I would be willing to bet that most of us have enjoyed the companionship and comfort of a four-legged, furry friend at some point in our lives. From the family dog growing up to the aging cat that settles into life right alongside all of our twists and turns of adulthood, one thing is certain – our beloved animals are more like family than pets.
So it should be of no surprise that the amazing staff at Advanced Animal Care is looking to find new ways to reach out to the community and provide additional services to help keep animals as healthy as possible.
The newest of these services is in fact not a service but a full-fledged nonprofit, meant to help people with circumstantial issues that become a deterrent for proper pet care.
East Cooper Pet Relief – the official name of the charitable organization headed by Dr. Leslie Steele – is bringing more than just hope and checkups to the Charleston area, however, with a major focus being the critical number of stray cats and dogs that populate the Lowcountry. As a result, Dr. Steele and her team will be providing spay and neuter services for family pets and strays alike, hoping to take a bite out of the dog-and-cat population explosion.
Recalling a quote from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals a few years back, Steele said, “For there to be no homeless pets in the United States, every single man, woman and child would have to have seven personal pets – and it’s only gotten worse since then.”
Dr. Steele said it’s more than people simply not caring. The problem often is due to circumstances such as unwanted breeding or animals that are in poor health. Sometimes it is an issue of not having the funds to pay for the care, while for people it comes down to their access to transportation – especially for the elderly.
Hopefully, East Cooper Pet Relief, set up specifically to help pet owners with low incomes or no means of transportation, will lead to better health for pets with homes and fewer animals without homes.
“It’s so important that people continue to have their pets alongside of them – especially the senior community that depends on the companionship of these animals,” said Dr. Steele, who sees a bright future for East Cooper Pet Relief and is looking forward to planned fundraisers and even to the prospect of making the organization a mobile venture sometime soon.
I think we can all agree that the animals that come into our lives make a dramatic impact on us. Whether you’ve had a puppy from its birth, adopted an older animal from a shelter or simply befriended the neighborhood cat, there is a special place in all of our hearts for the simplistic and honest love of an animal. Now, thanks to Dr. Steele and her team at Advanced Animal Care, we can help take care of these furry friends better than ever before.
East Cooper Pet Relief is on Facebook.
By Krysta Chapman
