Best Friends Of Pets Inc

REDUCE PET OVERPOPULATION AND KEEP PETS IN THEIR HOMES BY PROVIDING AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE SPAYING AND NEUTERING, PET IDENTIFICATION AND INFORMATION ABOUT PET CARE. REDUCE THE NUMBER OF HOMELESS CATS AND DOGS IN ANIMAL SHELTERS AND RESCUE GROUPS. REDUCE THE NUMBER OF PETS EUTHANIZED AT ANIMAL SHELTERS THROUGH NO FAULT OF ANIMAL WELFARE STAFF AND AT CONSIDERABLE COST TO TAXPAYERS. INCREASE THE ABILITY OF PEOPLE REGARDLESS OF INCOME OR WHERE THEY LIVE TO EXPERIENCE THE HEALTH AND EMOTIONAL BENEFITS THAT COME WITH HAVING A CAT OR DOG AS A COMPANION.

BEST FRIENDS OF PETS' SPAY NEUTER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM PROVIDES AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE SPAYING AND NEUTERING FOR PET PARENTS WITH LIMITED INCOME THROUGHOUT CENTRAL OKLAHOMA. COST IS OFTEN THE BIGGEST REASON WHY PETS ARE NOT SPAYED OR NEUTERED, WHICH CONTRIBUTES TO THE PET OVERPOPULATION PROBLEM OF TOO MANY HOMELESS CATS AND DOGS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THE EUTHANASIA OF CATS AND DOGS AT MUNICIPAL ANIMAL SHELTERS AT CONSIDERABLE COST TO TAXPAYERS. OUR PROGRAM PROVIDES SUBSIDIZED ASSISTANCE TO PET PARENTS WHO ARE UNABLE TO AFFORD SPAY NEUTER FEES AT REGULAR VETERINARY CLINICS. WE WORK WITH 20 VETERINARY AND NONPROFIT CLINICS THROUGHOUT CENTRAL OKLAHOMA TO REDUCE THE DISTANCES PET PARENTS MUST TRAVEL FOR OUR SERVICES BECAUSE TRANSPORTATION IS OFTEN A PROBLEM FOR PEOPLE WITH LIMITED INCOME. EACH YEAR MORE THAN 6,OOO CATS AND DOGS ARE EUTHANIZED AT AREA ANIMAL SHELTERS, AND ABOUT 30% OF THOSE EUTHANIZED ARE PUPPIES AND KITTENS. SPAYING AND NEUTERING ELIMINATES THIS NEEDLESS LOSS OF PUPPY AND KITTEN LIVES, REDUCES OR ELIMINATES MANY BEHAVIOR ISSUES THAT CAUSE PEOPLE TO SURRENDER THEIR PETS, REDUCES ROAMING AND ANIMAL BITES THAT ARE DANGERS TO OUR COMMUNITIES, AND PREVENTS CERTAIN CANCERS AND INFECTIONS THAT CAN CAUSE A PET'S DEATH AND HEARTACHE FOR PET PARENTS WHO DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO TREAT THEIR PETS. 968 CATS AND DOGS WERE SPAYED OR NEUTERED THROUGH BEST FRIENDS OF PETS' SPAY NEUTER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, PREVENTING THE BIRTH OF NEARLY 4,000 UNPLANNED PUPPIES AND KITTENS AND PREVENTING THOUSANDS FROM BECOMING HOMELESS. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KIM SCHLITTLER IS A FULL-TIME VOLUNTEER FOR BEST FRIENDS OF PETS.

BEST FRIENDS OF PETS PROVIDES ENGRAVED ID TAGS AND HOLDS MICROCHIP CLINICS SO PETS MAY BE QUICKLY REUNITED WITH THEIR FAMILIES IF THEY BECOME LOST. LOCAL ANIMAL SHELTERS HOLD UNTAGGED PETS AS FEW AS THREE DAYS, AND MANY SHELTERS SCAN PETS AS THEY ENTER THE SHELTER. PETS WITH VISIBLE ID TAGS OR THAT ARE MICROCHIPPED ARE USUALLY HELD A FEW DAYS LONGER. PEOPLE WHO FIND A PET WITHOUT A TAG ARE NOT AS LIKELY TO HELP THAT PET AS THEY WOULD ONE WITH IDENTIFICATION BECAUSE THEY FEAR HAVING TO TAKE CARE OF THE PET FOR AN EXTENDED TIME OR FIND A NEW HOME. MANY PEOPLE THINK OWNERS WHO DO NOT PUT TAGS ON COLLARS MUST NOT WANT PETS BACK IF THEY BECOME LOST.

PETS FOR LIFE, A PROGRAM OF THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES, PROVIDES FREE VETERINARY CARE, SERVICES AND INFORMATION TO PEOPLE AND THEIR PETS IN COMMUNITIES WITH LIMITED OR NO ACCESS TO PET WELLNESS RESOURCES. THIS GROUNDBREAKING APPROACH OPENS DOORS AND BUILDS RELATIONSHIPS IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES THROUGH STRATEGIC, POSITIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. THIS PROGRAM IS MADE POSSIBLE BY A GRANT FROM THE OKLAHOMA CITY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION. PFL FOCUSES ON OKLAHOMA CITY ZIP CODES 73111 AND 73114, WHICH ARE PET RESOURCE DESERTS (NO VETERINARY CLINICS OR BIG STORES). BY PROVIDING RESIDENTS WITH ACCESS TO SPAY/NEUTER, BASIC PET WELLNESS CARE, SUPPLIES AND INFORMATION FOR THEIR PETS, WE ARE ADDRESSING THE CRITICAL LACK OF ACCESSIBLE, AFFORDABLE PET CARE IN KEEPING PETS HEALTHY AND HAPPY IN HOMES THEY ALREADY HAVE.