Pets in Need provides low-cost care for pet owners living in poverty

Whether clients visit Pets in Need of Greater Cincinnati, Inc. for affordable vaccinations and quality care or to grab food from the pantry for a furry friend, they are consistently grateful for the services they receive.
 
Take Antonio, for example. He and his mother worked together to create colorful bandanas for dogs, then donated them to Pets In Need (PIN) so the organization could sell the product in their storefront shop in Lockland, which offers discounted items like collars and leashes to its clients.
 
“They have limited means but wanted to give back,” says Julie Berthoud-Jury, director of development at PIN. “It’s just really heartwarming.”
 
Clients like Antonio and his mother are afforded access to PIN, which makes a world of difference in their lives as pet owners.
 
High-quality veterinary care is expensive, so for a pet owner living in poverty it’s empowering to be proactive and take one’s animal to a licensed veterinarian and pay a $10 copay for needed vaccines, flea/heartworm prevention and treatments as well as other minor skin, ear and eye issues.
 
Just days ago, the nonprofit served its 4,000th client, but there is a need to serve more.
 
“A lot of our clients have adopted these pets or rescued them,” Berthoud-Jury says.
 
One client found a cat during the winter months after discovering it had fallen out of a neighbor’s van, where it was hiding to try to stay warm. After the engine started, the cat was burned and presumed dead.
 
“But he had taken it to the vet and it was actually still alive, so they were able to nurse it back to health,” Berthoud-Jury says. “He’s been bringing it here ever since. He just loves that cat dearly.”

Do Good: 

• Support Pets in Need of Greater Cincinnati by attending its annual fundraising art show and sale, Petcasso. Purchase your ticket for the preview party Saturday, Oct. 17. Proceeds will enable PIN to work toward its goal of expanding clinic hours to its growing base of clients. 

• Like PIN on Facebook and share the Petcasso invite with your friends.

• Tell someone about PIN, because many pet owners who qualify for care don’t know PIN exists. The nonprofit provides vouchers for low-cost spay/neuter and provides care that could otherwise be disregarded for an inability to pay.