First-of-kind clinic will help Sacramento County’s homeless pets. Here’s what it wants to fix
In just a couple of months, Sacramento County Bradshaw Animal Shelter will hit the road in search of unhoused pet owners in need of urgent veterinary care.
The PAWS initiative — Pet Aid and Wellness Services — “will be the first of its kind in the region,” Sacramento County wrote in a statement. The primary focus will be on spaying and neutering as many dogs and cats as possible to curb unplanned pet pregnancies, overpopulation and infectious diseases.
The mobile clinic will also work to pinpoint areas within the county that are in dire need of medical, diagnostic and lab services for sick and injured animals.
Dr. Cynthia Metcalf, who recently joined Sacramento County’s veterinarian staff, will lead the launch of the mobile pet clinic and work full-time to service pets in need. Her love for animals — as well as her firsthand experience with homelessness, fuels her passion for PAWS, she wrote.
“This is very personal for me,” Metcalf wrote on the shelter’s Facebook page to residents.
“I know what it’s like to have a family member who has been unhoused, and I know how important our family dog was to him and how their bond helped him, so this program really resonates with me.”
When PAWS mobile clinic opens in October, it will be on the road at least three times a week. For updates, check Bradshaw Animal Shelter’s website.
All services are funded by Sacramento County, with help from the U.S. American Rescue Plan Act.
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