Site Content
Are You Looking For A End-of-Year Charitable Deduction?
Looking for an end-of-year donation cause? Please consider a cash donation to BSCAR a non-profit organization.
By far our largest expenses are medical bills to make sure the animals in our care are healthy to protect them (and the human’s taking care of them) from life-threatening illnesses. The veterinarians we work with give very generous discounts to us on these basic services but as with anything in life nothing is free.
For kittens and cats (with unknown vaccine status) we first test them for feline leukemia—a virus that is easily passed between cats that shorten their life span and make them susceptible to other illnesses. If this test is negative we will then give them their core vaccines.
One vaccine is a combination vaccine against common respiratory illnesses and feline panleukopenia—which is otherwise known as feline distemper. The cat will need two of these vaccines 3-4 weeks apart to be considered fully vaccinated.
If the cat is older than 12 weeks of age it will also get its rabies vaccine. Rabies is 100% fatal and can potentially be transmitted to humans with the same prognosis. Vaccines need to be boosted yearly or every other year (in consultation with your veterinarian) in order to protect the cat from these diseases.
To make sure a kitten or cat in our care is tested and fully vaccinated with core vaccines it costs the rescue roughly between $45- $75
Our dogs and puppies will similarly be given their basic medical tests and vaccines. We test all dogs over 7 months of age for heartworm diseases with a test which also tests for Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and ehrlichiosis. Heartworm disease is spread by infected mosquitoes while the other three diseases are spread by ticks. All these diseases can make a dog very sick. If this test is negative the dog or puppy is then given their core vaccines.
Rabies is given at 12 weeks of age and a combination vaccine protects the puppy or dog from the ravages of serious diseases. This combination vaccine protects against five viruses: canine distemper (infected dogs and raccoons can spread this disease to unvaccinated puppies or dogs), parvovirus (a potentially deadly gastrointestinal disease of puppies which can also make adult dogs ill), canine parainfluenza, a respiratory virus, and canine hepatitis. We also include a vaccine in this combination shot against leptospirosis which is another raccoon (and other wildlife) spread disease.
The dog or puppy needs two vaccines 3-4 weeks apart the first year. These vaccines also need to be boosted yearly or every other year.
To make sure a puppy or kitten in our care is tested and fully vaccinated with core vaccines it costs the rescue roughly between $55- $105
In addition we try to make sure our animals receive treatment or preventatives for common parasites like ear mites, intestinal worms, fleas, and (in dogs) heartworm.
Cats and kittens are treated with a product called Revolution which is effective against ear mites, ticks, intestinal worms, and fleas. Each dose is roughly $22 and lasts for a month.
Dogs will be treated as well against fleas and ticks (about $14 dose) and heartworm disease (about $8 a dose.) Dosages depend on size and are priced accordingly and need to be given monthly.
We are grateful for all donations great and small. Would you consider sponsoring an animal to make sure it is fully tested and treated? Remember we also require our dogs and cats to be spayed or neutered. A dog neuter cost between $115-145 and a dog spay between $155 on up (depending on dog size and age.) A cat is neutered for about $75 and a cat spay is around $140.
Due to past donations and fundraisers by our strictly volunteer organization we have managed to break even to take care of over 110 animals in our short existence. We appreciate each and every cent to help feed and provide veterinary care for the kittens, puppies, cats, and dogs in our care.
