Microchipping is a Great Idea

Microchipping is a Great Idea

Did you know 10 million pets are lost each year? Collars and tags are great ways to identify lost pets and reunite them with owners, but they can easily come off or be removed.

Never fear, dear cat or dog pawent, peace of mind is as small as a grain of rice! Microchips are a safe, painless, and most importantly, effective way to ensure your kitty comes home if it gets lost.

Here are the ins and outs of microchips:

What is a Microchip?
Microchips are a small device that is placed under the skin of a pet that can be scanned and used to identify and retrieve pets if they get lost. Basically, it’s a permanent identification that your cat is your cat or your dog is your dog.

What does a Microchip do for Pets?
Pets get a microchip with a unique identification code in between their shoulder blades. Once your pet is chipped with SAFE Haven for Cats, it is enrolled into the Found Animals Microchip Registry, keeping a national database available to you 24/7.

If your kitty or puppy is lost and found at any time, it’ll be scanned at an animal shelter or veterinary hospital. The ID includes your contact information so your pet can safely return home.

Are Microchips Painful for Animals?
Chipping is a safe and ultimately painless process for you and your cat or dog. The chip is tiny – about the size of a grain of rice! Moreover, there aren’t any batteries or devices inside the chip that could cause any harm. In short, this procedure is permanent, can’t be altered and doesn’t change or harm your furry friend.

Maintaining the Chip
You went to your local shelter to get your cat or dog chipped. What’s next?

It’s important to check your cat or dog’s chip every year to ensure your contact information is up-to-date. Although you can’t see the chip, your vet can scan it during your kitty’s annual check-up. Or, set a reminder in your calendar for Check the Chip Day on August 15 every year.

A *Good* Chip on Your Pet’s Shoulder
Overall, chipping your cat or dog helps keep your feline friend safe and you sane. Implanting a microchip is painless and permanent. Be sure to check it annually or on Check the Chip Day.

Cats adopted from SAFE Haven are already microchipped, but microchips can be purchased and implanted at our SAFE Care Spay/Neuter Clinic at the time of spay/neuter surgery for only $15. This includes lifetime registration.

Happy chipping!

Rescued Beagles Get Necessary Services Before Adoption

Rescued Beagles Get Necessary Services Before Adoption

SAFE Care Spay and Neuter Clinic heeded the call to help beagles saved from a puppy farm in Virginia. Being spayed or neutered was these sweet dogs’ last stop before adoption by a loving family.

On Sunday, August 14, the SAFE Care Clinic sterilized 49 beagles – 48 male and one female – saved from the animal experimentation facility. Thousands of beagles were rescued from a facility in Virginia that bred dogs to sell to laboratories for animal experimentation. A federal judge ordered the release of approximately 4,000 dogs from the facility owned by Envigo after it was found in violation of several federal regulations. The U.S. Humane Society worked with federal authorities to rehome the dogs, and rescue groups across the country took them in.

“It was all hands on deck here on Sunday,” said Dr. Tiffany Kutner, Medical Director of the SAFE Care Clinic. “We had three vets, extra vet techs, and volunteers to ensure each dog had a smooth procedure.”

All 49 dogs were spayed or neutered plus received a physical examination, rabies and distemper vaccinations, nail trimming, pre-op pain injection, heartworm medication and an e-collar. They then went to foster homes until they can be matched with their forever families.

The SAFE Care Clinic is asking the community to help pay for the fixes of these sweet dogs. A donation of $20 to the Clinic will close the cost gap to care for each rescued pup. Donate at safecareclinic.org/donate.

“The SAFE Care Clinic is a safety net for our community,” said Pam Miller, Founder of the SAFE Care Clinic. “We are here to help, regardless of the cost, to ensure that every pet has a chance at a long life in a loving home.”

Since 2001, the SAFE Care Clinic has helped address the pet overpopulation problem in Wake, Durham, Orange, Franklin, Johnston, Granville and Harnett counties by offering low-cost spay and neuter services for cats and dogs. The Clinic has fixed more than 41,000 cats and dogs since its opening.

Triangle Beagle Rescue will coordinate the adoption of all the hounds that have come to the area.

Woman with blonde hair holding beagle in her arms
Meet Dr. Tiffany

Meet Dr. Tiffany

We’re delighted to introduce Dr. Tiffany Kutner, SAFE Care Spay/Neuter Clinic’s medical director.

