Events

KIRA Club Kids Perform Surgery on Stuffed Animals

This month our KIRA Club (Kids Interested in Rescuing Animals) had a very informative and hands-on meeting. 

The kids learned all about different exams and surgeries animals receive at our Planned PEThood Duluth clinic, including how to check an animal for a microchip, how to check important vitals, and how to perform surgery to remove foreign objects. After learning all the important steps, they were able to put their new knowledge to the test and perform these exams and surgeries on stuffed animals. The kids had an absolute blast! We even had three kids at the meeting who want to be veterinarians when they grow up. How cool!

Animal rescue, compassion, and kindness can and should be taught at a young age, which is why we developed KIRA Club (Kids Interested in Rescuing Animals). Thanks to a grant from Orphan Kitten Club and Kitten Lady in Kira Serisky’s memory, we were able to start this program to help educate and inspire kids who are interested in animal welfare. 

KIRA Club has monthly meetings to discuss certain topics on the importance of animal rescue. These meetings include crafts, projects, guest speakers, presentations, and opportunities to meet a few furry guests. Children age 5 to 17 are welcome to join. We truly love seeing this club continue to grow and we know this program is making a huge difference in the lives of these children. 

Email events@PEThoodGA.org to learn more about KIRA Club and upcoming meetings.

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A Slithering Snake Makes an Appearance at KIRA Club

This month our KIRA Club (Kids Interested in Rescuing Animals) had an incredible meeting and were able to meet different animals than they are used to meeting.

Thanks to Autrey Mill Nature Preserve, the kids learned all about rescue in the wildlife world and even had the chance to meet a few interesting creatures. Bottle Cap, a snake, and Mr. What, a turtle, loved meeting the KIRA Club kids. It was a fun and exciting meeting that will make a huge difference and impact these kids. The Autrey Mill Nature Preserve is a wonderful resource for the community and family. Make sure to check them out!

Animal rescue, compassion, and kindness can and should be taught at a young age, which is why we developed KIRA Club (Kids Interested in Rescuing Animals). Thanks to a grant from Orphan Kitten Club and Kitten Lady in Kira Serisky’s memory, we were able to start this program.

KIRA Club has monthly meetings to discuss certain tops and educate/inspire children on the importance of animal rescue. These meetings include crafts, projects, speakers, presentations, and opportunities to meet a few furry (in this case scaley) guests. Children ages 5 to 17 are welcome to join. 

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Help for 227 Gwinnett County Pets and Their Parents

Planned PEThood’s outreach team, Go Fix Georgia, teamed up with Gwinnett County Animal Welfare and Enforcement to provide free vet care and supplies to pet owners in need on Saturday, April 15th. In just four hours, 165 dogs and 62 cats received much-needed assistance including 200 FREE rabies vaccines, 214 FREE distemper vaccines thanks to Petco Love, and 152 FREE microchips!

The need for outreach events like this continues to increase unfortunately as the cost of pet food and veterinary care soars. The need was obvious as dozens of people lined up early in the morning hours before the event started. Our team ran ahead of schedule the entire time and was able to help every owner who showed up. 54% of pets had not been spayed or neutered, with most of that percentage never having been to a vet before in their life! We plan to continue working with Gwinnett County and other counties to host outreach events like this in the future. 

There were so many amazing organizations and volunteers that came together to help make this event such a success. Without their support, this would have never been possible. THANK YOU! Our Go Fix Georgia team could not have done it without our event sponsor, Fix Georgia Pets, or without the assistance of Gwinnett County Animal Welfare and Enforcement.

Event Sponsor:

Fix Georgia Pets

Other Assistance Provided By:

Gwinnett County Animal Welfare and Enforcement

Petco Love

Atlanta Humane Society

The Original Poop Bags

Department of Agriculture Spay/Neuter Tag

Make sure to check our newsletters and emails for upcoming dates! We are always looking for partner companies or individuals to sponsor outreach events. Please email tweaver@PEThoodGA.org if you or your company might be interested in giving back.

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Walton County Residents and Their Pets Get the Help They Need at Our First-Ever Walton County Outreach Event

Our first Walton County Outreach event was a complete success! On January 14th, 171 pets received much-needed assistance in Walton County. Planned PEThood’s outreach team, Go Fix Georgia, teamed up with Walton County Animal Control and Best Friends Animal Society to provide free vet care and supplies to pet owners in need. In total, we were able to help 123 dogs and 48 cats and provide:

  • 137 rabies vaccines
  • 150 distemper vaccines
  • 158 microchips
  • 120 spay/neuter vouchers

These events ensure the wellness of pets in the community and reduce overpopulation through free spay/neuter. The need for outreach events like this was obvious as people lined up early in the brutally cold morning. There were two urgent medical cases mixed into the crowd. Just days after the Walton County Outreach event, our vet team was able to perform two lifesaving surgeries. These kitties and their owners would not have gotten the help needed without the outreach event. Watch the video below to hear more about their incredible stories.

So many amazing organizations and volunteers came together to help make this event successful. THANK YOU ALL! Our Go Fix Georgia team could not have done it without our event sponsor, Best Friends Animal Society, or without the assistance of Walton County Animal Control. We hope to work with Walton County Animal Control to help more pets and people in Walton County in the future.

