photo by: Courtesy of Kayla Higginbotham of Cub Bear Creative

A Lawrence Humane Society team tends to a dog at a recent pet vaccine clinic for clients of the Senior Resource Center for Douglas County.

When an announcement went out recently about a free vaccine clinic for pets, 200 applications flooded in within the first hour.

And more kept coming, said Elina Alterman, director of development and communications with the Lawrence Humane Society.

Alterman is acutely aware of the “incredible need in the community” for pet care, but those recent numbers “blew our minds,” she told the Journal-World.

photo by: Kathy Wismer Photography

A Lawrence Humane Society employee, Elina Alterman, carries a dog during a recent pet vaccine clinic for clients of Just Food.

The announcement in question was from Lawrence nonprofit Just Food to its food pantry clients, telling them about a coveted opportunity to get veterinary care that they may have otherwise struggled to afford or that they may have delayed while sorting out how to feed, clothe and access health care for the human members of their households.

The Just Food clinic — along with similar clinics for clients of the Senior Resource Center for Douglas County and Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center — was made possible through a partnership with the Lawrence Humane Society, which credits the generosity of local donors, as well as a big initiative by national nonprofit Petco Love to give away 1 million vaccines.

The combined philanthropy — Alterman says Petco Love has given the local shelter 600 free vaccines so far — has allowed the Humane Society to expand its reach into populations that lack financial or other resources: low-income seniors, individuals with mental health issues and folks who require food assistance.

photo by: Kathy Wismer Photography

A Lawrence Humane Society team cares for a cat at a recent pet vaccine clinic for clients of Just Food.

The Humane Society has been offering low-cost vaccination and microchip clinics for pets and on occasion completely free clinics, but the influx of resources has now allowed it to “go all out” for a bit, said Alterman, who is hopeful that the folks who didn’t nab a spot in the March clinics will soon be able to.

She stresses that routine vaccination benefits not just the individual dog or cat, or even the individual owner who needs assistance, but the entire community.

“What we’re trying to provide is just the essential, basic care, so that Douglas County has a healthy pet population,” she said.

“And, you know, all the folks that are at these clinics … we ask, ‘Has your pet seen a veterinarian in the last six to 12 months?’ And they say ‘no,’ and we ask why. And all of it is that they just can’t afford it,” having a fixed income or having lost a job or having suffered from the financial hardships of COVID or “what have you.”

Alterman said that when the shelter ran out of Petco Love vaccines it would apply for more, but in the meantime local donors — like Kathy and David Wismer and Alice Karakas-Neuman — are stepping up to help not only with vaccines but also with items like microchips and flea and tick prevention.

photo by: Kathy Wismer Photography

A Lawrence Humane Society team tends to a dog at a recent vaccine clinic for clients of Just Food.

Karakas-Neuman funded a vaccine clinic in March for clients of Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center. Being a board member of the Lawrence Humane Society, she was especially aware of the need, but on a personal level, as an owner of four pets, she said, “I just thought it was the right thing to do.”

“Pets are part of the family,” and, especially for people who are dealing with a lot of issues, the companionship of a pet is deeply important, she said.

Evidently humble about her donation, Karakas-Neuman said, “Anyone could help.”

“If someone just donated $5, it would be important, and it would be helpful.”

For information about upcoming vaccine clinics, visit the shelter’s website, lawrencehumane.org, or call (785) 843-6835.

photo by: courtesy of Kayla Higginbotham of Cub Bear Creative

A Lawrence Humane Society employee, Elina Alterman, weighs a cat during a recent pet vaccination clinic for clients of the Senior Resource Center for Douglas County.