Medical Benefits of Pet Ownership

For years, the medical community has hailed the benefits to human health of pet ownership. Our pets bring us unconditional love, amusement, a sense of security and closeness, and so much more. These rewards can be especially valuable to our most vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, the disabled, and the undereducated. The $5 billion pet-related consumer marketplace underscores the popularity of pets!

Typically, the most vulnerable members of our community are also economically challenged. A trip to the veterinarian for spaying or neutering a cat can normally cost from $150 to $400. It can be a huge obstacle for such a household to afford this basic care, particularly if having to choose between spaying the cat and feeding the family, paying rent, or buying clothes. Even more heart wrenching is being faced with the decision of euthanizing a beloved pet that requires care for a catastrophic illness or injury - when such care costs hundreds or thousands of dollars - because euthanasia is the only financially viable option.
     
Second Chance Fund for Animal Welfare (SCFAW) believes that no one should have to choose between their own basic needs and caring for their pets, thereby missing out on the vital human-animal bond or, what’s worse, knowing such love but having to give it up. 

We also believe that the majority of cats, who are pristinely clean animals in a safe environment, belong in domestic settings and not in the streets in great numbers, with the exception of working cats on farms and other specific settings where rodent control is vital. 

Our urban neighborhoods should be free of feral cats’ nuisance behaviors and their suffering; and neighbors should not become divided over the problem. Children should be able to play in their back yards, parks, playgrounds, and alleys without their parents’ concern about health risks due to free-roaming cats.

Working to address such issues through affordable and accessible spay/neuter services is our main goal. But we need your support. Click here to learn how you can help!