The veterinary hospital chain and Petsitting.com join others in helping animals and families affected by the disaster.
Six VCA Animal Hospitals in tornado-damaged Oklahoma are offering free boarding for dogs, cats, birds and pocket pets whose owners lost their homes or were evacuated Monday.
VCA is the latest pet industry participant to come to the aid of tornado victims. Petsitting.com, Planet Dog Foundation, Wondercide, the Petfinder Foundation and distributor Henry Schein Inc. also are involved.
"Our thoughts are with the families who have been impacted by this disaster,” said Art Antin, chief operating officer of Los Angeles-based VCA. "We want families to know that their pets can be cared for in a safe environment while they take care of family issues and manage their personal priorities.”
Free boarding is available at:
- VCA Owasso Animal Medical Center in Owasso: 918-272-5986.
- VCA Woodland South Animal Hospital in Tulsa: 918-524-5000.
- VCA Veterinary Medical Center in Tulsa: 918-743-6644.
- VCA Woodland Central Animal Hospital in Tulsa: 918-496-2111.
- VCA Kicking Bird Animal Hospital in Edmond: 405-348-7387.
- VCA Woodland Broken Arrow Animal Hospital in Broken Arrow: 918-258-5579.
Any boarded pets whose vaccinations are not current will be updated for free, VCA added. Boarding space is limited.
Meanwhile, Petsitting.com, a nationwide network that matches pet owners with service providers, reported that it will donate 10 percent of its sales this week toward dogs and cats left homeless after the tornadoes.
The recipient is the Pet Food Pantry of OKC, which is distributing dog and cat food, leashes, collars, food bowls and other items to pet owners.
"This disaster has had a devastating impact not only on the people who live there but on their pets as well,” said Jared Katz, vice president of sales for New York-based Petsitting.com. "We feel it is part of our responsibility to do whatever we can to help out using the resources at our disposal, and we encourage our partner organizations in the area to do the same.”
In addition to the contributions, the company is asking its business partners near Moore, Okla., to help care for injured and homeless animals.
Residents who find lost pets near Moore are asked to call the Animal Resource Center at 405-604-2892, Petsitting.com reported. The Moore Animal Control Department is collecting information about lost and found pets, and can be reached at 405-793-5190.
Also assisting are:
- Planet Dog Foundation, the nonprofit grant-making arm of Portland, Maine, manufacturer Planet Dog. The organization donated $1,000 to the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation to support search dog teams deployed to the recovery zone.
- Wondercide LLC of Austin, Texas, a manufacturer of organic pest control and natural products for pets, people and property. The company donated enough Evolv flea-and-tick products to help 300 Oklahoma pets. The donation was made to the Animal Resource Center.
