Dozens of pets get free vaccinations through Tails of Hope

Mar. 7—HERMITAGE — As the owner of multiple animals, including two Pekingese and two St. Bernards, Transfer resident Debbie Thompson understands the importance of meeting her pets' medical needs.

While she relies on a veterinarian for her pets' primary care, Thompson has relied on Tails of Hope Inc. for the past six or seven years when it comes to the nonprofit group's spaying and neutering services.

Or, in the case of Tuesday's free vaccine clinic, getting her pets vaccinated.

"The staff here have always been great, and when you have animals, you need to make sure they're taken care of properly," Thompson said.

Fellow pet owners Martha and Tony Kromer, of Brookfield, brought their puppies Mickey and Minnie to the clinic.

Martha said the couple returned to the area about a year ago after living in Florida, and discovered Tails of Hope online about six months ago — while looking for an organization to volunteer with.

Martha credited Tails of Hope's staff with being friendly and accessible, while Tony said the clinic's low- to no-cost services provided an affordable option for pet owners.

"If you need to get your animals fixed, then you should come here," Martha said.

Located in the Thomas M. O'Brien Animal Care Center, Tails of Hopes staff was able to offer the free vaccine clinic through Petco Love's national vaccine initiative "Vaccinated and Loved."

The initiative provided a million free pet vaccines for family pets in need to existing animal welfare partners, including Tails of Hope, according to a press release.

Tails of Hope Executive Director Soraya Hejazi said the organization has partnered with Petco Love for similar vaccine clinics in the past, with more than 2,000 free vaccines distributed through Tails of Hope.

Petco Love's Vaccinated and Loved initiative originally sought to distribute two million free pet vaccines to family pets. That goal was reached in November 2023, leading Petco Love to commit an additional million doses to make pet families healthier, the release states.

"We were very glad Petco Love decided to give out another million vaccines even after they reached that initial goal," Hejazi said.

Parvovirus and distemper in dogs and panleukopenia in cats — the most prevalent deadly diseases affecting pets — are preventable with a simple vaccine. However, an estimated 30% of pet parents do not take their pet to a veterinarian annually for preventative care, the release states.

"It is heartbreaking when any pet suffers or dies from a disease that could have been prevented. It is further exacerbated when unvaccinated pets come into busy shelter kennels, where these deadly diseases can spread quickly, resulting in multiple deaths, skyrocketing expenses, and hindering saving pet lives," Susanne Kogut, Petco Love president, said in the release.

"By creating greater awareness and making this crucial preventative care more accessible to pets not currently receiving these lifesaving vaccines, we can prevent the dangerous spread of disease."

Tails of Hope was able to survey pet owners during the clinic. Hejazi said half of the pets had never been vaccinated or seen a veterinarian before.

Certified Veterinary Practice Manager Jamie Strait, who handled the vaccinations with veterinary technician Lesley Kerr, said part of the issue could be a lack of awareness regarding the importance of getting pets vaccinated or that such clinics were available.

Financial difficulties could be another factor, with pet owners wanting to care for their animals but not able to afford veterinary care, Strait said.

However, getting animals vaccinated should remain a priority for pet owners, she said.

"A lot of these upper respiratory diseases can be very contagious. Even feline leukemia is contagious," Strait said. "Distemper can be particularly debilitating for an animal if it goes untreated."

Once an animal is vaccinated, it is recommended that a pet owner follow the recommended vaccine schedule for their pet's followup vaccines and boosters, although the schedule can vary depending on the animal's age, the particular vaccine and an animal's vaccination history, Strait said.

After the free vaccine clinic was over, Hejazi said 27 animals received various vaccines, including 25 animals that received free pet distemper vaccines from Petco Love.

For more information on Tails of Hope, visit tailsofhopewpa.org or the "Tails of Hope, Inc. W PA" Facebook page.

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