"Chunk"

"Chunk"

Chunk

In searching for young pit bull type dogs to foster, I stumbled upon a craigslist post that a woman named Darlene who lives in Zebulon had posted about a 5-8 month old male pit bull type puppy she had found.  She did not feel she could take care of the dog, so I offered to foster the puppy. 

Chunk gives me kisses!

 A few days later, Darlene responded to my e-mail, saying that she and her husband had become attached to the puppy and that she wanted to keep him.  She asked me if I had any information about low cost neutering and vaccines, as she did not have the resources to provide the puppy with the medical care he would need. 

I replied to Darlene with the information that is now available on our blog (under the heading Low Cost Spay/Neuter Services).  She graciously thanked me for the information, and said that she and her husband were still unsure as to how they would pay for Chunk’s surgery and vaccines.  Understanding that the costs for the neutering and shots, while reduced, are still expensive, I offered to help out by covering the neutering costs if the family could cover the expenses of disease testing and vaccinations as well as heartworm and flea/tick preventative.  Darlene accepted our help and we agreed to work together to meet the puppy’s medical needs.

Chunk, me, and his mommy, Darlene

On Sunday, July 10, I went and met Darlene and her husband.  I brought them a 3-month supply of heartworm preventative.  The family was incredibly receptive to our suggestions and warmly welcomed us into their home. We have successfully scheduled the male puppy she has named “Chunk” an appointment at the SPCA’s Saving Lives Spay and Neuter Clinic for his neuter, disease testing, and vaccines next week.  Our friends at the SPCA have been amazing and have gone the extra mile to help us in our quest to help the pit bull breed by allowing us to make appointments for our dogs easily and by working the dogs we work with into their busy schedule.

Thank you to Darlene, her husband, and our wonderful friends at the SPCA (especially Ray and Dr. Foley)!

I will keep you updated on Chunk and his surgery and shots! He has found a wonderful forever home and his surgery undoubtedly go great!

Chunk and Chris play with a frisbee

Special thanks to Chris Cottrell for all of his help!

Benefits of Spaying Your Female Pit Bull

Benefits of Spaying

-Spaying helps to reduce medical costs by preventing uterine infections and reduces the risk of breast cancer, especially when done in the first two years of life. 

This lowers medical costs by reducing the risk of these illnesses.  It is also much less expensive to spay a dog before a uterine infection has occurred since the surgery is less complicated.

-Spaying eliminates messy menstrual blood. 

Adult female dogs menstruate before they go into heat every 6 to 10 months, which can be messy and have an unpleasant odor, spayed dogs do not go into heat so they do not menstruate.

-Spaying is cost effective.

The cost of spaying is less than the cost of having and caring for a liter. Having a liter means having more mouths to feed and more messes to clean up!

-There is also a risk of future unplanned liters fathered by random neighborhood dogs resulting in mixed breed puppies that homes can not be found for, and could be a financial burden.

-A spayed dog is less likely to run off because they are not searching for a mate. Since they are less likely to run away, they are less likely to be hit by cars, receive injuries from fights with neighborhood dogs, be picked up by animal control (they charge to reclaim pets) and prevents the spread of STDs such as mycoplasma infections and brucellosis.

-Spaying your dog reduces the number of unwanted pit bulls in our community, forcing people to go to the shelter and rescue a needy pit bull. A large percent of dogs euthanized in kill shelters are pit bull type dogs, since they are difficult to find homes for.

The SPCA's Saving Lives Spay/Neuter Animal Clinic in the Susan &

Randall Ward Center

Location: 300 Petfinder Lane in Raleigh, NC next to the SPCA Pet Adoption Center

Surgery Costs:

MALE DOG $50

FEMALE DOG $65

Lower fees are available to people on public assistance, call for details.

Basic vaccines and disease testing are available for a small

additional fee at the time of surgery.

All vaccines are $8 per vaccine.  Shots offered include essential

shots such as a 1 year rabies vaccines and distemper vaccines (the

Distemper vaccine will require a booster in one month to be

effective).

Microchipping is $15.  A microchip is about the size of a grain of

rice and is implanted into your pet beneath the loose skin above the

shoulder blades.  The microchip has a code that is unique to your pet.

