Vaccination clinic set

MAT-SU -- The Mat-Su Animal Care and Regulation shelter staff have scheduled nearly a year's worth of vaccination clinics, to be held once monthly around the Valley.

Shelter staff were in Sunshine in December, vaccinating dogs and cats, licensing animals and distributing information about proper pet care. Lisa Espey, the Mat-Su Borough shelter veterinarian, said about 150 dogs and cats were vaccinated at the Sunshine vaccination clinic.

Staff are hoping to meet or exceed that amount when they head to the next vaccination clinic, scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Trapper Creek's ambulance bay, located next to the Trapper Creek Library. Staff from Red Cross will also be at the clinic, distributing smoke detectors on a first-come, first-served basis.

Vaccination clinics are scheduled for the first or second weekend of each of the coming months. In March, a clinic will be held in Talkeetna, with one scheduled to be held in Butte in April. In May, staff will travel to Sutton for a clinic, and are scheduled to be at Lake Louise in June. Staff will revisit Sunshine and Sutton in July and August, Espey said.

"Rather than having everyone come here, we're trying to go to them," Espey said.

Espey noted that the vaccination clinics are for individual pet owners only -- kennels or those with more than five animals should call the shelter to schedule a visit from ACR staff.