We are fortunate to work with many of the wonderful veterinarians in our area. When we receive phone calls, Facebook messages, and referrals or meet a guardian willing to spay or neuter, our volunteers immediately jump into action and work to find a surgery appointment and transportation if needed. Due to the national veterinary crisis in our country, it is harder to get these appointments as quickly, but we do everything in our power to do so. If guardians are able to help with a copay of any amount, we greatly appreciate it due to the ever-rising costs, but the service is free for those who cannot.
Thanks in large part to our generous partners at Nature’s Pet, Wellness Pet Supplies, and Red Dog Pet Supply as well as donors, we make a point of providing only high quality food for the pets we serve. Most of our clients truly do feed their dog or cat before themselves, but eating people food or low quality pet food can lead to complications like pancreatitis and other effects of poor nutrition. We regularly supply the OHRA Resource Center in Ashland with high quality food as well as making deliveries to food banks, social service organizations, and individuals. When we do outreach events, we also bring lots of good food.
Again, largely thanks to generous donations including those from FOTAS and the Jackson County Animal Shelter, we offer a variety of gear. We have collars, leashes, and harnesses of all different sizes, collapsible bowls, and coats in the winter time. For large dogs who are on the street, we also make our own leashes out of climbing rope. We can always use more large harnesses, cooling collars and vests, and large waterproof winter coats. See our Amazon Wish List if you would like to purchase supplies for us or call if you have donations.
Ticks are particularly pervasive in our area, and fleas are also common. Left untreated, these pests can cause severe discomfort and disease. Fleas are the most common cause of skin disease in dogs and cats, and ticks can carry serous diseases. Intestinal parasites are also common in the animals we meet. There is a huge need for flea and tick medications, particularly in the warmer months, and dewormers are a frequent request as well.
The Jackson County Animal Shelter has a low cost shot clinic the third Saturday of every month. https://www.fotas.org/vaccinations/
For those who cannot afford the reduced cost vaccines, Street Dog Project will cover the cost. Clients need to contact us directly and confirm they have an appointment so we can add them to the list of those we are funding. We also provide parvo/distemper puppy vaccines for those who cannot get to the clinic and have unvaccinated puppies at great risk for these deadly diseases. Besides safeguarding the wellness of your pet, vaccinations are often required for those working to obtain housing.
At this time, we do not fund microchips, but the shelter also has a quarterly low-cost microchip clinic https://www.fotas.org/microchips/. The Rescue Ranch in Yreka also offers low-cost microchipping to the public: https://rrdog.org/dog-care/veterinary-support-services/microchipping/.