DENVER – The Street Dog Coalition, in partnership with the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and Merck Animal Health, will host a free medical care clinic Sunday for the pets of people experiencing homelessness.
“It's a lot of those just core vaccines that are really important. The preventative medicine is what we're really after, in terms of these free clinics. So providing rabies, vaccines, parvo vaccines, but we're also able to test for heart worm and provide heart worm prevention medication, as well as flea tick prevention medication,” said Katrina Weschler, Street Dog Coalition executive director.
The Street Dog Coalition is a nonprofit that provides free medical care and related services to pets of people experiencing or at risk of homelessness throughout the United States and in Ukraine.
Weschler said the clinic will also provide medical supplies, treats, leashes, collars and pet food.
“A lot of people that we meet at these clinics take such good care of their animals. And we see cats, too. But the bond that develops between the animals and the human, it's so strong. And a lot of times, these pets are just living their best lives. They're out there, they're in the world, they're socializing. They get to smell everything, they're seeing different places. And truly, they're very, very well cared for and they're very, very much loved. People will go without shelter, they will go without food to make sure that their animal eats first,” Weschler said. “What they're not able to do sometimes is get that veterinary care because it's expensive.”
The clinic will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday July 16 at the Welton Street entrance of the Colorado Convention Center.
