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Mobile service offers low-cost pet sterilization
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| Veterinarian Dr. Pamela Brambert, provides low-cost services, including vaccinations, sterilizations, micro-chipping and dental work through the Animal Rural Klinic (ARK), with help from Vet Technicians Janneka Rodenberg, and Heidi Tipling (not pictured). (AINSLEE S. WITTIG/ARN) |
By Ainslee S. Wittig & Dana Cole/Arizona Range News
For two years, a mobile animal clinic has helped to offset the increasing canine and feline population increase by offering low-cost spays and neuters in Cochise County.
Animal Rural Klinic, or ARK, has performed more than 7,000 spays and neuters since starting its practice in Cochise County in July 2008.
ARK clinic is sponsored by The Cochise County Humane Society (CCHS), with funding assistance provided by Arizona Pet Plate Grants.
Arizona Pet Plate is funded by the purchase of pet-friendly licenses plates, and the funding awarded to CCHS is used for the spay/neuter of animals within Cochise County.
At the beginning of 2010, CCHS received $7,500 for the spay/neuter of companion dogs; and $2,500 for the spay/neuter of free-roaming cats, said CCHS volunteer Robin Redding.
She said the committee also awarded the Cochise County Sheriff's Office a companion animal spay/neuter grant of $8,000. The sheriff's office works in conjunction with CCHS and the Animal Rural Klinic mobile service to provide low cost spay/neuter.
"Animal Rural Klinic has had a profound impact (on the population of puppies and kittens in Cochise County)," said Glenn Baxter, president of the Cochise County Humane Society, the organization that arranged for ARK to start working in Cochise County. "Last Friday, a Sierra Vista animal control officer said there were far fewer kittens this spring than in the past. And I have spoken to three county animal control officers and they said there was a measurable difference in the number of puppies and kittens they've had to deal with this season. And we've continued to fill the spay/neuter clinics."
"We're quite pleased with ARK and the Cochise County Humane Society Board has continued to pledge support for trap and release of feral cats (for spay and neuter purposes) and support for resources for the ARK clinics (to help those who can't afford to pay for spay / neuter of their animals)," Baxter said.
Surgeries are provided by Veterinarian Pamela Brambert with the help of two long-time veterinary technicians, Heidi Tipling and Janneka Rodenburg, both of Willcox. There are about eight clinics each month at locations throughout the county, include Willcox, Sierra Vista, Benson, Whetstone, Elfrida and Tombstone.
While working for a veterinary hospital in Willcox, Brambert was deeply moved by the need for low-cost spay and neuter services in Southeastern Arizona.
"We would have clients who wanted to spay or neuter their pets, but just couldn't afford it," she said. "It was sad to see the number of pet owners who decided not to spay or neuter because of the cost."
In Tucson, there are all kinds of options for people who can't afford the prices that regular animal hospitals charge, Brambert said. "But there was a tremendous need for low-cost options in Southeastern Arizona. And the economy has made that even more important."
Wanting to take a proactive step to help animals and their owners in this area, Brambert purchased a mobile unit and started offering low-cost vaccinations, spays and neuters in different locations throughout the county.
Word traveled fast.
Not long after starting the low-cost services, Brambert was contacted by the Cochise County Humane Society to see what kind of availability she could offer the organization. They worked out a collaborative arrangement, with Brambert working mostly in Cochise County.
In exchange for those services, Humane Society volunteers assist with the different clinics by scheduling appointments, negotiating locations for the mobile unit, providing crates or carriers for those who don't have them and helping with releases when animals are ready to go home.
At Tipling's home in Willcox, a kennel is used to house the animals in crates prior to and following waking up from surgery. She added swamp cooling in the kennel to make it usable in the summer.
Both Tipling and Rodenburg often take animals into their homes that are waiting for adoption, help them become healthy and wash and groom them.
"It really feels good to help and make a difference," Tipling said of her years of volunteering and working with ARK. "We give back to the community as much as we can because this is important to us. That's why we started this."
On clinic days, volunteers such as Dorothy Lyons of Bowie organize the patients coming in for surgery in the kennel. Every crate is labeled and each has paperwork attached to it with the animal's information.
As the veterinary team is ready, animals are moved to the mobile surgical unit, parked next to the kennel.
All animals - with the exception of feral cats - are checked over prior to receiving sedation and anesthesia. If Brambert notes a health problem, the animal is referred to a veterinarian and the surgery is put on hold. Toenails are trimmed and any retained deciduous teeth are extracted free of charge while the animal is under anesthesia.
Those who cannot afford to pay for their pet's procedure may be covered through the Humane Society. Dogs and cats may also be vaccinated at a reduced cost.
Assisted by Rodenburg and Tipling, Brambert finishes a spay surgery on a young dog. The patient is wrapped in a blanket and placed in the front portion of the mobile unit, until she is awake.
"This is our recovery area," Tipling said. "It gets a little tight in here, but we make sure the animals are waking up well before they're returned to their crates, where they are watched by a volunteer."