As a daughter of an Airforce sergeant, her family got to travel and move throughout the world. Born in Maine, she and her family moved to the Philippines before returning to Arizona where they purchased their first horses. This began her love for these wonderful animals as well as her drive to becoming a veterinarian at such a young age. In 1990, they left Arizona for North Carolina and it’s been her home since.

From middle school on, her life revolved around her drive to become a veterinarian. At the age of fifteen, she began her first job as a veterinary assistant at a local veterinary hospital. After graduating high school, she moved to Raleigh to complete her undergraduate studies in animal science. She finished her B.S. degree in three years while working full time at an equine hospital. She then went to NC State Veterinary School. After graduating in 2005, she moved to Pittsburgh, PA, to complete a one-year equine surgical and sport horse medicine internship. She then moved back to North Carolina and started her veterinary career as an equine sports horse medicine veterinarian in Apex, North Carolina.

After six years, she changed paths to small animal medicine at Banfield Pet Hospital. Over the next ten years, she completed several intense soft tissue surgical training programs and developed a large surgical referral practice for her hospital. She found the desire to make a different, more profound impact in the veterinary community. This lead her to join the team at Safe Haven For Cats/Safe Care Spay and Neuter Clinic in 2021. “There are not enough words to describe how fulfilled and excited I am to be able to share my knowledge and skills with such a wonderful team and make such a large impact on the feline community in our state.”

Happy birthday to us!

Happy birthday to us!

Happy birthday to us!

For 20 years, SAFE Haven Spay & Neuter Clinic has helped address the pet overpopulation problem in Wake, Durham, Orange, Franklin, Johnston, Granville and Harnett counties by offering low-cost spay and neuter services for cats and dogs.

The first “just for cats” clinic in North Carolina, we started only one day a week thanks to the dedication of Dr. Betsy Pethick King, a founding member of SAFE Haven. “We can build bigger & bigger shelters but to get to the root cause of overpopulation & pet euthanasia, we need to make sterilization available to everyone at as low a cost as possible.”

Following that principle, we’ve built and expanded and to date, we’ve fixed more than 35,500 cats and dogs thanks to support from people like you. Can you help us continue our work for the next 20 years?

Celebrate with us by donating $20 by July 20. That’s $1 for every year we’ve worked so far. Just click to easily make your gift by July 20!

Book your spay/neuter appointment now!

Book your spay/neuter appointment now!

Does your cat or dog need to be spayed or neutered? Now’s the time to make your appointment!

Getting your pet fixed helps control overpopulation and reduce euthanasia. It can also help your pet live a longer, happier life! Here are 4 myths about sterilization you should know.

Myth: “I should let my cat or dog go into heat at least once.”
Truth: The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends all cats and dogs be spayed or neutered by 5 months old.

Myth: “It’s expensive to have my pet spayed/neutered.”
Truth: The SAFE Care Clinic will work with you to get your pet fixed. Our staff can help those who cannot pay for the service. Do not hesitate to get an appointment!

Myth: “It’s painful for my pet.”
Truth: During a spay or neuter surgery, cats and dogs are fully anesthetized, so they feel no pain. All animals spayed at the SAFE Care Spay/Neuter Clinic receive pain medication before their surgeries and they return to normal activities after about a day. We also offer pain medication to go home for an additional fee.

Myth: “It’s not safe for my pet.”
Truth: While all surgery comes with some risk, spaying/neutering is essential for your pet’s health and safety. Spaying helps prevent uterine infections and breast cancer, which is fatal in about 90 percent of cats and dogs. Besides preventing unwanted litters, neutering your male companion prevents testicular cancer, if done before six months of age according to the ASPCA.

Need help in paying for this important care? There are funds available for our low-cost spaying/neuter services. Request an appointment now!

Golden and White Shaggy Dog

Spay and Neuter is Good for Your Dog!
Fixing your dog will not only help reduce the number of homeless dogs but also help your dog be healthier! Here are a few benefits:

    • Spaying or neutering your dog can actually reduce the risk of specific cancers and infections.
    • Alteration surgery may reduce some of the negative behaviors that are the result of a dog’s mating instinct.
    • Research has shown that fixing your dog can mean a longer life expectancy. That means more time with you!