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The Animal
Protective Foundation is
committed to helping pet owners
keep and care for their pets,
especially during hard economic
times. Following is a list of
helpful resources:
Low-Cost Spay/Neuter
Pet Lodge Low-Cost Vaccination
Clinics
Pet Friendly
Rentals
Please don’t assume that giving
up your pet is your only option.
Our Pet Friendly Rental List
includes hundreds of rentals in
the Capital District that accept
pets. This 25+ page document
includes rentals from Albany,
Schenectady, Montgomery,
Saratoga and Rensselaer counties
and is updated regularly. Call
(518) 374-3944, ext. 113 for a
free "Renting with Pets" guide.
Download our
Pet-Friendly Rental List
Property
Owners
if you have a pet-friendly
rental property that you wish to
add to the list, contact us at
(518) 374-3944, ext. 113. We
have made every attempt to be
accurate in these listings, but
if you find an error, please let
us know so that we can correct
it.
Pet Food Pantry
The APF has partnered with the
Schenectady Inner City Ministry
(SICM) Food Pantry to provide
free pet food for those in need
of temporary assistance. We are
regularly supplying cat and dog
food, along with cat litter and
small animal food, as we have it
available.
You can help – the APF
accepts unopened, not
out-of-date packages of all
types of pet food (especially
dog and cat) and cat litter for
this program. It may be dropped
off during the shelter’s regular
business hours.
This program is open to
residents of Schenectady County.
The SICM Food Pantry is located
at 839 Albany Street in
Schenectady. There are no income
requirements, but you must bring
an ID when you go. You may pick
up food for your animals up to
four times within a year, based
on the date you started. For
more information and hours, call
the Food Pantry at (518)
346-4035 or
visit their website. Please
Note: Food is not distributed at
the APF. You must go to SICM to
receive it.
Rabies
Clinics
Rabies vaccination clinics for
the public are periodically
offered by each county’s Health
Department. Links are provided
below and the 2010 schedules
will be provided when available.
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Schenectady
County Rabies Clinics
Free to Schenectady County
residents; donations
appreciated
Cats and ferrets: 10:00
am-11:00 am
Dogs: 11:00 am-12:00 pm
Saturday, May 15 -
Central Park Pavilion
Saturday, August 14 -
Glenville Senior Citizens
Center, 32 Worden Road,
Glenville
Saturday October 16 -
Duanesburg Fire Hall, Rt. 7,
Duanesburg
Bring previous rabies
vaccination certificate if
available. Cats and ferrets must
be in carriers and dogs must be
leashed.
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Saratoga
County Rabies Clinics
Free to Saratoga County
residents; donations
appreciated
Cats: 7:00 pm-8:00 pm
Ferrets: 7:00 pm-9:00 pm
Dogs: 8:00 pm-9:00 pm
Tuesdays, April 20, May 18,
June 15, July 6, July 20,
August 3, August 17,
September 14, September 28,
October 19, November 16
All clinics take place at
the 4-H Training Center, 556
Middleline Road, Ballston
Spa
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All vaccination certificates
are written for one year. If
a previous signed
certificate is produced, a
three year certificate will
be written. Cats and ferrets
must be in carriers and dogs
must be leashed.
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Rensselaer
County Rabies Clinics
Free to Rensselaer
County residents; donations
appreciated
Clinics scheduled at various
locations throughout the
county.
For a complete list, see
link:
http://www.rensco.com/publichealth_rvs.asp
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Albany
County Rabies Clinics
Clinics are open to
any Albany County resident.
Donation is $8 per animal. A
record of prior vaccination
will be required for a three
year immunization. If no
record is presented, a one
year vaccination
certification will be
issued. Cats and ferrets
must be in carriers and dogs
must be leashed.
Link to schedule:
Saturday, March 20 -
Town of Berne Highway
Garage, Rt. 443
Cats and Ferrets: 1:00-2:30
pm, Dogs: 2:30-4:00 pm
Tuesday, June 1 -
Bethlehem Town Park, Elm
Ave.
Cats and Ferrets: 4:00-5:30
pm, Dogs: 5:30-7:00 pm
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Saturday, September 18
- Village of Colonie
Municipal Garage, 2 Thunder
Rd.
Cats and Ferrets: 1:00-2:30
pm, Dogs: 2:30-4:00 pm
Saturday, November 6
- Village of Green Island
Public Works Garage, Cohoes
Cats and Ferrets: 1:00-2:30
pm, Dogs: 2:30-4:00 pm
Pet Guardian Domestic Violence
Program
Pet Guardian, a
partnership program with the
YWCA of Schenectady, is for
pets belonging to women affected
by domestic violence. Pet
Guardian provides a safe place
for the animals while their
owners are in transition to a
new home.
Veterinary Assistance
The APF offers low-cost
spay/neuter for cats through our
Community Spay/Neuter
Partnership. We are
unable to provide other types of
veterinary care for owned pets.
We offer the following resources
for pet owners needing
assistance with caring for their
pets.
- Shop around. Veterinary
charges vary widely from
practice to practice.
- Ask your veterinarian if
they would be willing to
work out a payment plan.
Many veterinarians are
willing to set up a weekly
or monthly payment plan so
that you do not have to pay
the entire cost of
veterinary care up front.
- Contact
Care Credit, a
no-interest credit option.
- If you have a specific
breed of dog, contact the
National Club for that
breed. (The
American Kennel Club has
a list of the national dog
clubs.) In some cases, these
clubs offer a veterinary
care fund.
- Ask your veterinarian to
submit an assistance request
to the American Animal
Hospital Association's (AAHA)
"Helping
Pets Fund." In order to
qualify, your animal
hospital must be AAHA
accredited. To find an AAHA
accredited hospital in your
area, search online at
www.Pets911.com.
- If you purchased your
dog from a reputable
breeder, check your contract
to see if there is a health
guarantee that covers your
pet's ailment.
- Use your credit card.
Ask for a higher credit
limit or a cash advance.
- Call your bank. Ask
about loan programs or other
options they can suggest
that might be helpful in
your situation.
- Ask your employer for a
salary advance.
The following is a list of
organizations that provide
financial assistance to pet
owners in need. Each of these
organizations is independent and
has its own guidelines, so
contact each one separately to
determine if you qualify.
If You Are
Facing Foreclosure
Take your pets with you when you
vacate your home. Never vacate
your home and leave pets behind
or set them loose. It’s both
inhumane and illegal.
- If you leave pets
indoors or release them
outdoors, state criminal
animal-cruelty laws may
apply (e.g., abandoning or
neglecting your pets), even
if you believe you have left
sufficient food and water
for your pets.
- If you leave pets behind
and have arranged for
someone to periodically
check on them, you may still
be in violation of criminal
animal cruelty laws. In
addition, when the mortgage
lender takes possession of
the home, your pets are at
risk of an uncertain future
that may include
euthanasia.
If you are unable to take
pets with you:
- Ask family, friends or
co-workers if they will care
for your pets while you
relocate.
- Call boarding facilities
or ask your veterinarian for
suggestions on where you may
be able to receive low-cost
boarding for your pets, or
set up a payment plan for
boarding costs while you are
in transition.
- If you have no other
options, you can surrender
ownership of your pets to a
rescue group or shelter,
such as the APF, but be
aware that you will be
signing over all rights to
the animal. At the APF,
every effort will be made to
find homes for adoptable
animals, but there are no
guarantees.
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