Arizona Humane Society & Banfield Foundation bring medical care to San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation pets

The Arizona Humane Society (AHS) assisted Banfield Foundation in providing medical treatment and surgeries to 386 pets on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation during a five-day event in early November. The trip was made possible thanks to a $40,000 grant from Banfield Foundation and more than 1,000 donated vaccines and preventives, allowing AHS and its partners, to provide medical care to pets in need through AHS’ Healthy Tails Mobile Veterinary Clinic and pop-up shelter.

In partnership with Banfield Foundation’s Mars Ambassadors Program, consisting of veterinarians, technicians and support teams from Banfield Pet Hospital, BluePearl Specialty and Emergency Pet Hospital and Royal Canin Canada, as well as Rural Animal Veterinary Services (RAVS), in just five days, 338 pets received preventative care and medical treatment for various conditions. In addition to vaccines, microchips, flea/tick and heartworm medication, 48 pets also underwent spay or neuter surgeries to help prevent pet overpopulation.

One of the pets helped was Bo (pictured right), a six-month-old Husky, who attended the event with his littermates to get their vaccines. Precautionary bloodwork revealed Bo was positive for Heartworm disease, but thanks to early detection, the team was able to send Bo home with Heartworm medication. Additionally, all pets, including puppies like the one pictured left, received their vaccines which are critical to preventing highly-contagious and often deadly diseases such as Parvo and Distemper. With vaccines, these diseases are highly-preventable.

AHS’ Healthy Tails Mobile Veterinary Clinic – also funded by the Banfield Foundation – and pop-up shelter is designed to assist low-income pet parents throughout Arizona overcome barriers, such as unreliable transportation and financial hardships, so that their pets can continue to receive comprehensive medical care. By providing affordable veterinary services such as vaccines, microchips, tick, flea and preventative treatments and wellness exams in targeted areas, these efforts will not only help to keep pets and people together regardless of any hardships they might face, but will also keep pets healthy and happy.

“The Arizona Humane Society is extremely grateful to our generous partners at the Banfield Foundation for recognizing just how important accessible and affordable veterinary care is to overall pet health,” said Dr. Melissa Thompson, AHS Vice President of Medical Operations. “I have been practicing veterinary medicine for 14 years and being able to work alongside such great teams to provide care to communities that need it is a highlight of the work we do. Today, there are a lot of grateful pets and people on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation and that is so rewarding.”

“At the Banfield Foundation we are committed to making preventive care possible for the pets that need it most –pets in underserved communities, pets who have never seen a veterinarian before, and pet owners who desperately want to provide care but do not have the financial means to do so,” said Kim Van Syoc, Executive Director, Banfield Foundation. “Bringing more care to more pets in more places is our dream. During those five days, our partners and veterinary teams thrived in giving back to the pets and people of the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation – lives were changed, bonds were made, and buckets were filled – that’s the dream come true!”

November’s event on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation kicks off a year-long partnership between AHS and the Banfield Foundation in which nearly $240,000 in grants will fund several mobile clinics, in-kind vaccines and preventative treatment for the pets and people on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation and Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community