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Miami-Dade County Animal Services Department (Animal Services) has announced it recently received a $41,000 grant from PetSmart Charities to help provide affordable veterinary care, through Miami-Dade County’s new WOW (Wellness on Wheels) Mobile veterinary clinic, donated by Friends of Miami Animals.
Due to cost and other barriers, pets in under-resourced communities often do not have access to basic veterinary care. The WOW Mobile rotates to various locations throughout the county that have been identified as veterinary deserts, or areas with few or no options for veterinary care.
The WOW Mobile is fully equipped to provide routine medical care to owned dogs and cats, such as physical exams, wellness vaccines and boosters, heartworm and fecal parasite screening, deworming, heartworm and flea/tick prevention, ear cleaning, nail trimming, and other basic procedures.
Veterinarians and technicians staffing the vehicle also will refer clients to low or no-cost options for spay/neuter surgeries, and other treatments that pets may need not offered by the WOW Mobile.
“The WOW Mobile focusses on serving veterinary deserts in underserved neighborhoods in Miami-Dade bringing vital veterinary care services free of charge to pet owners in need,” said Lorna Mejia-Lopez, Animal Services interim director.
“Thanks to the generosity of supporters like PetSmart Charities and FoMA, we are able to help pet owners keep their pets healthy so they can enjoy a lifetime of companionship,” she said.
“We are thrilled to support Animal Services in making affordable veterinary care more accessible to communities in need throughout Miami-Dade County,” said Kelly Balthazor, Community Grants manager at PetSmart Charities. “Providing basic services within these communities eliminates barriers such as cost and transportation and ensures pets and pet parents can thrive together.”
Since 1994, through its partnership with nearly 4,000 humane societies, SPCAs and pet rescues across North America, PetSmart Charities has helped more than 9 million pets to find loving homes via its in-store adoption program in over 1,650 PetSmart stores. The leading funder of animal welfare also has donated nearly $400 million to positively impact communities, to connect people and pets, to help preserve families and to improve access to veterinary care through initiatives like this with Animal Services.
For more information about programs serving Miami-Dade County’s pets and pet owners at Miami-Dade County Animal Services Department visit Animals.Miamidade.gov, call 311, or follow Animal Services on social media @adoptmiamipets