When a pet is found and scanned, the unique code can be traced back

to you, allowing you and your pet to be reunited.

Licensed veterinarians will perform all spay/neuter surgeries.

Spay/neuter surgery follow-up appointments must be done at the

clients’ primary care veterinarian.

Pit Crew Pit Bull Rescue's status as a rescue organization allows us

to schedule appointments for dogs we are working with quickly and

easily via e-mail.  It can be difficult to get in contact with a

receptionist at the SPCA's clinic due to the high volume of calls they

receive and the waiting list to have the surgery performed is about 2

months for the general public.  At Pit Crew, we are usually able to

schedule our dogs for surgery within weeks of your decision to

spay/neuter your dog.  You can contact me or another member of the Pit

Crew at (919) 457-3719 if you would like us to schedule your dog for

surgery.

If you would like to schedule an appointment yourself, you can contact

the SPCA at 919-772-0211 Monday through Thursday from 1 PM to 5 PM.

Saving Lives Spay/Neuter Animal Clinic

300 Petfinder Lane

Raleigh, NC  27603

919/772-0211

Service	Price
Female Dog Spay	$65.00 *
Male Dog Neuter	$50.00 *
Female Cat Spay	$35.00 *
Male Cat Neuter	$30.00 *
Heartworm Test	$15.00
Felv/FIV Test	$18.00
Rabies Vaccine	$8.00
FELV (feline leukemia) Vaccine	$8.00
FVRCP (distemper/upper respiratory) Vaccine	$8.00
DA2LPP (distemper/Parvo) Vaccine	$8.00
Bordetella (kennel cough) Vaccine	$8.00
Microchip Implant and Registration	$15.00
Nail Trim	$5.00

The services listed here are available ONLY at the time of spay/neuter surgery.

* Surgery fees include post-op pain medication that is sent home with each animal.

"Wifey"

Wifey

Wifey

I was driving home one day and I noticed my neighbors had an adorable red nose pit bull puppy in their yard that was running loose without a collar or a leash. A man was standing off to the side, but not really watching the dog. Since our neighborhood is notorious for having city busses that fly down our small residential street, I got out of my car and spoke with the family about putting the puppy on a leash for her safety.  The family said that a friend had dropped her off days ago and had not returned to pick her up and said they did not feel they could keep her, and offered me the pup.  I saw that their young children were doting on the puppy, playing with her and lovingly petting her. On a hunch, I immediately turned my car around and headed to Pet Smart, where I got the family a collar, bowls, food, and a cable to tether their dog with. Normally, I do not support tethering dogs, but I could see this was a good fit for this family since the family does not have a fenced in yard and loves being outside, as I have noticed them having a lot of barbeques and spending time with their relatives in their front yard.

Lauren, Joanie, and Wifey

I returned to their house with the supplies, and I was overjoyed to find that the family had been receptive to my advice and had leashed the puppy they were calling “Wifey” to the base of a tree.  I gave the family the supplies I had purchased, hoping my gift would be welcomed, and I was delighted to find that the family was very grateful, even installing the tethering set as I stood there.  I was sure to caution the family not to tether the dog in the rain for risk of electrocution, to only tether their dog when necessary, and not to tether their dog for more than the 3 hours per 24-hour period as made law in 2009 by the city of Raleigh. For more information about Raleigh’s tethering ordinance, please see http://www.wral.com/news/news_briefs/story/4662009/

Wifey and I

Wifey is still happily living down the street. She enjoys barbeques with her mommy Joanie and she has a wonderful and loving family.  I am so glad I could be a part of the family’s decision to keep her and help her owners to provide her with a more safe and secure environment.  Today, I provided Joanie with information about the health benefits of spaying Wifey, and all of us at Pit Crew hope that Joanie chooses to accept our offer to cover 25% of Wifey’s surgical costs!

Thank you to Joanie, who graciously allowed us to come to her home two days in a row and take pictures of her with Wifey!

Just for laughs!

Our Mission

Pit Crew Pit Bull Rescue is my effort to help pit bull type dogs in our community.  We provide help in many ways, and how we help is determined by the nature of each situation. 

