logo
Can't get your pet to vet? New mobile unit soon to visit Pierce County cities

Can't get your pet to vet? New mobile unit soon to visit Pierce County cities

Yahoo23-04-2025

Starting this weekend, a new mobile veterinary unit will be serving Pierce County and bringing animal care into new neighborhoods.
On Monday, the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County unveiled its new service on wheels, named S.P.O.T. for Spay/Neuter, Preventative medicine, Outreach and Transport. Costing just under $400,000, the project was funded by donors, especially by a major donation from the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, according to Leslie Dalzell, chief executive officer of the Humane Society TPC.
Dalzell told The News Tribune that a national shortage of veterinarians has raised prices of animal healthcare, making services more difficult to afford. The mobile unit especially hopes to improve low-income pet owners' access to care through vaccines, microchip services and wellness exams right in their neighborhoods. The mobile unit primarily will serve cats and dogs for the time being, she added.
Dalzell said building trust and relationships with the community will take time, but the Humane Society plans to begin to integrate the mobile unit with monthly wellness clinics.
'This first year is going to be a little bit ramping up those networks,' Dalzell said. 'We may even partner with some other community leaders in the area, some churches, community centers, and other rescues … so we can make as big an impact as possible.'
Lauren Green, the Humane Society TPC's director of communications, told The News Tribune that S.P.O.T. is custom-made and will carry medications, vaccines, pet food and other tools, supporting monthly vaccine and wellness clinics, mobile adoption events and especially focus on a targeted Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) program to help diminish local cat colonies. It also is equipped with a surgical suite for spay or neuter surgery in the field — although that service will not be immediately available for pets to focus on cat-colony management — and spaces for animals to recover after procedures, she said.
The first monthly wellness clinic will occur Saturday, April 26, Dalzell said, adding that visitors can find information on future clinics and S.P.O.T.'s whereabouts on the Humane Society website at thehumanesociety.org.
Christine Avelar, director of veterinary services at the Humane Society TPC, told The News Tribune that the mobile unit would be great for outreach to under-served communities across Pierce County. She added access to services has been a huge need for the area — many people have expressed issues with lack of transport or disability that create challenges to reaching the main clinic.
Introducing S.P.O.T. to areas that lack access to pet wellness also will help the Humane Society disseminate information and educate people and animal caretakers about the best decisions and care for their animals.
The Humane Society will be hiring a coordinator position to manage the mobile unit's programming, and veterinarians will rotate shifts in the vehicle, Avelar added. Avelar said she is excited to be one of the veterinarians working in S.P.O.T. in the future.
'We'll be able to vaccinate and do simple medical procedures for the folks in the community that can't get here, so I'm really excited to be able to help those pets,' Avelar said.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Influx of kittens prompts plea to neuter cats
Influx of kittens prompts plea to neuter cats

Yahoo

time2 days ago

  • Yahoo

Influx of kittens prompts plea to neuter cats

An animal rescue charity is urging people to neuter their cats because of a rise in the number of kittens needing rehoming. Suffolk Animal Rescue, which is based in Stowmarket, said they had been inundated with kittens and have had to make an urgent appeal for donations to fund food and medication. Staff say the most concerning aspects are the risk of an immunodeficiency virus and the number of pregnant kittens they are dealing with. Emma Floyd, a kennel maid for the charity, said: "People that let their female cats out too soon are running at a high risk of their cat becoming pregnant." The Suffolk based charity specialises in taking in feral cats and "taming them". They said it was becoming "extremely concerning" after they started to see kittens having their own babies. Ms Floyd, who lives in Pettistree, said: "I think last year we were around the 50-kitten mark. "It takes a long time getting through the kittens and mums. It is not just the care, but it is the medication." Due to the influx of kittens arriving at the rehoming centre, the charity said they had been working to maximise space. "It is thinking about if we have older kittens who can move on to the older area, it frees up our spaces," Ms Floyd added. She raised concerns about domestic cats not being neutered and also contracting Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). According to the RSPCA, FIV is a viral infection that results in cats having a weakened immune system. Ms Floyd said people could be "running a high risk" of their cat mating with an FIV-positive tom if they are not neutered. "There are so many schemes set up for people to get help with neutering their cat," she added. An online wishlist was set up by the rescue centre after it "went through supplies at a very fast pace". Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. 'We've been rescuing and rehoming cats for 100 years' Animal shelter that was set to close could stay open 'We're rehoming more dogs due to cost of living' Suffolk Animal Rescue

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health files notice of layoffs including in Tacoma
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health files notice of layoffs including in Tacoma

Yahoo

time4 days ago

  • Yahoo

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health files notice of layoffs including in Tacoma

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health is eliminating more than 100 jobs systemwide, including in Tacoma, tied to virtual-care services. According to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filed Thursday, the layoffs will commence July 28, affecting 116 workers. A VMFH media representative told The News Tribune via email that the layoffs are across the health care system, and 'not limited to Tacoma.' Chad Melton is Interim president, Puget Sound Market, for VMFH. In a statement, Melton said the cuts were part of 'critical but necessary steps to remain financially sustainable so we can continue delivering high-quality care to the communities we serve.' 'This includes transitioning several virtual services and administrative functions, which will impact approximately 200 team members. Affected employees have been notified and are receiving personalized support, including placement assistance and access to open roles within our organization.' Melton noted that VMFH, 'like health care systems across the country,' is facing significant financial pressures 'including rising labor and supply costs, increasing claim denials and chronic underpayment from government programs.' 'These challenges have only intensified in Washington state, where a new budget introduces new taxes that directly affect hospitals and reduces reimbursement, most notably by capping payments for care provided to state and school employees. These changes are expected to cost VMFH an additional $30 million each year.' Melton said that the system as a result was 'realigning resources and improving operational efficiency.' 'These are difficult and necessary decisions to ensure we can continue meeting the needs of our patients — today and into the future,' he added. No further details were available Thursday night.

8th rabies case confirmed in Gaston County
8th rabies case confirmed in Gaston County

Yahoo

time6 days ago

  • Yahoo

8th rabies case confirmed in Gaston County

GASTON COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Gaston County has confirmed the county's eighth rabies case of 2025. 7th rabies case confirmed in Gaston County On Tuesday, June 3, Gaston County Police Animal Care and Enforcement received a call from the NCDHHS State Laboratory of Public Health in Raleigh in reference to a cat that had tested positive for rabies. A private citizen, part of a TNR (Trap Neuter Release) program, located a cat in the 100 Block of Pistol Road, Dallas on May 25. The cat received a spay on May 27 at a local clinic and did not recover from the surgery as normal. The cat was seen again by the clinic on May 30, and a different regimen of medications and procedures were tried over the weekend. On June 2, the cat was still not improving and was taken to a different local veterinarian office, but the cat passed away while in route to that facility. The citizen transported the cat to the Griffin Animal Disease Lab in Monroe and dropped it off for a necropsy, where it later tested positive for rabies. An Animal Care and Enforcement Specialist completed a neighborhood canvass in the area of Pistol Road, Dallas on June 3 to notify the community of the positive rabies results, and verify rabies vaccinations for family pets in the area. In addition, the Enforcement Specialist gathered information from all other persons who may have had contact with the cat in question and provided resources and education to help understand the dangers of family and community pets that are not adequately vaccinated. Gaston County Animal Care and Enforcement notified the Gaston County Department of Health and Human Services about the incident. DHHS has been reaching out to those affected in order to provide guidance and recommendations for this possible exposure. The Gaston County Police Department Animal Care and Enforcement Division stresses the importance of having a valid rabies vaccination for all pet's health and safety, as well as the health and safety of their owners and community. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store