Free pet vaccinations available at Strut Your Mutt contest

by Lake County Leader
| October 19, 2021 2:10 PM

Mission Valley Animal Shelter will provide free vaccinations for Mission Valley area pets on Saturday, Oct. 23. The free vaccines are made possible through Petco Love's new national vaccination initiative, which is providing 1 million free pet vaccines to its existing animal welfare partners, including MVAS, for family pets in need.

A vaccine clinic will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday in conjunction with the Strut Your Mutt Dog Walk and Halloween Costume contest at the Polson Skate Park. Vaccines will be distributed on a first-come first-served basis. MVAS hopes to vaccinate 400 pets through this effort.

This year MVAS is combining its Halloween costume contest with the Strut Your Mutt event. Contestants must arrive in coordinated owner/pet costumes. Photos will be taken of pets and their owners and will be shared at the MVAS Facebook page's online costume contest. The contestants with the most likes win. A winner will be announced Oct. 31.

Parvovirus and distemper in dogs, and panleukopenia in cats, are some of the most prevalent deadly diseases impacting pets that are preventable with a simple vaccine. An estimated 30% of pet parents do not take their pet to a veterinarian annually for preventative care. To address this critical need, MVAS and Petco Love are partnering to make pet vaccines free and accessible in an effort to ensure the health and wellness of our beloved pets.

Vaccines distributed through the Petco Love initiative will be the DAPPv Canine and HCP Feline vaccines. Dogs must be leashed and cats must be placed in carriers.

“It is heartbreaking when any pet suffers or dies from a disease that could have been prevented. It is further exacerbated when unvaccinated pets come into busy shelter kennels, where these deadly diseases can spread quickly, resulting in multiple deaths, skyrocketing expenses, and hindering saving pet lives,” said Susanne Kogut, Petco Love President. “By creating greater awareness and making this crucial preventative care more accessible to pets not currently receiving these life saving vaccines, we can prevent the dangerous spread of disease.”

For more information about vaccine distribution, contact MVAS at 406-883-5312. To learn more about Petco Love’s lifesaving impact, visit PetcoLove.org.