By: Dee McKinsey—
Muncie, IN – ARF’s PAW (Promoting Animal Awareness) will offer low-cost services to pets of low-income individuals beginning this summer. It will include low-cost vaccinations and spay and neutering services for animals that might not ever see a veterinarian.
“We are proud to announce this new service for the Muncie area,” said Vickie Bevans, executive director of ARF’s PAW.
“The idea is not to take away clients that already have veterinarians, but tap into ARF’s low-income individuals,” said Bevans. “An informal poll of those clients, showed that 88 percent of them had never taken their pets to a veterinarian. We want to encourage them to not only spay and neuter their pets, but to look after the health care needs of their animals.”
ARF, a non-profit no kill shelter, has long given pet food to economically disadvantaged individuals, and has participated in the Spay-Neuter Services of Indiana, Inc. (SNAP). ARF also encourages that all pets be spayed or neutered, and for their owners to be good stewards of their pet’s health care.
Individuals receiving ARF’s PAW service will need to provide proof of income, just as they do with the ARF free food program.
ARF’s PAW is an outgrowth of the mission of ARF but has a separate financing, operational budget and board of directors.
“It has been the desire of ARF’s founder, Terry Panszi, to help these over-looked animals,” said Doug Bakken, president of the ARF’s PAW Board of Directors. “We are thrilled to be able to launch these services due to the generosity of donors, who share our vision.”
“All animals deserve our love and care,” said Panszi. “I am happy that these overlooked animals will have services.”
The vaccination clinic will be on the ARF Campus, 1209 W. Riggin Road, Muncie, will open in late June and the spay/neuter clinic will open in August at 3115 W. Bethel Ave., Muncie.
There will be a licensed veterinarian at both clinics two days a week, and at ARF another day.
ARF’s PAW is in cooperation with Animal Rescue Fund (ARF). It is a low-cost vaccination and spay/neuter clinic dedicated to encouraging the economically disadvantaged residents of Muncie and the surrounding areas to help their pets stay healthy and reduce the homeless pet population. It has been funded through the generosity of Muncie donors who belief in the arf PAW mission. Information on how to reach arf’s PAW through the website and telephone will be announced closer to the opening. For further information call ARF at 765-282-2733.
FACT SHEET
- ARF’s PAW (Promoting Animal Awareness) will offer low-cost health services to pets of low-income individuals beginning this summer. It will include low-cost vaccinations and spay and neutering services.
- ARF’s PAW’s target client is already a recipient of ARF’s services. ARF is Muncie’s non-profit, no-kill animal shelter. ARF provides food to low income individuals with pets.
- ARF advocates for spay and neutering all pets, and works with the Spay-Neuter Services of Indiana, INC. (SNSI) to provide low-cost services to those who need them.
- Proof of need is required for arf’s PAW, as it is with ARF.
- The vaccination clinic will be at ARF, 1209 W. Riggin Road, Muncie; the spay neuter clinic will be at 3115 W. Bethel Ave. The vaccination clinic will open in July and the spay/neuter clinic in August/September.
- A licensed veterinarian will be at both sites, which will be open separately two days a week.
- ARF’s PAW will work in cooperation with ARF, but has a separate board of directors, and operational budget. It is being financed by generous donors, including the late Jackie Michael and her husband Paul Holeman, who provided the current site of ARF’s three-acre campus.