We provide education about the bully breeds (with a special focus on pit bull type dogs), the importance of spaying and neutering, training and socialization, responsible ownership, and about organizations that offer low cost medical services through our website and through being active in the rescue community.  We also focus on reaching out to people who might otherwise bring a pit bull type dog to a kill shelter by offering other alternatives, such as allowing us to find a short-term foster home for the dog until the dog can be placed in a permanent "forever home." 

If a family finds and wants to keep a pit bull type dog but cannot afford basic necessary medical care, we will help the family to keep the dog by helping them through the initial stages of their adoption by covering a portion of their medical costs or by supplying them with basics such as food, bowls, collars, etc. 

If a pit bull type dog is being abused, we try to remove the dog from the home in which it is sustaining abuse while working not to isolate the family.  Our methods include offering to care for these dogs, which is often successful in situations where the dog is severely neglected, and also offering owners compensation for dogs we feel are at risk.  Once the dog is successfully removed from the home, we work to find the dog a fresh start with a loving owner or family.

We take in stray pit bull type dogs that ourselves and others find and try to provide them with short term homes until a permanent home can be found.

Low Cost Spay/Neuter Services

This is "Chunk," he was helped with low cost spay and neuter services!!

Veterinary care is expensive, but there are services available to aid
those in need of basic veterinary services like spaying or neutering
your dog.  Spaying and neutering is always important, but with pit
bull type dogs, it is especially important because of the high number
of these dogs that are unwanted or abandoned, and sadly, are
euthanized at county kill shelters.  (For more information about pit
bulls and shelters, please see
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20299173/ns/health-pet_health/t/nc-shelter-must-care-dogfighting-pit-bulls/
for an article about a NC shelter’s struggle with the dilemma of
caring for 15 pit bulls seized from a dog fighting ring when they were
at capacity.)

There are a number of organizations that provide aid to people who
need low or reduced cost medical care, and I hope this helps in the
effort to find affordable care!

THE SPCA OF WAKE COUNTY (if you live in another county, just go to
your local SPCA’s website)
The SPCA offers two options, the Saving Lives Spay and Neuter Animal
Clinic and the purchasable Spay and Neuter Voucher, both of which you
can read about at
http://www.spcawake.org/site/PageServer?pagename=We_believe
The goal of the Saving Lives Spay and Neuter Animal Clinic is “to
reduce the number of unwanted animals killed each year by spaying and
neutering -- or “fixing” -- thousands of pets at a low cost (between
$50-$65) to the public.” Surgery costs are as follows:
MALE DOG $50
FEMALE DOG $65
The SPCA of Wake County states that lower fees are available to people
on public assistance, call for details. Basic vaccines and disease
testing are available for a small additional fee at the time of
surgery. Licensed veterinarians will perform all spay/neuter
surgeries. Spay/neuter surgery follow-up appointments must be done at
the clients’ primary care veterinarian. To make an appointment for a
pet call 919-772-0211 from 1-5 PM Monday-Thursday (they do warn that
due to the high number of people interested in the clinic, they may
not be able to pick up right away, but they say to keep calling back.)
 The clinic is located at 300 Petfinder Lane in Raleigh, NC next to
the SPCA Pet Adoption Center.
       The SPCA also has a program that allows you to purchase a spay/neuter
discount voucher to redeem at a participating veterinary clinic.  I
personally have used this one and I would recommend it to anyone.  The
SPCA works with a group of dedicated local veterinarians to provide
lower cost spay/neuter surgery to pet owners who might not be able to
afford the one-time cost of spay/neuter surgery (defined for this
purpose as household incomes under $50,000). Redeemable at the
veterinary clinics (listed below), this voucher provides a discount on
the surgery fee.  The voucher provides a discount on the surgical fees
only, meaning that it does not include a pre-anesthetic (an optional
blood test that is routinely done to be sure that liver and kidney
functions are adequate to undergo surgery safely and to check for any
congenital defects that could increase the risk of complications while
under anesthesia.)  The typical cost of this optional but recommended
test is around $50.
The other aspect that is not covered under the voucher is pain
medication, which typically runs anywhere from $10 to $20, and I
HIGHLY recommend paying the extra fee for the pain medication because
this is a major surgery, and the pain medication makes your dog much
more comfortable.
Also, you MUST call your vet and ask what vaccines your dog needs to
be current on to be treated, this varies from vet to vet. This is to
reduce the risk of your dog and other dogs at your vet getting sick.
Common vaccine requirements are Bordetella (around $25-I cannot
guarantee that theses will be the prices at your vet, but this is
pricing info from a Raleigh Vet that accepts the discount vouchers
that I hope provides a general idea. Prices may vary radically from
veterinarian to veterinarian. There is nothing wrong with price
shopping for these medical services. Call around to find the best fit
for your finances), Rabies (around $30), and Distemper (around $60- I
have heard that some vets do not require the Distemper vaccine). If
these prices are too much for you, I recommend you try the SPCA clinic
that was previously mentioned.  One advantage of the voucher option
will allow you to get your animal taken care of faster and you will
also have established a relationship with a vet who cares a lot about
dogs (Vets make next to nothing when they accept a voucher, so you
have a keeper when you find a vet you like who accepts a voucher).
The Discount Voucher can be purchased at
http://www.spcawake.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Spay_Neuter_mainpage
and you can print it out to be redeemed as soon as you pay for the
voucher online.  The voucher costs are as follows:
       Male Dog: $57.00
  Female Dog: $76.00
Please note that if a household income exceeds $50,000, you may still
receive a 20% discount off surgery. Donate $10 to the SPCA and receive
a coupon good for 20% off the standard spay/neuter price at any
participating veterinary practice.  Local participating vets are as
follows:

Animal Kingdom Veterinary Hospital
329-G N. Harrison Avenue
Cary, NC
27513
(919) 460-9111
Ansede Animal Hospital 3535 S. Wilmington Street
Suite 107 Raleigh,
NC 27603 (919) 661-1515
Care First Animal Hospital at Falls Pointe
9500-120 Falls of Neuse
Road
Raleigh, NC  27615
(919) 841-4211
Care First Animal Hospital at Glenwood
5725 Glenwood Avenue Raleigh,
NC  27612 (919) 783-7387
Care First Animal Hospital at Grace Park 11010 Lake Grove Blvd, Suite
104
Morrisville, NC  27560
Ph 919-462-1212
Care First Animal Hospital at Oberlin 1216 Oberlin Road Raleigh, NC
27608 (919) 832-3107
Carolina Crossing Veterinary Clinic
11760 NC 210 Suite 110
Benson, NC
27504
919-934-7729
Greystone Animal Hospital
7713-7 Lead Mine Rd.
Raleigh, NC  27615
(919) 676-1711
Hilltop Animal Hospital 3425 N. Main Street
Fuquay-Varina, NC  27526
(919) 552-5232
www.hilltopanimalhosp.com
Lake Wheeler Veterinary Hospital 2720 Lake Wheeler Road Raleigh, NC
27603 (919) 829-5511
Magnolia Animal Hospital 4200 Capital Boulevard Raleigh, NC 27604
(919) 873-9190
Oak Grove Animal Hospital 3801 Wake Forest Highway, Suite 109
Durham, NC 27703 (919) 598-0001
Pet Overpopulation Patrol
Garner, Durham, Chapel Hill, Pittsboro,
Roxboro
(919) 942-2250
http://www.pop-nc.com/
PetSound Animal Hospital
305-C Ashville Avenue
Cary, NC 27518
(919) 851-4114
The Purr and Bark VMD
Mobile Vet Practice
Raleigh
(919) 676-9293
Reedy Creek Animal Clinic
916 NE Maynard
Cary, NC 27513
(919) 467-7848
Six Forks Animal Hospital 7130 Six Forks Rd. Raleigh, NC  27615
(919) 847-5854
Spay-Neuter Assistance Program of NC Mobile Spay/Neuter Unit (919) 783-7627