Event Sponsor: Best Friends Animal Society

Other Assistance Provided By:

Walton County Animal Control

Atlanta Humane Society

Petco Love

Bissell Pet Foundation

GA Department of Agriculture

Fi Nano

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Grinch Helps Habersham

On a cold and rainy day in December, 220 pets received much-needed assistance in Habersham County. Planned PEThood’s outreach team, Go Fix Georgia, teamed up with Habersham County Animal Care and Control to provide free vet care and supplies to pet owners in need. In total, 133 dogs and 87 cats received assistance and 150 pets received free spay/neuter vouchers. 

The need for outreach events like this is obvious. Hundreds of people lined up early in the cold morning, some arriving hours before the event started. For hours, staff and volunteers helped a continuous line of animals whose owners drove through the pop-up event. Habersham county residents do not have easy access to low-cost veterinary services, and as a result many pets in the community are unable to see a veterinarian and get basic care.

There were so many amazing organizations and volunteers that came together to help make this event successful – including the Grinch. His heart really did grow three sizes!

Without their support, this would never have been possible! THANK YOU!

Event Sponsored in part by: BISSELL Pet Foundation, Atlanta Humane Society, Petco Love, GA Department of Agriculture, Fi Nano Microchips

You can read more about the event in the local newspaper article.

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Thank You BISSELL Pet Foundation!

We want to take this time to give a huge THANK YOU to our partner, BISSELL Pet Foundation. Through two of their programs, we have been able to help pets find their forever homes and pet owners get the spay and neuter surgeries their pets need. Ultimately, both of these programs help end pet homelessness! 

The first week of October was BISSELL Pet Foundation’s “Empty the Shelters” quarterly event. 10 kitties are in their forever homes this week thanks to Cathy Bissell and the Bissell Pet Foundation. Their “Empty the Shelters” effort helped sponsor reduced adoption fees for $25 or less at over 200 shelters and rescues across the country, including Planned PEThood of GA. 

Bissell began the “Empty the Shelters” event in 2016 as an effort to encourage more families to adopt a pet into their home. Since then, BISSELL Pet Foundation has expanded its “Empty the Shelters” reach to organizations in 47 states and Canada with over 500 partners. 

Below is a list of the adopted cats and pictures of a few of the adopted animals! We still have lots of cats and kittens in need of homes so view our adoptable cats here!

Happy life to Caramelo, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Ryder, Ebon & Estra, Fred, Babesita, Smokey, and Gretel! We are so glad you all found your forever homes! 

Through BISSELL Pet Foundation’s Spay/Neuter Grant, Planned PEThood has been able to help local pet owners safely spay and neuter their pets at a low cost or no cost. This helps end pet homelessness by preventing unwanted litters and decreasing the number of pets entering shelters. They have awarded grants in all 50 states and over 5,600 partner organizations. BISSELL Pet Foundation awarded Planned PEThood of GA $6,875 in funds to help more than 200 pets with free or reduced spay-neuter procedures.  Thanks to BISSELL Pet Foundation, pets, like Halo and Orianna, were able to get spayed and neutered. Thank you, BISSELL Pet Foundation and Cathy Bissell, for helping these pets in need! Remember, every Bissell product helps a pet in need. 

Bissell Empty the Shelter Event

Bissell Spay/Neuter Grant

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Newton County Residents and Their Pets Get the Help They Need!

 

This past Saturday, 224 pets received much needed assistance in Newton County. Planned PEThood’s outreach team, Go Fix Georgia, teamed up with Newton County Animal Control to provide free vet care and supplies to pet owners in need. In total, we were able to help 171 dogs and 53 cats and provide:

 

  • 194 rabies vaccines
  • 206 distemper vaccines
  • 193 microchips
  • 130 spay/neuter vouchers
  • 2,000+ lbs of pet food, leashes and collars

 

 

The need for outreach events like this was obvious. Hundreds of people lined up early in the chilly morning, some getting there hours before the event started. Owning a pet right now is hard. Vet care might be the last thing you can afford. These events help ensure the wellness of pets in the community and reduce overpopulation through free spay/neuter. We plan to continue working with Newton County and other counties to host outreach events like this in the future.

There were so many amazing organizations and volunteers that came together to help make this event successful. Without their support this would never have been possible. THANK YOU ALL!

Event Sponsor:

HALO (Hospice and Love Organization) – Newton County-based animal welfare agency 

Other Assistance Provided by:

Newton County Animal Control

Banfield Pet Foundation 

Atlanta Humane Society 

Petco Love 

Bissell Pet Foundation

GA Department of Agriculture

 

Free distemper vaccines were provided thanks to Petco Love and the vaccination campaign. The free vaccines are made possible through Petco Love’s national vaccination initiative, which is providing 1 million free pet vaccines to its existing animal welfare partners, including Planned PEThood of GA. An estimated 30% of pet parents do not take their pet to a veterinarian annually for preventative care. To address this critical need, we have partnered with Petco Love to make pet vaccines free and accessible in an effort to ensure the health and wellness of our beloved pets.  #VaccinatedAndLoved

 

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BISSELL Empty the Shelter Adoption Week: Oct. 1-8

BISSELL Pet Foundation is hosting its Fall 2022 national “Empty the Shelters” adoption event October 1-8, 2022, a quarterly event that helps pets find their furrever homes through reduced adoption fees at shelters across the country, including Planned PEThood of GA. 

