ORLANDO, Fla., June 23, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando announced today three new locations where free spaying or neutering and rabies vaccinations for pets living in income-qualified families will be offered through its mobile veterinary clinic. Free services are provided to pets in families receiving one of the following needs-based public assistance programs: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); Women, Infants, & Children (WIC); Supplemental Security Income (SSI); Social Security Disability (SSD); Medicaid Section 8 Public Housing; Major VA Disability; Florida Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); or the Florida School Breakfast and Lunch Program. Space is limited at each location so families are encouraged to arrive early. Sign-up starts at 7:30 am and animals will go home the same day as surgery. No food or water for pets the night before surgery; dogs should arrive on a leash and cats should be confined in a carrier. Services will be available on the following dates and locations:
July 1st: Orange County Tax Collector - 730 W. Sand Lake Road
July 8th: Orange County Tax Collector - 10051 University Blvd.
August 12th: Orange County Tax Collector - 2110 W. Colonial Drive
A photo accompanying this release is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=33969
"This is the first time that the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando, the City of Orlando and Orange County have all collaborated on a project to prevent homeless animals in the community," Sean Hawkins, Vice President of Marketing for the Pet Alliance, said. "We hope there are many more opportunities to bring community leaders together to address the crisis of pet overpopulation."
"By partnering with the Pet Alliance to provide mobile veterinary clinic services and promoting the free spay/neuter programs at our Tax Collector offices, we can better serve Orange County families that come to our offices," said Tax Collector Scott Randolph. "We want to provide access to beneficial services to prevent an increase in homeless pets ending up in animal shelters."
Citizens must live in Orlando to be eligible for free spaying or neutering services for their pets. Proof of participating in one of the listed needs-based public assistance programs is required. Pet owners should bring proof or rabies vaccination with them to the mobile veterinary clinic site. Pets without proof of vaccination will be inoculated against rabies free of charge as part of the program. Only animals who are being spayed or neutered can be vaccinated through this special program. For information on low cost spaying or neutering services available every day of the week for animals belonging to the general public, or to adopt a homeless pet, call (407) 351-7722 or visit www.PetAllianceOrlando.org.
About Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando
As the go-to pet experts for Central Florida, the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando does good things for dogs and cats and the people who love them. Formerly the SPCA of Central Florida, the organization's goal is to provide compassionate and knowledgeable services for pets and to be leaders in innovative animal care and veterinary medicine. More than 7,000 homeless dogs and cats turned to the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando for caring, compassion, and hope through its two animal shelters last year. Highly skilled veterinarians will help and heal an additional 45,000 animals through two veterinary clinics. Providing shelter for animals in crisis, disaster response efforts, and pet food pantry programs for dogs and cats in need, thousands of additional animals are helped each year. Visit www.PetAllianceOrlando.org for more information.
About Orange County Tax Collector, Scott Randolph
The Orange County Tax Collector's office has been independently elected since it was established in the Florida Constitution in 1885. The Tax Collector Scott Randolph is responsible to the 1.2 million citizens of Orange County for providing a wide range of services such as collecting and administering property taxes, tag registrations and titles, driver licenses and state IDs, business tax receipts and hunting & fishing licenses. These services are performed on behalf of more than 65 taxing authorities and state agencies.