Tyson Animal Hospital
5415 NC Hwy 55
Durham, NC  27713
(919) 544-8297

SNAP NC (SPAY AND NEUTER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM NORTH CAROLINA)
For details/more information please see: http://www.snap-nc.org/Services.asp
This program comes recommended from a vet I personally work with.  I
think this program is a great way to get a broader range of veterinary
care.
To schedule an appointment, please call 919-783-7627.  All services
are by appointment only.
SNAP offers the following services at the indicated prices:
Dog Spay/Neuter - Includes Rabies, Distemper/Parvo vaccine & pain
injection 8 to 59 lbs: $100 60 lbs and Up: $125
Heat/Pregnancy Dogs Additional: $30-45
Pain medicine to go home: Dogs: $5
Additional services Available to patient being spayed or neutered:
(These are amazing prices, but you should still find a permanent vet
to provide continued care and vaccinations for your dog)
 Microchip for permanent pet identification: $25 (lifetime
registration, even if you move!)
Heartworm testing for dogs $20
Heartworm prevention with proof of negative HW test $35 (6-dose box)
Frontline Application $15
Vaccines available without surgery
(Patient must be previously spayed/neutered and another patient in
household must be spayed/neutered by SNAP on same day):
Rabies vaccine for cats and dogs $10
Distemper vaccine (DHPP) for dogs $10
Services available without surgery:
Microchip implant for permanent pet identification $30 (This one I
really recommend.  Because every shelter and most vets will scan lost
animals they receive for a microchip, this increases the likelihood
you and your dog will be reunited greatly!)

THE $20 FIX ASSISTANCE PROGRAM PROVIDED BY ANIMAL KIND
For details/additional information, go to:
http://www.animalkind.org/fix.html
The $20 FIX provides spay and neuter services for $20 once you apply
for and receive a voucher.  The vouchers are given on the basis of
household income.  Once you receive a voucher, you must make an
appointment with a participating vet.  A friend told me that after
receiving her voucher, she brought in her cat that had no vaccines and
was still seen, but I have not worked with this organization
personally yet, so I cannot guarantee that they require no vaccination
history.  This service is available if you live in Wake, Durham,
Orange, Person or Caswell County in North Carolina, and either your
total household income falls within those listed in our new
application (a copy of your tax return is required) –or- you
participate in Medicaid or Food Stamps (a copy of your card is
required).
To apply for a voucher, please complete an application which can be
downloaded at the website given above and mail it to AnimalKind at:
AnimalKind / THE FIX
P.O. Box 12568
Raleigh, NC 27605
If you need help completing the form, call AnimalKind at (919)
870-1660. Or, send an e-mail to: thefix@animalkind.org.
If your income qualifies, you will receive a voucher (usually within
three weeks after we receive your application) and a list of the
veterinary locations where it can be used. Your co-pay amount (cost to
you) is $20 for a cat or dog. This must be paid in cash to the
veterinarian when you drop off your pet. If you cannot afford a
co-pay, please explain this in your application.  I know that Falls
Village Veterinary Hospital located at 7005 Harps Mill Road Raleigh,
NC 27615 Phone: (919) 847-0141 has participated with this program in
the past.  You must use the voucher within three months of the issue
date, or apply again. Don't wait to call, some locations have waiting
lists.
There are instructions on the website for preparing your pet for
surgery, but I assume that your vet will inform you of these details
as well.
       Animal Kind also offers a contact SpayNC Helpline you can call
1-888-623-4936 or email SpayNCHelpline@animalkind.org(available
Monday-Friday 9-5) to locate reduced-cost pet spay/neuter resources in
your area of North Carolina.  The organization states that “AnimalKind
recommends that you establish an ongoing relationship with a
full-service veterinarian for all of your pet's needs. But, if you
have a pet and are unable to afford the cost of pet spay/neuter at
regular prices, please call the toll free SpayNC Helpline and ask for
help preventing accidental pet litters.”
       If you have personal experience with this organization, please email
me at pitcrewpitbullrescue@gmail.com; I would like to hear what you
have to say about this organization, as I have not personally worked
with them.


I hope this has helped with any questions you may have about low/
reduced cost veterinary care.  If you want to talk further with me
about anything you have read, please feel free to e-mail me at the
e-mail address given above!