During Empty the Shelters week, all cats 5 months and older available through Planned PEThood of GA will have their adoption fees reduced to $25! Each cat is spayed or neutered, up-to-date on vaccines, microchipped, tested, and de-wormed. By adopting a pet in need, you will open a foster home to save another animal from a shelter. 

View adoptable cats and apply/adopt within the week of October 1-8 to receive the discounted adoption fee courtesy of BISSELL Pet Foundation. View our adoptable pets now!

Visit us on October 1 at PetSmart Lawrenceville or October 8 at PetSmart Johns Creek to meet a variety of cats and kittens available for adoption.

You can learn more about BISSELL Pet Foundation’s Empty the Shelters program here: https://www.bissellpetfoundation.org/programs/empty-the-shelters/

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Win a Wellness Package for Your Cat or Dog!

Can you believe it’s been ONE YEAR since our Wellness Clinic at Planned PEThood opened?! It first opened its doors towards the end of September 2021, celebrating our very first client, Porkchop. Now, almost a year later and over 6,000 appointments later, our clinic is ready to extend our hours. Starting at the end of August, the Wellness Clinic is open FOUR DAYS a week due to the increasing demand for appointments. 

In celebration of our new extended hours at our Wellness Clinic, we are giving away multiple Wellness Packages PLUS a year’s supply of heart-worm medication, provided by Elanco. 

A Wellness Package includes a wellness exam, vaccinations, testing, and a microchip. 

Once you enter, make sure to share on social media for EXTRA chances to win. The giveaway will close at the end of September and the winner will be announced at the beginning of October. 

Our Wellness Clinic is NOW OPEN Monday-Thursday from 8 AM to 12 PM for basic veterinary care, routine vaccinations, minor health concerns, heartworm, and FIV/FeLV tests, deworming, microchips, kitten/puppy booster shots, preventative medications for fleas and heartworms, testing, ear cleaning, annual bloodwork, nail trims, and injections for itchy skin.

Learn more or book an appointment at: pethoodga.org/wellness

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Petco Love Gifts Community with Free Pet Vaccines

As Part of Petco Love’s Initiative to Provide 1 Million Free Pet Vaccines, Planned PEThood of GA Will Distribute Free Pet Vaccines to all patients through the end of February. This includes patients here for surgery, vaccine clinics, or our new Wellness Clinic.

 

1 million free pet vaccinesThe free vaccines are made possible through Petco Love’s new national vaccination initiative, which is providing 1 million free pet vaccines to its existing animal welfare partners, including Planned PEThood of GA for family pets in need.

Parvovirus and distemper in dogs, and panleukopenia in cats, are some of the most prevalent deadly diseases impacting pets that are preventable with a simple vaccine. An estimated 30% of pet parents do not take their pet to a veterinarian annually for preventative care. To address this critical need, we are partnering with Petco Love to make pet vaccines free and accessible in an effort to ensure the health and wellness of our beloved pets.

Planned PEThood of GA aims to vaccinate 3,000 pets through this effort. In addition to offering it for free to animals visiting their Duluth clinic, they are hosting a free community outreach event in Habersham County on February 26th to aid a heavily underserved area.

“Thanks to Petco Love, we can offer these important vaccines at no cost to pet owners,” said Lauren Frost, Development Coordinator. “We urge community members to take advantage of this free resource and ensure the health and wellness of our community’s pets.”

Vaccines distributed through the Petco Love initiative will be the DAPPv Canine and HCP Feline vaccines and do require a veterinarian exam ($15-$25) or surgery at the time of vaccination.

“It is heartbreaking when any pet suffers or dies from a disease that could have been prevented. It is further exacerbated when unvaccinated pets come into busy shelter kennels, where these deadly diseases can spread quickly, resulting in multiple deaths, skyrocketing expenses, and hindering saving pet lives,” said Susanne Kogut, Petco Love President. “By creating greater awareness and making this crucial preventative care more accessible to pets not currently receiving these lifesaving vaccines, we can prevent the dangerous spread of disease.”

To learn more about Petco Love’s lifesaving impact, visit PetcoLove.org.

A little more about Petco Love:

Petco Love is a nonprofit changing lives by making communities and pet families closer, stronger, and healthier. Since our founding in 1999 as the Petco Foundation, we’ve empowered animal welfare organizations by investing $300 million in adoption and other lifesaving efforts. We’ve helped find loving homes for more than 6.5 million pets in partnership with Petco and organizations nationwide. Today, our love for pets drives us to lead with innovation, creating tools animal lovers need to reunite lost pets, and lead with passion, inspiring and mobilizing communities and our more than 4,000 animal welfare partners to drive lifesaving change alongside us. Is love calling you? Visit petcolove.org or follow at Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn to be part of the lifesaving work we’re leading every day.

 

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