CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. – Mountain View Humane is teaming up with Inmate Family Assistance of the New River Valley to provide affordable health care for people who are incarcerated.
They are excited about this new partnership because oftentimes, pets of incarcerated individuals are left with a family member to care for them and that can be costly. Sometimes, these pets even end up back in a shelter.
With this new program, Mountain View Humane is able to provide reduced-fee veterinary services for eligible families with cats and dogs. This allows these pets to have access to high-quality and discounted health care.
Mountain View Humane says this new initiative will not only help pets in the community be healthier but also help reduce the number of homeless pets.
Laurie Gibbons, the Executive Director of Mission Delivery at Mountain View Humane Society, says, “It’s difficult. It is difficult for the family that wants to do something for the incarcerated person’s pet but just doesn’t know how to handle it financially, so it is a big resource for them.”
The services they are offering through this program include spay and neuter surgeries, vaccines, microchipping and flea and tick treatments. Mountain View Humane is open to offering more treatments depending on the situation.
Laurie says the goal of the program is to help pets stay with their families.
If you are interested in this program, you need to reach out to Inmate Family Assistance and they will look at your situation, then connect you with Mountain View Humane.