By Emmy Warren

Their goal: To keep animals happy, healthy and home where they belong! 

“Our human clients have one thing in common: they love their pets,” says Becca Britton, the agency’s executive director. “In some cases, these pets are providing much-needed friendship and sense of purpose for their owners. When we are able to help them support the well-being of their dogs and cats, the quality of life improves for everyone.”

In order to become a Service Learning Fellow, I get to create a capstone project that truly reflects the difference I want to make in my community. For my project, I chose to do a combined effort of service and writing. I not only wanted to volunteer my time, but I also wanted to help spread awareness for the amazing organization I get to be a part of.  I chose Neighborhood Pets as my organization after I heard about it from a friend. I have always loved animals and I hate seeing animals suffering alone in the cold because they have been abandoned. Neighborhood Pets is an organization that works to prevent that from happening. Through Neighborhood Pets I have learned that each year close to 96,000 Cleveland dogs and cats are living in poverty, and the best way to prevent animal abandonment is to provide their owners with affordable access to everything they need.  

Neighborhood Pets is basically like a food bank for animals, and anyone can come in and get free bags of food for their animals. They also offer special vouchers to veterinary hospitals so that struggling people can get their animal fixed or surgery at a much more affordable price. On certain weekend this organization also offers free vaccine clinics for dogs and cats, for those who are members with them. The only requirement to be a member is that you live in the city of Cleveland and are low income. Discounted flea medication, special dietary medication and food, kitten formula these things are all made affordable or even free to the people who need them most. 

Their website:http://www.neighborhoodpetscle.org/