Keeping Pets and People Together
James loves his little chihuahua, Honeybear, who was a great companion to him as he recovered from surgery recently. He doesn’t want to breed her, but he knows the neighbors have male dogs and it’s only a matter of time before she escapes and he ends up with a litter of puppies. But he can’t afford the cost of spay surgery because of a backlog of medical bills.
Rita takes care of several neighborhood cats in her trailer park who have showed up on her door for years, making sure they are fed, spayed/neutered, and vaccinated. One day she notices the old orange tabby has a bad eye injury. She can’t drive and it’s all she can do to feed the cats and put food on the table for herself, so she doesn’t know what to do.
Marilyn’s grown children had to move back in with their mother when they lost their jobs. They brought their two dogs with them, but they don’t get along with her dog Cookie, a pitbull, so she put him in a pen in the backyard. She knows he needs a sturdy doghouse, straw for the winter and a way to keep the fleas off him in the summer, but money is tight.
In Wake County, we have heard stories like this, as owners struggle to provide resources for their pets. Through our No Empty Bowl project, we have witnessed firsthand the needs of disadvantaged pet owners, which have been exacerbated by inflation and increased housing costs. That’s why, in Feb 2021, we created the Community Outreach Program to protect the most vulnerable pet populations in Wake County.
What is the Community Outreach Program all about?
Our philosophy is simple: We believe that a lack of financial means does not equal a lack of love for a pet, and that meaningful change happens through understanding, non-judgement, and relationship-building with under-served pet owners. The goals of the Community Outreach program are to improve the safety, health and well-being of pets in under-served communities, so we can keep pets and their people together.
What services do you provide?
Examples of services we provide include:
Our community outreach team has worked with DEGA Mobile Vet to provide vet care to low-income pet owners
Providing supplemental dog and cat food to pet owners in need through the No Empty Bowl project
Delivering straw, tarps, dog houses, and flea/tick medicine to low-income families with outdoor dogs
Referring pet owners to our Kitty Clip and Pit Stop vouchers, and other low-cost spay/neuter options
Assisting low-income owners with medical costs, spay/neuter fees, and vet transportation (on a limited basis).Promoting low-cost rabies and microchip clinics sponsored by the Wake County Animal Center
Who runs the program?
The Community Outreach Program is run by volunteers with many years of experience building relationships in under-served areas of Wake County, through their work with Beyond Fences (the Raleigh chapter closed in 2018 but the valuable work of Beyond Fences continues in Durham).
Do you build fences for chained dogs?
No, we simply don’t have the funds or volunteers to build fences at this time. Note that it is illegal to keep a dog chained up in Cary, Garner and Raleigh. In other parts of Wake County, it is legal so long as the owner is providing adequate shelter, food and water.
Do you re-home pets?
No. Our goal is to keep pets and people together whenever possible. If you need to re-home your pet see this guidance.
How do you select the families you serve?
Since funds are limited, we focus on providing services to our No Empty Bowl clients, Kitty Clip and Pit Stop voucher recipients, and the under-served Wake County communities where we already have established relationships. We also partner with Wake County Animal Control for specific situations they identify.
How can I help?
You can help change lives for our most vulnerable pet populations. Please consider making a donation to the Friends of the Wake County Animal Center to support the new Community Outreach program, or buy items (especially flea/tick medication!) from our Wish lists.
Thank you for your continued support as we grow and as we work to improve the quality of life for animals here in Wake County.
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