The Beach in Berkley

It was the perfect day for the Neuter Scooter to be in Berkley in Norfolk! The weather was perfect. The sun was out, there was a lovely breeze and the sky was a gorgeous blue. There were butterflies fluttering around and fall flowers blooming all along the road. As I drove my car towards the Farm Fresh parking lot I inhaled and thought, “Well here goes, at least the weather is gorgeous.” You see, I wasn’t sure if the Neuter Scooter would be well received in Berkley. Did the flyers get to the right people? Would people be out enjoying the weather and not getting their pets vaccinated? Would this day be a success? Questioning thoughts just kept running through my mind.

When I parked my car and got out to greet the staff and volunteers that were working with us, I did not know what to expect about how the morning had gone. To my delight we had 22 people show up first thing in the morning. The staff in the Neuter Scooter were busily performing spays and neuters. Our wonderful volunteer, Lisa, was stationed outside of the Scooter getting paperwork ready and talking to the neighbors and passersby about anything having to do with animals and animal care.

As the clock reached 10 am the vaccination clinic was opened and we started to have some folks get in line. The type of animal ranged from fluffy cats to a pure bred pit bull to several mixed breed dogs. Each owner had a particular story and was extremely grateful for the clinic. In fact, they told their friends and family members, and helped us drum up even more business! “You have made my day! I am going to call my Momma to get her over here for these free shots!", stated a woman who had brought her pit bull Sam to the Neuter Scooter to receive his shots. The same woman showed back up with her mother’s mixed breed terrier, Frisky, and got his shots. We sent Frisky off tail wagging with his vaccines and paperwork. 

As we were tidying up the table, an elderly woman came up to the Scooter with her cat inside a computer box. She had walked the cat from her house to the Scooter in the box because she didn't have a carrier. Knowing that she had missed the window for free spay and neuter appointments, the woman meekly asked if we could provide her cat with vaccinations. Lisa, our wonderful volunteer and liaison to the neighborhood of Berkley, took the cat inside the Neuter Scooter and came out with wonderful news – we could neuter the feline and give it vaccines, all for free! The woman was elated and started to tear up. She told us that she bottle fed the cat and loved it dearly, but that she is 77 years old and walks everywhere so she couldn't get her cat to the vet. She left us with a smile and a cat carrier that Lisa gave to her! 

It was a good day.  No, it was a great day. We were able to talk to owners and casual spectators about the importance of spaying and neutering animals. They were participating in the dialogue and seemed to be listening to our argument. They even took our literature about spaying and neutering.  Many people drove by and slowed down as they passed the Scooter. Some dropped by and asked when we would be in the neighborhood again.

Many thanks to all of our sponsors and everyone that helped, including Friends of Norfolk Animal Care and Collona's Shipyard!

- Dawn, Development Director

Veterinary Cost vs. Medical Cost

I recently came upon an article comparing treatments of pets to the cost of human care. Often times it seems that pet owners are surprised by the cost of providing treatment for their furry friend and wonder why it seems so expensive. When an illness or accident does occur, it is important to look at what care is being provided, not getting distracted by the overall cost.

When broken down piece by piece, veterinary care is often much, much more affordable than human medical treatment. We invite you to take a look at the original article below and next time Fido or Fluffy has an emergency, be glad they have four legs instead of two!

- Emily, Clinic Coordinator