Dear Editor:
As a couple in our 70’s, our children are long grown and on their own. They have their own children and families and work with their own careers. Therefore, family contact is somewhat limited, except for holidays. We do have three dogs that provide loving companionship to us.
As in the case of many people our age, we live on social security and my husband’s pension. It seems like everything goes up but our income. It is becoming more difficult each year to provide proper care for our animal “children”. It costs nearly a thousand dollars per year just for the flea-tick-heartworm protection they need.
We recently saw on television that a group of veterinarians had begun donating a Saturday each month to provide pet care for low-income and / or senior people. What a wonderful idea! How many elderly people have to give up their pets because they cannot provide essential care for pets? This is a tragedy for both the people and for the pets that have been used to a loving home and now find themselves in a humane society shelter where the likelihood of euthanasia becomes prominent.
There are many veterinarians in the Lima area. Think of how many pets and people could be or could remain happily united if animal care were more affordable or free for some of us. It would not even have to be one Saturday per month; depending on how many great vets would volunteer some time, it could suffice if a day every two months, or even three, were offered.
We ask all the wonderful animal health providers in the Lima area to consider this proposal. Thank you all.
Nancy Reiff, Elida
