Animal Samaritans

AT ANIMAL SAMARITANS, WE CHAMPION COMPASSION AND RESPECT FOR ALL LIVING CREATURES, WITH A PRIMARY FOCUS ON DOGS, CATS, AND THE HUMANS WHO LOVE THEM. WE VIEW DOGS AND CATS NOT AS MERE ANIMALS, BUT AS FAMILY MEMBERS. AS THEIR GUARDIANS AND CUSTODIANS, IT IS OUR DUTY TO REDUCE THE OVERPOPULATION AND SUFFERING OF ABANDONED AND UNWANTED DOGS AND CATS. WE BELIEVE PET SPAYING AND NEUTERING IS AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO ACHIEVE THIS END AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING QUALITY, AFFORDABLE SPAY AND NEUTER SERVICES FOR PET OWNERS. WE BELIEVE ADOPTABLE, HOMELESS DOGS AND CATS DESERVE A CHANCE AT LIFE AND TO LIVE IN A LOVING HOME, AND WE SUPPORT THIS IDEAL THROUGH ANIMAL RESCUING, ANIMAL SHELTERING, AND PET ADOPTIONS. WE BELIEVE THE BOND BETWEEN PEOPLE AND PETS IS HEALING, BOTH EMOTIONALLY AND PHYSICALLY, AND WE PROVIDE CANINE COMPANIONSHIP TO RESIDENTS OF LOCAL NURSING HOMES, REHAB CENTERS, AND AREA HOSPITALS. WE BELIEVE STEWARDSHIP OF OUR ANIMALS IS NOT INNATE, BUT LEARNED, AND WE EDUCATE THE PET OWNE

VETERINARY CLINICS:DESPITE CONTINUED COVID OUTBREAKS IN 2021 THAT REQUIRED EMPLOYEES TO MISS WORK DUE TO ILLNESS OR THE NEED TO QUARANTINE, WE SAW APPROXIMATELY 21,035 ANIMAL PATIENTS, WHICH INCREASED OUR AGGREGATE NUMBER OF PATIENTS TO MORE PANDEMICS DISRUPTION TO BUSINESS, OUR AGGREGATE NUMBER OF PATIENTS INCREASED TO APPROXIMATELY 275,676.OUR UNIQUE VETERINARY SERVICES IN 2021 INCLUDED: 13,233 PET EXAMS; 6,648 LAB TESTS; 5,119 SPAY & NEUTER SURGERIES; 4,069 NON-SPAY & NEUTER SURGERIES; 2,921 DENTAL SERVICES (INCLUDING DENTAL SURGERIES); 873 X-RAYS; 26,663 VACCINATIONS, AND 13,405 NON-EXAM PROCEDURES (EAR CLEANS, ANAL GLAND EXPRESS, NAIL TRIMS, ET AL).ANIMAL SAMARITANS HAS SEVERAL DONATION AND GRANT-FUNDED PROGRAMS TO HELP PET OWNERS PAY FOR THE VETERINARY CARE THEIR ANIMALS NEED. THESE PROGRAMS INCLUDE OUR ANIMAL CARE FUND FOR LOW-INCOME PET OWNERS, MILITARY DISCOUNT FUND, AND OUR SENIOR PET WELLNESS PROGRAM, WHICH SUBSIDIZES PET CARE FOR SENIOR PET OWNERS ON A LIMITED INCOME. AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT, THE DEMAND FOR THESE PROGRAMS IS HIGH.NO-KILL SHELTER AND PET ADOPTIONS:IN 2021, WE ADOPTED OUT 133 DOGS AND 110 CATS, UP 43 PETS FROM 2020. DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, WE SUBSTITUTED OUR LIVE PET ADOPTION SEGMENTS AT KESQ TV3 AND KMIR TV6 WITH VIDEOTAPED CLIPS OF ADOPTABLE ANIMALS.DURING KITTEN AND PUPPY SEASONS (SPRING AND SUMMER), WE RELIED HEAVILY ON PET FOSTER VOLUNTEERS. OUR PET FOSTER CARE PROGRAM RELIES ON COMPASSIONATE, ANIMAL-LOVING VOLUNTEERS TO HOUSE AND CARE FOR SHELTER ANIMALS WHEN WE HAVE NO ROOM FOR THEM. FOSTERING ASSIGNMENTS MAY BE AS SHORT AS ONE NIGHT AND AS LONG AS SIX MONTHS.HUMANE EDUCATION:IN 2021, FEW SCHOOLS WERE READY FOR IN-PERSON VISITS FROM OUR HUMANE EDUCATOR. HOWEVER, WE HOSTED SIX SUMMER CRITTER CAMPS, PRIMARILY FOR FINANCIALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS. WE PROVIDED THREE CRITTER CAMPS IN DESERT HOT SPRINGS, TWO IN MECCA, AND ONE IN THERMAL.FOR THE SMALL NUMBER OF SCHOOLS THAT DID WELCOME BACK OUR STAFF FOR IN-PERSON EDUCATIONAL VISITS, WE MADE A TOTAL OF 56 CLASSROOM APPEARANCES AND ANOTHER 10 ONLINE ZOOM PRESENTATIONS FOR STUDENTS. IN TOTAL, WE REACHED 1,412 STUDENTS. