This past Sunday, May 20, the East Bay SPCA held its annual vaccine fair on the Oakland Animal Services (OAS) grounds at 1101 29th Avenue, Oakland. Staff and volunteers worked through a long line of dog owners, providing free vaccines and microchipping and handing out spay and neuter certificates to all takers. Over the course of the day, the SPCA provided 233 vaccines, 83 microchips, and 115 spay/neuter vouchers for their onsite clinic.
OAS was delighted to partner with the SPCA on this initiative to disseminate these very crucial pet services. As one of the primary recipients of lost animals in Oakland, the shelter knows firsthand the power of a microchip in returning an animal to its owner. Additionally, to maintain the health and safety of the dog population in Oakland, we can’t stress enough the importance of keeping vaccines up to date. Because of the support for regular animal vaccines in this country, we have seen significant declines in the incident rates of rabies and many other deadly diseases over the past decades.
And last, but not least, we hope that everyone who received a spay/neuter certificate takes advantage of this service. If we really want to make a positive impact on the number of animals that need homes both locally and throughout the country, we must be good stewards of these animals by spaying and neutering them—and supporting those who do that work in any way we can. Clearly, the only way to decrease overpopulation broadly is to decrease the over-breeding of dogs and cats in each and every community—including ours.
A big thank you to the East Bay SPCA for providing such critical services to our community! With all of us working together to care for animals in a humane and responsible way, we know we can make a difference.
