Woods Humane Society offers free pet vaccines in March 

Free vaccines offered through national initiative to protect pets

– Woods Humane Society will provide local pet owners with free pet vaccinations at its Atascadero location on March 8 and at both its San Luis Obispo and Atascadero locations on March 22, in celebration of National Pet Vaccination Month. The free vaccines are part of Petco Love’s “Vaccinated and Loved” initiative, which aims to distribute one million additional free pet vaccines through animal welfare partners like Woods Humane Society.

The initiative offers free vaccines for parvovirus and distemper in dogs, as well as panleukopenia in cats, which are preventable but prevalent deadly diseases. It is estimated that 30% of pet owners do not take their pets for annual preventive care, and these clinics are designed to make vaccines more accessible.

Woods Humane Society’s free vaccine clinics are by appointment only and will be held at the Atascadero campus at 2300 Ramona Road on March 8 and March 22 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. A clinic will also take place at the San Luis Obispo campus at 875 Oklahoma Avenue on March 22, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Pet owners must schedule an appointment in advance by visiting SpaySLOCounty.com. To qualify for a free vaccine, pets must be at least six weeks old, in good health, and privately owned (community outdoor cats do not qualify). Dogs must be on a leash, puppies under four months old must be carried, and cats must be in a secure carrier.

The free vaccines will include the DAPPv Canine and HCP Feline vaccines. Rabies vaccines, flea treatments, and microchips will also be available at low-cost during the appointment.

“We are thrilled to help improve access in our community to life-saving pet vaccines through these free pet vaccine clinics this month, with the help of Petco Love,” said Emily L’Heureux, CEO of Woods Humane Society. “We hope SLO County pet parents will make an appointment and take advantage of the free and low-cost resources to ensure the health and wellness of our community’s pets.”

Susanne Kogut, president of Petco Love, emphasized the importance of vaccinations, saying, “Vaccinations are vital to protecting our beloved pets from life-threatening but preventable diseases. Our goal is to make these critical vaccines accessible to as many pet parents as possible, breaking down financial barriers and strengthening the human-animal bond.”

In November 2024, Petco Love’s “Vaccinated and Loved” initiative reached a milestone of distributing three million free vaccines for family pets. The organization aims to distribute an additional one million free vaccines to help more pets in need.

For more information about the vaccine clinics, visit Woods Humane Society’s website at woodshumanesociety.org or call (805) 543-9316. Woods is open daily from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., with adoption hours from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. For further details about Petco Love’s impact, visit PetcoLove.org.

About the author: News Staff

News staff of the A-Town Daily News wrote and edited this article from local contributors and press releases. Scott Brennan is the publisher of this newspaper and founder of Access Publishing. Connect with him on Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn, or follow his blog. He can be reached at [email protected].