Here at FurHaven we believe it’s important to give back to our community. So, we are so excited to team up with the Whatcom Education Spay and Neuter Impact Program in giving them a contribution to positively impact pets and their owners!
Also known as WeSNiP, this organization makes a huge difference for animals and humans. Providing for underserved communities across Whatcom and Skagit County in Washington State, WeSNiP makes spaying and neutering accessible and affordable to all. In efforts to help them continue all the good they do, FurHaven donated a total of 53 cat beds and 12 dog beds along with a few pet accessories. We’re excited to say that this is only the beginning of our journey with WeSNiP!
Executive Director, Paige Schmelzer, told us that WeSNiP has provided over 24,493 surgeries with the help of the NOAH center in Stanwood, Washington and other local animal surgery facilities. WeSNiP provides the crucial step of transportation and care to and from surgeries. They also help schedule and facilitate appointments, make sure owners have sufficient funds for spaying or neutering, and provide carriers and leashes for healing pets when needed.
We got the opportunity to learn more about their program while visiting with Schmelzer. To see if you qualify for assistance with WeSNiP, all you have to do is contact their office to apply. Those who are low income or on public assistance usually qualify and can sign up with just a quick call. Students are also able to sign up for their services. “Low income students auto qualify,” Schmelzer said. “We want to help them and students are generally low income, we get a lot of Western [Washington University] students and Bellingham Technical College and we want to help them provide a good home for pets.”
Those who visit WeSNiP can also take advantage of their food pantry, which provides healthy and nutritious food for pets thanks to the donations from other local businesses and the community.
According to Schmelzer, about 25 cats are transported to the NOAH Center every week for their spaying and neutering services. Other facilities like Maplewood Animal Hospital and Bellingham Veterinary Clinic provide surgeries for local dogs. WeSNiP then helps transport all animals back to their owners and provides assistance with surgery pricing.
“Appointments right now are $60 for a cat and $90 to $120 for a dog,” Schmelzer said.
“With COVID normal rates for surgeries are high, so regular prices for spaying and neutering can be anywhere from $300 to $1,000.”
While visiting, WeSNiP’s Executive Director, Paige Schmelzer, gave us an exclusive interview and tour of their facilities. You can check it out by watching the video here.
To learn more about WeSNiP and their spaying and neutering services, visit their site at https://wesnip.org/, or keep up with them on Facebook @wesnip or Instagram @wesnip.saves.lives.
Others mentioned: Maplewood Animal Hospital www.maplewood-vet.com, Bellingham Veterinarian www.bhamvet.com
