THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc. DATE: Friday, March 24, 1995 TAG: 9503220115 SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 07 EDITION: FINAL SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
Pet owners can help Chesapeake take care of its dogs and cats by buying food for their own.
Chesapeake Animal Control is collecting proof-of-purchase seals from Cycle dog food, redeemable for cash awards through a manufacturer's promotion campaign.
The small stamp-sized seals showing the T-shirt-clad Cycle dog, Homeless Homer, from the dog food labels will be used to benefit animals in the city shelter.
``We will use the money at a later date to purchase vaccines and medicines for dogs and cats at the animal shelter,'' said Kathy J. Umberger, coordinator of Chesapeake Animal Control.
The cash earned from the labels will be used to purchase DHLPP vaccines, used to prevent distemper, hepatitis and other maladies. Animal Control also plans to buy FVRCP vaccines for cats, which helps prevent several feline diseases.
``Ideally you start giving dogs or cats these vaccines right after they're weaned,'' said Umberger, who has worked for the Norfolk SPCA for seven years. ``They have to be injected with this vaccine for a few more times to maintain immunity. With the money we earn from the labels we'll be able to start all of these puppies and kittens off on the right foot with these needed shots.''
In addition, animal control will also buy medicine to allow them to conduct blood tests on cats and dogs to make sure there's no evidence of heart worms or feline leukemia.
Umberger said this Homeless Homer/Cycle Dog Food program is new to Chesapeake Animal Control. She said while working in Norfolk she got its SPCA involved with a similar program run by the Gaines Co. After coming to animal control last May she thought about Cycle's program and how it would benefit.
``We're always trying to think of things we can do to make it better for the animals in Chesapeake. We have a great, dedicated and animal loving staff. We're always putting our heads together to come up with ideas.''
And this idea is sure to work for everybody's benefit, Umberger said.
``It gives the public more confidence in the pets they adopt from us,'' she explained. ``There's rarely anything wrong with any of the animals that come to us and keeping them healthy helps them find homes. The shots give our animals a good head start. We want to give the public the best chance at adopting a healthy animal.'' MEMO: Consumers can donate Homeless Homer seals from cans of Cycle brand dog
foods and mail them to Chesapeake Animal Control Shelter, 3807 Cook
Blvd., Chesapeake, Va. 23323, or they can deliver them to the shelter at
3807 Cook Blvd. in Cavalier Industrial Park. More information about the
label program or the Chesapeake Animal Control Shelter is available by
calling 547-6158.
ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by STEVE EARLEY
Kathy Umberger says funds will help buy vaccines and medicines for
dogs.
by CNB