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Banfield Foundation, HSEC Partner to Help Struggling Pet Owners with Event at Elmore Fire Department

BY SARAH STEPHENS, PHOTOS BY RUSTY ALDRIDGE

Banfield Foundation was in Elmore County Oct. 19 partnering with the Humane Society of Elmore County for help to struggling pet owners who needed medical care for their animals.

The location was the Elmore Fire Department, and though it was a soggy kind of day, a big crowd showed up for the event.

HSEC Director Rea Cord said she was contacted by Banfield Foundation some time back and was happy to take part in the event.

“The Clinic Manager at Banfield in Montgomery is Pauline Fallon. Her mother, Ellen Fallon, was our Animal Care Manager here for many, many years.  Sadly, Ellen passed away at about 58 years old.  So I know one reason this took place in Elmore County was that Pauline wanted to do this in her mom’s honor,” Cord said.

The clinic was designed to help pet owners struggling financially to get medical care for their pets. Banfield Foundation brought four Alabama licensed Vets, technicians all the necessary supplies from Banfield.  They did all the vaccinations including rabies, did heartworm tests (counseled those that were positive as to what that meant), did ProHeart 6 shots on all of them to give them protection from heartworms for six-months, nail trims, administered flea/tick treatments and ear cleaning. 

“They also did a tick-borne test on one dog that was sickly and confirmed Ehrlichia and counseled that pet owner that that dog would need to see a Vet for treatment,” Cord said.

The crew saw about 20 cats as well.

“Thanks to the Elmore Township Fire Department we had a perfect location to set up and for people to get in and out.  The clinic went from 9-1, saw about 90 pets, no issues or problems and was a great success in spite of the rain. We were set up around back under tents as the State Vet Board rules prohibited us being inside that nice, dry and roomy Fire Department.
Cord sent out a big thank you to Elmore County Commissioner Bart Mercer for helping coordinate the use of the Fire Department.

“Thank you to all the great men and women at the Department for letting us access that most awesome station,” Cord said.