Thank you NV Energy!
Due to the generosity of NV Energy’s COVID-19 Recovery Grant, the acquisition of Microsoft Surface GO Tablets has enabled NHS to continue to serve the most vulnerable pets and people in our community. The love of companion animals and pet ownership is prevalent in every demographic. There is no shortage of compassion for animals in our community, however there are financial limitations for many when it comes to the cost of caring for their pet. Our goal to assist families from having to choose between medically treating or feeding their pet remains strong throughout the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.
Keeping Our Community Safe
In addition to our vaccine and spay/neuter clinics, the services of our Animal Help Desk and public food assistance (PFA) programs serve our veterans, senior citizens and those that are on restricted incomes, in particular. The Animal Help Desk helps provide people with various resources on a variety of topics, so that relinquishing their pet to the shelter is their last option. The PFA program is provided to help people feed and keep their pets. Many of our PFA’s are COVID-safe, Drive-Thru events and benefit from these mobile tablets as we safely distribute food and pet supplies to people that are struggling to care for their pets.
COVID-19 necessitated a change to a virtual adoptions by appointment model, which now provides an enhanced way to adopt a pet. Families may either come to the shelter at their prescheduled time to meet the animal or attend an offsite location adoption venue to meet the pet of their dreams. The Microsoft Surface GO Tablets have allowed us to enhance shelter pet content for people to see online since they cannot browse the shelter in person at this time. Science has proven that the overall health of humans is improved and benefited by having a pet in their home. COVID-19 requires quarantines and the isolation that comes with it has brought a greater interest in fostering and adopting pets.
Moving Forward, Together
As an essential business that has never closed since this crisis ascended upon us, we are here every day taking in animals, providing them with medical care, and sharing their stories with Nevadans in hopes that they will soon be adopted. This process has enriched the public as they adjust to the unknowns for their income, health and their future. This grant from NV Energy has allowed us to move forward in the ways described and keep pets with their people. We will continue to implement the virtual and mobile operational models as we move through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. These devices are pivotal to our ability to reach the public and their pets in a safe and mobile capacity and allow us to continue our lifesaving programs during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The community relies on us to for these lifesaving services and we count on them to participate to keep the pet population low and healthy. The NHS staff and volunteers utilize these portable computers to complete a series of essential shelter services while remaining socially distanced. The vaccination and spay/neuter clinics both implement a curbside, drop off and registration process in which the portable computers are necessary. The staff safely obtains all required information prior to taking the pet for their appointment-based vaccination or clinic procedure. They are a critical part of our ability to provide the medical care and required administration that we provide and the public relies upon.
A big thank you to NV Energy for allowing us to continue to do all of this live saving work. We will continue to save lives one pet at a time.