, but they could only do something about it on an individual, patchwork basis-that is, until Little Orphan Angels Pet Rescue donated enough pet food for 2,000 meals.
"It was one of those God things," says Pam Moorman, the marketing director for MOW. And thanks to a snowballing public response, MOW was able to create an organized program, called Kibbles and Catnip. In fact, the staff of one veterinarian's office even decided that this Christmas, instead of giving gifts to one other, they would donate $200 to Kibbles and catnip.
"Pets are so good for the elderly," says Moorman. "They help with depression and loneliness." And, according to her, the goal of Kibbles and Catnip is to keep pets with their owners as long as it's healthy for both. "It's just wonderful," she adds. "The whole community has come together to solve the problem."
For more information on Kibbles and Catnip, visit www.mealsonwheels.org or call (817) 336-0912. For more information about Little Orphan Angels Pet Rescue, visit www.littleorphanangels.org.
- Veterinary Care Where You Need It
When you're miles away from the nearest town, it can be quite a haul to get your sick cat the treatment she needs. But thanks to a new program that will bring veterinary services and animal care education to remote areas, getting timely treatment may be a lot easier.
The Remote Area Veterinary Services (RAVS) program, launched this year by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), will provide spay and neuter services, veterinary care, and humane education to rural communities in Appalachia, 20 Native American reservations across the United States, Latin America, and Micronesia. "Many of these communities do not have veterinary services readily available or cannot afford regular check-ups for their animals. Through the RAVS program, veterinary students will provide sick and wellness care for animals that otherwise may never receive the medical care they need," says Melissa Seide Rubin, the HSUS vice president of field services.
Typically, three veterinarians and 20 veterinary students will work for one or two days, setting up spay-neuter clinics at community centers, firehouses or school auditoriums. The team will also perform surgeries and vaccinations, as well as providing information about pet care, dog bite prevention, and animal overpopulation issues.
For more information on RAVS, visit the HSUS web site at www.hsus.org.
|