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT NUMBER WAS DOWN 2,005 FROM THE 3,417 WE SAW JANUARY TO MID-MARCH 2020, PRIOR TO THE SCHOOL SHUTDOWN CAUSED BY COVID 19.BECAUSE OUR IN-PERSON VISITS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY RESTRICTED LAST YEAR, WE CREATED SEVERAL E-BOOKS TO REACH STUDENTS ONLINE WITH A VARIETY OF HUMANE EDUCATION TOPICS. THESE INCLUDED: 1) I SPAY WITH MY LITTLE EYE, THE STORY OF A ONE-EYED KITTEN WHO BECOMES A CHILDS PET. IT TEACHES COMPASSION FOR ANIMALS, EVEN THOSE WITH DISABILITIES. ADDITIONALLY, IT REMINDS YOUNG PET OWNERS THE IMPORTANCE OF RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP. 2) BITE PREVENTION, A LESSON BOOK THAT TEACHES STUDENTS HOW TO BE SAFE AROUND DOGS, ESPECIALLY ONES THEY ENCOUNTER BY SURPRISE. 3) CHARLIE E, IS ABOUT AN ANIMAL SAMARITANS PET THERAPY DOG. IT DEMONSTRATES HOW DOGS CAN HELP IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH LONELINESS AND ILLNESS. 4) TO SPAY OR NOT TO SPAY IS A LESSON BOOK THAT TEACHES YOUNGSTERS THE IMPORTANCE OF SPAYING AND NEUTERING OUR PETS AS A MEANS OF REDUCING ANIMAL OVERPOPULATION, HOMELESSNESS, SHELTER OVERCROWDING AND PREVENTABLE EUTHANASIA OF UNWANTED DOGS AND CATS. 5) RESPECT IS ANOTHER LESSON WORKBOOK FOR KINDERGARTEN AND PRESCHOOL STUDENTS THAT FOSTERS RESPECT AND KINDNESS FOR ANIMALS WHILE BUILDING BASIC MATH AND READING SKILLS.ANIMAL COMPANION THERAPY:DURING MUCH OF 2021, COVID 19 RESTRICTIONS KEPT OUR ANIMAL COMPANION THERAPY (ACT) TEAMS ON HOLD AND EAGERLY AWAITING ASSIGNMENTS. SLOWLY, NURSING HOMES AND AREA SCHOOLS BEGAN TO EASE THEIR POLICIES AND INVITED OUR ACT HANDLERS AND THEIR DOGS BACK FOR PET THERAPY VISITS.IN TOTAL, ACT VOLUNTEERS LOGGED 207 HOURS OF VOLUNTEER SERVICES AT 23 PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS AND/OR EVENT. SOME OF OUR PARTNERS INCLUDED: ARC FOUNDATION, ATRIA SENIOR ASSISTED LIVING, BANYAN TREATMENT CENTER, BROOKDALE ASSISTED LIVING & MEMORY CARE, DESTINY HOSPICE, NEURO REHABILITATION CENTER, JOHN GLENN MIDDLE SCHOOL, PALM SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL, AND THE BOB HOPE USO.ANIMAL RESCUE:LAST YEAR MARKED THE 11TH YEAR OF OUR ADOPTION ALLIANCE ANIMAL RESCUE PROGRAM. IN 2021 WE RESCUED 745 ADOPTABLE, AT-RISK ANIMALS FROM PUBLIC ANIMAL SHELTERS, AN AVERAGE OF 62 PER MONTH. THIS BROUGHT OUR RESCUE PROGRAMS TOTAL NUMBER OF ANIMALS RESCUED AT THE END OF LAST YEAR TO MORE THAN 14,470 ANIMALS.SPECIFICALLY, THE NUMBERS FOR 2021 SHOW WE RESCUED 461 DOGS, 158 PUPPIES, 19 ADULT CATS, 27 KITTENS, AND 33 ADDITIONAL PETS, WHICH INCLUDED RABBITS, TURTLES AND TORTOISES, DOMESTICATED CHICKENS, GUINEA PIGS, AN IGUANA, AND A BEARDED DRAGON.