Response to free services post-Harvey helps inspire campaign for second low-cost veterinary clinic location
Major gifts from PetSmart Charities® Inc., Houston PetSet total $490K
The urgent need for affordable veterinary care in Houston was dramatically proven by the response to nonprofit low-cost veterinary clinic Emancipet’s offering of free services to families impacted by Hurricane Harvey for the last three months of 2017. Now, Emancipet is announcing two new major gifts to establish a second clinic in Houston.
PetSmart Charities Inc. is donating $250,000 and Houston’s PetSet is donating $240,000 for Emancipet’s second Houston location, and the total brings Emancipet more than halfway to its fundraising campaign goal of $765,000.
After Hurricane Harvey, Houston’s Emancipet clinic in the East End expanded days of operation and brought in veterinarians, staff, and volunteers from surrounding cities and states to help meet the overwhelming demand for the free services offered Sept. 9-Dec. 9. In the process, thousands of pets that otherwise would not have received treatment or might have been surrendered to shelters were able to stay healthy, and stay with their families.
The free services Emancipet provided, including 988 spay/neuter surgeries and 13,523 vaccinations, would have cost $883,930 at Emancipet’s low prices. If provided by a traditional veterinary practice, the services could have cost well over a million dollars.
Emancipet is evaluating properties for its new clinic in another underserved Houston neighborhood, and will begin construction in 2018. The clinic will offer low-cost spay/neuter surgeries, veterinary exams, vaccinations, heartworm testing and treatment, parasite prevention, microchipping, and treatment for eye, ear, and skin infections.
“Our staff are honored to serve the people and pets of Houston—before, during, and after Hurricane Harvey,” says Emancipet CEO Amy Mills.
“We saw more than ever how deep the need is for more low-cost veterinary care. Every neighborhood needs and deserves a safe and affordable veterinary clinic, and Emancipet is committed to opening clinics in underserved neighborhoods because we’ve seen how it transforms the lives of people and pets,” Mills says.
“We are very excited to be well on our way to completing fundraising for our second clinic in Houston, and are so grateful to PetSmart Charities and Houston PetSet for making this possible.”
David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D., president of PetSmart Charities, says: “Emancipet has proven its commitment to the community, especially during times of trial for so many people and their pets. PetSmart Charities is thrilled to support this commitment, that works to make pet health and wellness care accessible to underserved communities, and reduce the number of homeless pets and those who would be surrendered to shelters,” Haworth says.
Tena Lundquist Faust, who with sister Tama Lundquist is co-president of Houston PetSet, says: “Houston PetSet is proud to partner with Emancipet on the second clinic in Houston. Our supporters recognize that accessible spay and neuter services are critical to helping solve the problem of animal homelessness and suffering in our community,” Faust says.
Emancipet saw a huge outpouring of support for its initiative to provide free veterinary care to Houston pets whose families were impacted by Hurricane Harvey, including significant grants from the Alex & Elisabeth Lewyt Charitable Trust and The Humane Society of the United States, and from Maddie’s Fund®.
Free services were provided Sept. 9 through Dec. 9, and included 988 spay/neuter surgeries, 6,461 exams, 13,523 vaccines, 157 treatments for heartworms, and 3,911 microchips.
Emancipet’s clinic on Wayside Drive continues to be open five days a week, and continues to offer these same services at the same low prices as before the Hurricane Harvey response, including veterinary exams for $5 and spay/neuter surgery for $69.
Emancipet is located at 910 South Wayside Drive in Houston’s East End. For more information, go to https://emancipet.org/houston/ or call 713-321-2713.
