When a police officer asks you to do something, it’s generally a good idea to comply. And when a police officer asks you to help animals, well that’s a no-brainer! The Virginia Beach Police Department was routinely fielding calls in certain low-income neighborhoods about animals getting sick because they weren’t vaccinated or shivering outdoors with little to no shelter from the elements. The police asked PETA and the Virginia Beach SPCA if we could all work together one weekend and help. Did we ever.
PETA rolled out our new mobile clinic and altered nearly 30 dogs and cats. We also handed out bundle after bundle of straw bedding for outdoor dogs, so that they could at least have a warm place to lie down, and signed their families up for our free doghouse delivery program. The VBSPCA offered free rabies and distemper shots for animals who had already been spayed and neutered, administering a whopping 250 vaccinations.
Aside from the danger of some animals being arrested for excessive cuteness, the day was a huge success. Said PETA vice president Daphna Nachminovitch, “We’d like to see this example of teamwork to help stop animal suffering emulated in cities across the country.”