Every dog wears a special cone-shaped collar around its neck, just behind its head, when it goes home. The collar, called an E-collar, prevents the animal from licking and chewing the incision site.
Owners are asked to leave the collar on for a couple of days, even if the dog objects to it. In addition, all animals are given an injection to control pain.
Additional pain medication is provided for pets if their owners request it.
Volunteers contact pet owners several days after an animal's surgery to see how it's doing and answer any questions.
"All of us really believe in what we're doing here," said Tipling. "We know we're making a positive impact (on unwanted animal populations) because animal control officers say there are fewer cats and dogs in animal shelters."
Rodenberg said they do about 30 spays or neuters a day during a clinic.
"And, we are always looking for volunteers to help during these clinics," she added.
Willcox Humane Officer Kelly Colbert said, "I don't know if the amount of animals we take in has slowed due to the economy. However, ARK has made a big impact on Cochise County - their clinics are always full and they do 35 to 40 animals a day."
And Willcox Animal Control Officer Reilly Loerzel agrees.
"They (ARK personnel) do a great deed. It has really helped out this community," he said. "All of our animals go through ARK (prior to adopting them out). They do a lot of great programs for people who need assistance with their pets. They also help out with feral cats - people bring them in to be spayed or neutered and then they are released again."
"ARK has been wonderful," he said. "Dr. Brambert has been a godsend for us."
Clinic information
Veterinarian Pamela Brambert graduated from the University of Missouri, Columbia, in 1991. Along with the mobile spay/neuter unit, she works part-time at Old Pueblo Veterinary Clinic in Tucson. Brambert lives in Vail, just east of Tucson.
To reach ARK Mobile Veterinary Services, call (520) 730-3001. The schedule is available at the CCHS website, www.cochisecountyhumanesociety.org . Click on spay/neuter. Appointments and prior financial arrangements are required. Low-income families may call CCHS clinic coordinator Jere Fredenburgh at 520-803-7385 for financial assistance.
There is typically several weeks to a month wait for a spay/neuter appointment, Tipling said, depending on where you want to go.
Other services offered include vaccines, micro-chipping, deworming, nail trimming and anal gland expression. A state of the art dental machine has also been added to the mobile clinic, and clinics will be offered for dental work, including polishing, scaling or extracting teeth on animals. ARK may also offer low-cost vaccinations with dental clinics. Vaccinations may also be given with spays and neuters as well.
The next Willcox clinic will be held July 7-8.
Healing Hearts
Animal Refuge
Healing Hearts Animal Refuge in Willcox also hosts low-cost spay/neuter clinics for dog and cat owners and their pets and may have animals, including horses, for adoption. Call (480) 772-9502 to make an appointment for the next clinic.
Ainslee Wittig is the managing editor at the Arizona Range News. Dana Cole is a reporter at the Sierra Vista Herald.
Animal Rural Klinic, or ARK, has performed more than 7,000 spays and neuters since starting its practice in Cochise County in July 2008.
ARK clinic is sponsored by The Cochise County Humane Society (CCHS), with funding assistance provided by Arizona Pet Plate Grants.
Arizona Pet Plate is funded by the purchase of pet-friendly licenses plates, and the funding awarded to CCHS is used for the spay/neuter of animals within Cochise County.
At the beginning of 2010, CCHS received $7,500 for the spay/neuter of companion dogs; and $2,500 for the spay/neuter of free-roaming cats, said CCHS volunteer Robin Redding.
She said the committee also awarded the Cochise County Sheriff's Office a companion animal spay/neuter grant of $8,000. The sheriff's office works in conjunction with CCHS and the Animal Rural Klinic mobile service to provide low cost spay/neuter.
"Animal Rural Klinic has had a profound impact (on the population of puppies and kittens in Cochise County)," said Glenn Baxter, president of the Cochise County Humane Society, the organization that arranged for ARK to start working in Cochise County. "Last Friday, a Sierra Vista animal control officer said there were far fewer kittens this spring than in the past. And I have spoken to three county animal control officers and they said there was a measurable difference in the number of puppies and kittens they've had to deal with this season. And we've continued to fill the spay/neuter clinics."
"We're quite pleased with ARK and the Cochise County Humane Society Board has continued to pledge support for trap and release of feral cats (for spay and neuter purposes) and support for resources for the ARK clinics (to help those who can't afford to pay for spay / neuter of their animals)," Baxter said.
Surgeries are provided by Veterinarian Pamela Brambert with the help of two long-time veterinary technicians, Heidi Tipling and Janneka Rodenburg, both of Willcox. There are about eight clinics each month at locations throughout the county, include Willcox, Sierra Vista, Benson, Whetstone, Elfrida and Tombstone.
While working for a veterinary hospital in Willcox, Brambert was deeply moved by the need for low-cost spay and neuter services in Southeastern Arizona.
"We would have clients who wanted to spay or neuter their pets, but just couldn't afford it," she said. "It was sad to see the number of pet owners who decided not to spay or neuter because of the cost."
