The van will be fitted out with a fridge for safe storage for vaccinations, a consult table, hydrobath for dog washing, shelving and lockable storage for vet supplies and storage for outreach items such as food, beds, blankets, jackets and pop-up water/bowls. It will also have a pull-out awning for additional shade and shelter, plus air conditioning inside, so that outreach services and vet treatments can be provided even in extreme weather conditions, and will be a truly remote means of providing this much needed service.
SPSF passionately believe that providing preventative vet care and emergency food support for animals in the community reduces the likelihood of surrender and unnecessary suffering of animals. Common reasons for surrender and/or euthanasia of animals is illness, unable to afford costs for food and maintenance or vet care, homelessness and displacement, lost animals that are never reunited or strays, where owners cannot afford rising costs of impound fees once they are located.
We are extremely conscious of listening to what rescue groups tell us they need help with, and for many of them, particularly recently, their focus has started to shift to look at what they can do to stop the already huge, and ever increasing number of dogs and puppies flowing into pounds and subsequently smaller rescue groups who are already struggling with capacity.
In light of this we have already started to fund more preventative and educational programs including free and subsidized desexing programs, last litter programs, temporary emergency care programs, and community outreach programs, with the focus on stopping unwanted puppies coming into rescue, and keeping beloved pets with their families who desperately want to avoid surrendering them. Less dogs being surrendered means less pressure on already stretched rescue groups, allowing them to use the limited resources that they have more effectively.
Safe Pets Safe Families is a registered vet service provider and has a demonstrated history of providing free preventative vet services to disadvantaged members of the community. They do this by utilising their network of volunteer vets, vet nurses and groomers to provide their skilled services at no cost and by receiving donations of vaccinations, microchips and parasite prevention from their ongoing corporate sponsors in the pet care industry.
The Paws & Pals Mobile Vet Outreach Van will allow SPSF to hold regular referral only vet clinics in regional locations and at pet friendly domestic violence shelters, weekly mobile vet outreach runs targeting hotspot areas for homeless people and those struggling to care for their pets, and regular targeted community vaccination clinics to address high rates of Parvo infection in certain areas. The van will allow them to reach an additional 500 dogs in the first 12 months alone.
The Paws & Pals Mobile Outreach Vet Van will assist in preventing diseases such as parvo and reduce the likelihood of dogs contracting other health issues from poor grooming and parasite prevention protocols such as matting, dermatitis, flea allergies and ear infections; concerns that many surrendered dogs present with.
SPSF use their interactions in the community as an opportunity to educate pet owners about how to keep their animals safe and healthy and empower them to make good decisions for their animals’ well-being. 30% of their clinic attendees access their services again in some capacity. This means that if their animal is sick or injured, they call SPSF for help so that they don’t have to surrender or euthanise for cost reasons. In addition to this, SPSF meet clients at their pop-up vet clinics and weekly outreach and build trust with them, enabling and encouraging them to also access their foster service if required rather than having to surrender their animals.
We are incredibly proud to be able to support such a fantastic initiative and look forward to sharing updates in the coming months!
