VERO BEACH — At the crack of dawn on March 5, Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County (HSVBIRC) staff transported pets from the community of Fellsmere to be sterilized and vaccinated in the shelter’s Wellness Clinic.
The Humane Society’s Animal Care-A-Van returned the animals to their families at the Fellsmere Community Center that afternoon at 4:30 p.m.
This event is the result of a Feb. 24 outreach event where bilingual staff and volunteers canvassed high need neighborhoods in Fellsmere to provide pet care assistance. The Humane Society offered to pick up and drop off animals needing wellness care to families without transportation.
Seven animals were transported by The Humane Society while nine animals were dropped off at the shelter by their families.
Lack of a community veterinarian, language barriers, and a disproportionate number of families struggling financially are some of the issues making Fellsmere an important community to target.
The Boys for a Buck sterilization program for Fellsmere was graciously made possible by Joanna and Agustin Salina.
Vaccines were donated by veterinary pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim.
