Volunteers offered rabies and distemper-parvo vaccines as part of an effort to expand access to basic pet care. Each dog received a quick health check to make sure they were well enough for vaccination.
Dot Sherwood, the volunteer administering the vaccines, said rabies and parvovirus continue to pose a risk in Alaska.
“Rabies is present in Alaska, and we have more risk of rabies these days, maybe with pets moving up and down from places in the Lower 48 where there's more rabies too,” Sherwood said. “But we want to make sure that everybody keeps their pets vaccinated for that.”
She said the distemper-parvo vaccine also includes protection against other illnesses, such as canine hepatitis and parainfluenza.
Sherwood said some of the dogs at the clinic had never been vaccinated before.
“We've seen some puppies who've never had vaccines before, and some adult dogs who've never had vaccines,” she said. “So those that haven't had vaccines, they'll get a booster in a month's time.”
Homer Animal Friends plans to hold another clinic at the Homer Animal Shelter on August 10 for dogs that received their first dose of the vaccine this week.
