For the second year in a row, the Saginaw campus of Ross Medical Education Center chose to support SOS Animal Rescue. Joann Taylor, president of SOS Animal Rescue, came out and spoke to the students about the non-profit, no-kill fostering program that cares for sick and homeless animals. This organization covers the Midland and Saginaw area and averages about 30 adoptions per month. SOS offers spay/neuter assistance to Midland County for low income qualifying households. The campus collected items such as cat beds, paper towels, cat collars, cat food, dish soap, dog and cat toys, and treats.
One of the things that stands out about SOS is the lengths they take to make sure the animals are comfortable. They work hard to make sure that every homeless pet gets their own blanket that they will have with them throughout quarantine, vet visits, foster home, and the end goal, their new home. This is their security blanket. Because of this, SOS is always accepting donations such as old blankets or towels. There is a group of volunteers that will cut and sew them into individual blankets for the cats and dogs. Every Friday at 4:00 and then Saturday through Sunday during store hours, SOS holds open adoptions at PetSmart.
In addition to hosting the drive, the Saginaw campus also posted some photos of SOS’s harder to adopt pets on the front desk in the lobby to generate interest. In 2014, 297 cats and dogs were adopted out to new families & 375 spay/neuter surgeries were performed for pets of low income families thanks to SOS and the support of area organizations like Ross. Sarah Deford, Office Assistant, stated, “It was so rewarding to see photos of the animals that were up for adoption last year that were adopted out to loving families throughout 2014.”
One of the newest ventures for SOS Animal Rescue is their work alongside an organization called Pets for Patriots. This organization waives the adoption fee for veterans who would like to adopt a pet. They also help with financial assistance for care of the animal. This makes it easier to veterans to adopt pets in need of homes. Ross in Saginaw has loved working with SOS Animal Rescue and looks forward to carrying this tradition on through the years to come!
If you would like to read about how you can help, please visit them on Facebook or at www.sosanimalrescue.org.