Sonoma Humane Society opens free wellness clinic, urges reporting of lost and found pets

Not all those displaced or injured by the fires are human.

As of Tuesday, more than 600 pets were listed as lost in a database kept by the Sonoma Humane Society, and fewer than 80 as found.

Animal protection authorities urge anyone who has lost or found an animal to report it at sonomahumane.org. From the homepage, click on Updates, then on Lost & Found.

As they work to reunite families with pets scattered by the fires, Humane Society staffers also have begun to offer free wellness clinics for animals of local people who struggle financially because of the disaster.

The clinic at the Humane Society offices on Highway 12 between Santa Rosa and Sebastopol will offer services that include veterinary exams, vaccinations, wound care, flea prevention, de-worming, microchipping, treatment of common infections and basic urgent care.

Local veterinarians, vet techs and vet assistants are volunteering to assist the Humane Society with the free service.

If there are health issues beyond what the clinic can handle, those pets' owners will be referred to other veterinary care practices.

The Wellness Clinic opens Wednesday and will be available to pet owners from 9 to 6 a.m. Monday through Friday, for as long as the need exists and resources allow. It's first come, first served.

Urgent care for the pets of people impacted by the fires is available at the Humane Society from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day.

Chris Smith is at 707-521-5211 and chris.smith@pressdemocrat.com.