We at St. Francis Pet Care wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year and thank you for your continued support! As New Year celebrations approach, we would like to share some tips for keeping your pets safe:
🎇 Keep them indoors: Loud fireworks can startle animals, causing them to panic and run away. Create a calm and secure environment by keeping your pets safely indoors during firework displays. Also remember that fireworks may go off well before and after the holiday.
🎆 Microchip/ place identification tags on your pets: The loud noises and chaos of the holiday can increase the chances of your pet getting lost. Ensure your pet is microchipped and that their contact information is up to date. It's a crucial step in reuniting them with you if they wander off.
🎇 Provide a safe space: Create a cozy and quiet area in your home where your pets can retreat. Close shades and curtains to muffle the sound and sights of fireworks. Put on music, TV, or other white noise to mask the sounds.
🎆 Safe travels: If you're hitting the road, make sure your pet is secured in a well-ventilated crate or restrained with a harness.
🎇 Watch out for debris: After the celebrations, be mindful of potential hazards on the ground. Clean up any fireworks debris, sparklers or other sharp objects that can harm your pet if swallowed or stepped on.
Remember, our companion animals rely on us for their well-being. Let's celebrate responsibly and keep them safe this New Year!! The clinic will reopen Tuesday, January 2nd.
Even a rainy day does not keep us from having a great morning visiting with lots of adorable pups at SW Advocacy Group (SWAG)! Did you know we hold a monthly mobile clinic in collaboration with SWAG? Visit their FB page to learn more about the amazing work this organization does for the community!
A huge thank you goes to St. Francis Pet Care volunteer veterinarians, vet techs and everyone who donates time and resources to make this service possible!
We have a new van! But it’s not just a van, it’s a mobile clinic!
We cannot thank ASPCA enough for this amazing donation (made possible by Alison Kennedy-Benson, thank you so much!). This generous gift will allow us to continue providing veterinary care through our outreach clinics at GRACE Marketplace and Swag Family Resource Center.
The mobile clinic features multiple exam tables, a built-in scale, a fridge to store meds or other perishable items, and so much more. Olivia, our wonderful volunteer, cannot contain her excitement and also points out that the inside walls can all serve as whiteboards, for plenty of notes, reminders and smiley faces!
We will be able to work more efficiently and make even more of a difference in the lives of our pets and their owners. Please join us in expressing our heartfelt gratitude to ASPCA! Thank you!
SFPC Spay/Neuter Information Video
For a pet to join our program and receive free vaccinations, food, and medicines, their owners must agree to spay/neuter all their pets.
For some pet owners, this may be the first time they heard about spaying/neutering and seriosuly considered it. So, we talk with potential clients about the many benefits of spaying/neutering. Sometimes, all someone needs is some information and a little reassuance. For others, they may be resistant about spaying/neutering their pets and we try to have ongoing conversations.
But we thought it might be better if the information about the benefits and process of spaying/neutering came from community members--who perhaps had the same fears but then had realized how important spaying/neutering their pet was. With funding from Maddie's Fund and videography from Gainesville-based production company Chris Cano at Betterme Productions, we filmed this short video. We plan to use the video help provide information about the benefits of spaying/neutering pets to members in all community.
The video is from our clients and volunteers at our monthly outreach clinic at SW Advocacy Group (SWAG). Thank you all to were interviewed--and as you'll see, our clients have some of the cutest pets around, and we are proud that is our mission to help keep these adorable pets happy, healthy, and with their owners.
informational packet explanation
Our main focus this year is our new clinic building but that doesn’t mean we aren’t always working on ways to improve our programs and help our community’s pet owners!
One new resource we’re providing our clients this year is an informational packet—in the video below our board member Amber Emanuel (with guest appearance from her pup Astaire) shares the details!
