Do you have an unvaccinated pet? The Humane Society of Harford County (HSHC) can take care of your pet’s vaccinations, microchipping and even nail trims at its upcoming public pet vaccination clinic. The event is set to take place on Saturday, Feb. 22 at the Darlington Volunteer Fire Company in Darlington.
Vaccines are $10 each and include distemper and Bordetella vaccines for dogs, distemper vaccines for cats and rabies vaccines for dogs, cats and ferrets. Microchips are $25 each, and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Heart to Heart Mobile Pet Care, LLC will be on-site to provide $20 nail trims.
“Our clinics are for everyone, regardless of zip code or income level,” says Erin Long, manager of marketing and development at HSHC in a news release. “Our goal is to offer affordable core vaccines to protect pets from preventable illness and disease.”
According to a blog post, “Dog Vaccines: How Much Do Dog Vaccinations Cost?” written for the pet supply service Chewy, vaccines for dogs usually cost $15 to $100 per vaccine, so a full set of initial vaccines can cost $100 to $300. MetLife Pet Insurance puts cat vaccines at $10 to $50 per shot, totaling around $200. Microchips, which contain a pet owner’s information and can help track a pet’s location, can add even more to this cost.
But vaccines and microchips prevent pets from getting sick or lost, so it’s important for these services to be accessible for pet owners regardless of income.
“We’re looking forward to being in the Darlington community, supporting pet owners and safeguarding their pets,” Long adds. “These clinics are always well attended, and in fact, at our last clinic in Joppa in November, we vaccinated 280 dogs and 130 cats in four hours.”
Animals should be at least four months old to be vaccinated. Dogs should be on non-retractable leashes with properly fitted collars, and cats and ferrets should be in pet carriers. These services are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and no appointments are required. Payments can be made through cash or major credit cards.
For more information, visit harfordshelter.org.