In Tucson, there are all kinds of options for people who can't afford the prices that regular animal hospitals charge, Brambert said. "But there was a tremendous need for low-cost options in Southeastern Arizona. And the economy has made that even more important."
Wanting to take a proactive step to help animals and their owners in this area, Brambert purchased a mobile unit and started offering low-cost vaccinations, spays and neuters in different locations throughout the county.
Word traveled fast.
Not long after starting the low-cost services, Brambert was contacted by the Cochise County Humane Society to see what kind of availability she could offer the organization. They worked out a collaborative arrangement, with Brambert working mostly in Cochise County.
In exchange for those services, Humane Society volunteers assist with the different clinics by scheduling appointments, negotiating locations for the mobile unit, providing crates or carriers for those who don't have them and helping with releases when animals are ready to go home.
At Tipling's home in Willcox, a kennel is used to house the animals in crates prior to and following waking up from surgery. She added swamp cooling in the kennel to make it usable in the summer.
Both Tipling and Rodenburg often take animals into their homes that are waiting for adoption, help them become healthy and wash and groom them.
"It really feels good to help and make a difference," Tipling said of her years of volunteering and working with ARK. "We give back to the community as much as we can because this is important to us. That's why we started this."
On clinic days, volunteers such as Dorothy Lyons of Bowie organize the patients coming in for surgery in the kennel. Every crate is labeled and each has paperwork attached to it with the animal's information.
As the veterinary team is ready, animals are moved to the mobile surgical unit, parked next to the kennel.
All animals - with the exception of feral cats - are checked over prior to receiving sedation and anesthesia. If Brambert notes a health problem, the animal is referred to a veterinarian and the surgery is put on hold. Toenails are trimmed and any retained deciduous teeth are extracted free of charge while the animal is under anesthesia.
Those who cannot afford to pay for their pet's procedure may be covered through the Humane Society. Dogs and cats may also be vaccinated at a reduced cost.
Assisted by Rodenburg and Tipling, Brambert finishes a spay surgery on a young dog. The patient is wrapped in a blanket and placed in the front portion of the mobile unit, until she is awake.
"This is our recovery area," Tipling said. "It gets a little tight in here, but we make sure the animals are waking up well before they're returned to their crates, where they are watched by a volunteer."
Every dog wears a special cone-shaped collar around its neck, just behind its head, when it goes home. The collar, called an E-collar, prevents the animal from licking and chewing the incision site.
Owners are asked to leave the collar on for a couple of days, even if the dog objects to it. In addition, all animals are given an injection to control pain.
Additional pain medication is provided for pets if their owners request it.
Volunteers contact pet owners several days after an animal's surgery to see how it's doing and answer any questions.
"All of us really believe in what we're doing here," said Tipling. "We know we're making a positive impact (on unwanted animal populations) because animal control officers say there are fewer cats and dogs in animal shelters."
Rodenberg said they do about 30 spays or neuters a day during a clinic.
"And, we are always looking for volunteers to help during these clinics," she added.
Willcox Humane Officer Kelly Colbert said, "I don't know if the amount of animals we take in has slowed due to the economy. However, ARK has made a big impact on Cochise County - their clinics are always full and they do 35 to 40 animals a day."
And Willcox Animal Control Officer Reilly Loerzel agrees.
"They (ARK personnel) do a great deed. It has really helped out this community," he said. "All of our animals go through ARK (prior to adopting them out). They do a lot of great programs for people who need assistance with their pets. They also help out with feral cats - people bring them in to be spayed or neutered and then they are released again."
"ARK has been wonderful," he said. "Dr. Brambert has been a godsend for us."
Clinic information
Veterinarian Pamela Brambert graduated from the University of Missouri, Columbia, in 1991. Along with the mobile spay/neuter unit, she works part-time at Old Pueblo Veterinary Clinic in Tucson. Brambert lives in Vail, just east of Tucson.
To reach ARK Mobile Veterinary Services, call (520) 730-3001. The schedule is available at the CCHS website, www.cochisecountyhumanesociety.org . Click on spay/neuter. Appointments and prior financial arrangements are required. Low-income families may call CCHS clinic coordinator Jere Fredenburgh at 520-803-7385 for financial assistance.
There is typically several weeks to a month wait for a spay/neuter appointment, Tipling said, depending on where you want to go.
Other services offered include vaccines, micro-chipping, deworming, nail trimming and anal gland expression. A state of the art dental machine has also been added to the mobile clinic, and clinics will be offered for dental work, including polishing, scaling or extracting teeth on animals. ARK may also offer low-cost vaccinations with dental clinics. Vaccinations may also be given with spays and neuters as well.
The next Willcox clinic will be held July 7-8.
Healing Hearts
Animal Refuge
Healing Hearts Animal Refuge in Willcox also hosts low-cost spay/neuter clinics for dog and cat owners and their pets and may have animals, including horses, for adoption. Call (480) 772-9502 to make an appointment for the next clinic.
Ainslee Wittig is the managing editor at the Arizona Range News. Dana Cole is a reporter at the Sierra Vista Herald.
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