Keeping a pet happy and healthy shouldn’t mean sacrificing something else. It shouldn’t require negotiating other responsibilities, or simply going without.
The Seattle Animal Shelter Vaccine Clinic on February 15th, 2024 in the International District Community Center allowed 130 local families (and their 231 pets) freedom from that choice.
The clinics are part of “The Best Chance Program,” an initiative funded by the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation, thanks to our compassionate supporters. Their donations at our 2023 Furevermore Auction & Gala and its Fund-a-Need were dedicated to giving pets their best chance at living healthy lives.
The initiative establishes accessible wellness and vaccine clinics, as well as giving pets and their owners their best chance at a healthy human-pet bond by providing necessary supplies. The clinics will be held monthly for a year in a variety of neighborhoods selected based on data collected by the shelter.
“Setting a vision for our organization of being a more community-centered organization, that falls in line with providing access to that care,” said Esteban Rodriguez, the Division Director for the Seattle Animal Shelter. “A lot of community members are struggling, whether it’s their living day to day, paycheck to paycheck, and when you’re looking at the cost of going to a regular vet to get those vaccines, it’s costly.”
The free, drop-in clinic in February opened at 11 a.m. and was full by 11:45 a.m., after people in a line that started hours earlier had made their way to the check-in desk. Once inside, they were seated in rows of folding chairs and individually engaged in a pre-check, where an SAS staffer asked some preliminary questions.
The room was full of extremely well-behaved pets, sitting quietly at the feet of their owners or calmly in carriers. Everyone was dressed up against the cold, with many pups in sweaters and one even cozily snugged up against his owner’s chest under his jacket.
One very patient “patient” was Blanca, a 2-year-old Pit Bull Terrier whose parents heard about the clinic through a posting at the property where they lived.
“It’s so important to have pets, and these vaccinations make sure they’re healthy,” said Blanca’s mom, Variana Vega. “I had pets growing up and they are great companions; they help you clear your mind.”
Across the room, Thor, a 4-year-old Poodle mix, was going through his intake. His owner, who asked not to be named, said she was dealing with financial difficulties and was grateful for the shelter’s resources.
“I need help that’s not biased, that’s friendly, that I can trust, and where I will walk away with my head held high,” she said.
Building those relationships and trust is central to the goal of these endeavors, Rodriguez said.
“To stay true to the type of organization that I want, you have to involve the community. So what better way to do it? You’re providing (for) a need that’s out there,” he said.
Clinic attendees Hedge and Moon Metreyeon brought their 2-year-old Border Collie/Staffordshire Terrier mix, Lochness, noting the rising costs of veterinary care were impossible to keep up with.
“We all just want them to be healthy and happy, but to have it be something that’s out of reach is soul crushing sometimes because you’re like, all I want is to be able to take care of them,” Hedge Metreyeon said.
For Rodriguez, this value the clinic is bringing to families is the most fulfilling part.
“What I kept hearing over and over and over again is that this is a blessing, this is something we truly needed, this does something amazing for my household because we don’t have the money or we don’t have the support. For me, that’s what makes me happy,” he said.
After visiting the medical tent, visitors were guided through the supply area, where they were able to select from a variety of supplies like food, crates, leashes and collars.
“People are leaving here with what they need to be a better planned pet owner in the city of Seattle,” Rodriguez said. “And that’s important to me because you start to build community. You start to build relationships. Eventually we’re going to be asking these same people that are coming to these events to be part of our volunteer program, part of our foster program.”
In this community, support and kindness just create more of the same.
Programs like the vaccine clinic are made possible by generous donors. If you would like to support the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation, you can donate here.