Ivan Sostre was out for a drive with his family and dog Sunday when he saw a long line of cars on the other side of McCully Road as he passed Clearview Park. After a quick check of social media posts, they learned that the City of Waukegan was offering dog vaccinations for free.
“We said, ‘Let’s do it,'” Sostre said. “We needed to get our dog vaccinated, so we got in line to keep our pets healthy and safe.”
The Sostres were among more than 200 people who took advantage of a free clinic Sunday at the Waukegan Police Department’s Animal Control Facility, where dogs received parbodistemper shots and were treated in case they were lost. A microchip was inserted so that it could be detected.
Mayor Ann Taylor (right) helps a resident bring in several dogs to be vaccinated and chipped. (Steve Sadin/Lake County News Sun)
Nicole Lavie-Garza, animal control facility supervisor, said the four-hour event drew so many people that the supply of vaccine serum and chips that had been prepared for the day was depleted. Another clinic is scheduled at the shelter on Nov. 10 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
As many as 30 to 40 cars at a time were lined up with dogs in various locations on the west side of McCully Street north of the shelter. When it was their turn, three or four people at a time entered the parking lot and removed their pets from the car for their shots.
Ravi Garza said the microchip, which is inserted through a needle similar to a syringe, does more than just give dog owners a way to find their runaway pets. This is also a tool that shelters can use to reunite animals with their owners.
“We have an influx of dogs in shelters, so chips are very helpful,” Ravi Garza said. “A lot of people don’t know that we have this technology and that it can help. It can help rehome animals.”
Guadalupe Aguilera said implanting chips in dogs is becoming increasingly important because dogs are cheerful pets. She brought Oreos for treatment.
“He likes to run away a lot, so the microchip is beneficial,” she said.
Parbodistemper is highly contagious and can be very harmful to dogs. Ravi Garza says this happens when dog owners walk their pets, see neighbors with dogs, stop to chat, and when animals interact in traditional, friendly ways. He said the disease could be transmitted.
“Parvo distemper is a very fatal disease for young puppies and older dogs,” she said. “It’s very contagious to unvaccinated dogs. It can also happen when you pass a dog.”
A line formed early and continued throughout the dog clinic. (Steve Sadin/Lake County News Sun)
Marisol Acosta brought her dog for tips. She said she also learned about the event through social media. She thinks it’s a good idea for the city to provide vaccinations and tips. It helps many dog owners in the community.
“This will help a lot of people,” Acosta said. “It’s very expensive and many people can’t afford it.”
Waukegan Mayor Ann Taylor also helped out at the event as part of a team of volunteers, loading and unloading dogs into cars for treatment. Taylor, who owns four dogs herself, said trips to the vet for vaccinations and chip implants can cost $600.
“It costs money just to feed a dog,” she says. “The people here today are very responsible dog owners.”
Susan Elliott, the facility’s longtime manager who played a key role in ensuring it remained a zero-kill shelter over the years, said the chip implantation was critical. She started this type of clinic in the past, but it has grown since then, she said.
A young man with his dog at the dog vaccination clinic at the Waukegan Police Animal Control Facility. (Steve Sadin/Lake County News Sun)
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