Found a wonderful partner in H.O.P.E. for Animals

Last weekend, at the Northern Indiana Pet Expo, NOOTERS Club® partnered with H.O.P.E. for Animals spay and neuter clinic of Fort Wayne, IN. Our goal:  Encourage more people to get their pets spayed and neutered.

H.O.P.E for Animals offered special incentives on pre-paid spay and neuter services while NOOTERS Club® gave free t-shirts to the first 10 pet owners taking advantage of the offer.  NOOTERS Club® also donated $2 from each tank top, t-shirt and nightshirt sold to H.O.P.E. for Animals.

Community Outreach & Volunteer Coordinator for H.O.P.E. for Animals, Tyna Reiter, worked with NOOTERS Club® on the promotion.  Tyna and her team were phenomenal and made everything so easy.

We have never been asked so many times if we needed help – setting up and putting everything away at the end.  Thank you, Tyna and everyone at the H.O.P.E. for Animals booth!

We hope to work with H.O.P.E. again in the future!

In the meantime, we are always looking for spay neuter clinics interested in partnering with NOOTERS Club®.  If your group is interested in events to raise money or awareness for pet spay and neuter, please contact Lindaw@nootersclub.org.

Get a FREE NOOTERS Club® dog or cat window decal at Northern Indiana Pet Expo June 18-19, 2016

Buy a spay or neuter certificate for your pet – at $5 off the regular price – and NOOTERS Club® will give you a FREE DOG or CAT cling-on window decal.  These decals are perfect for your vehicle’s windshield or side window – or for windows at home. They  proudly state, “My Pet’s a Member of the NOOTERS Club.”

 

The certificates will be available from H.O.P.E for Animals at the Northern Indiana Pet Expo June 18-19, 2016 in Fort Wayne.  To get your FREE NOOTERS Club® window decal, all you have to do is visit the NOOTERS Club® booth at the Expo and show us your receipt.

H.O.P.E. for Animals is northeast Indiana’s only high-volume, low-cost spay and neuter clinic.  Regular prices for spay/neuter range from $35 to $85 based on pet species, age and size of your pet.  For information, go to www.hope-for-animals.org

Save $5 on pet spay/neuter at Northern Indiana Pet Expo June 18-19, 2016

If you live in Indiana – and are looking for reasonably-priced spay or neuter for your dog or cat — come to the Northern Indiana Pet Expo!

H.O.P.E. for Animals, northeast Indiana’s only high-volume, low-cost spay /neuter and wellness clinic, will be selling spay/neuter certificates at a price $5 off their regular price.  So whether you have a dog or cat – male or female – you will save $5 when you pre-pay for your pet’s spay or neuter at the Expo.  (Regular prices for spay/neuter range from $35 to $85 based on pet species, age and size of your pet.)

H.O.P.E. for Animals of Fort Wayne is a nonprofit organization offering safe, low-cost spay/neuter surgeries for cats and dogs regardless of the owner’s income or geographic location.  The organization also offers low-cost preventative care through its on-site wellness clinic.  For information, go to www.hope-for-animals.org

Indiana rescues looking for auction – or fundraising — items – contact NOOTERS Club® BEFORE the Northern Indiana Pet Expo June 18-19, 2016

If your rescue group will be at the Northern Indiana Pet Expo in Fort Wayne – AND if your group is going to be holding any type of auction or silent auction soon – reach out to NOOTERS Club® NOW!

We get lots of requests for auction item donations.  We are happy to help with a few items – and love donating NOOTERS Club® items to a good cause – but shipping can get expensive.  So if your group is looking for featured items for your next event, email your request to Lindaw@nootersclub.org  or call 248-253-0300 BEFORE the Expo.  That way, we can plan ahead,  bring your items and save you the cost of shipping.

Ditto to groups that are looking for FUNDRAISING items.  NOOTERS Club® sells WHOLESALE – this means that your organization stands to make a margin of 50% or more on most items.  Example:  We sell a NOOTERS Club® t-shirt for $16 retail.  Your organization can buy the same t-shirt for $8 or $9 depending on quantity.  You can mark-up the price to whatever you would like and that money is yours to keep!

Again – email or call us before the Expo so that we can bring your order with us!  This will saves you lots of $$ on shipping!

For information on the Northern Indiana Pet Expo, go to www.northernindianapetexpo.org.

 

Look for NOOTERS Club® at Northern Indiana Pet Expo June 18-19, 2016; present this blog & get a FREE window decal!

June 18-19, 2016, NOOTERS Club® will be at the Northern Indiana Pet Expo in Fort Wayne.  This is our first time participating in this expo, so we are very excited!  The Expo is organized by the local Allen County SPCA so all the proceeds from the Expo go to help the animals.  So we are super excited!

In fact, we are so excited about our trip to Fort Wayne, that we will give everyone bringing a copy of this blog with them to the Expo, a FREE DOG OR CAT NOOTERS Club® WINDOW DECAL WITH ANY PURCHASE.  BE SURE THAT YOU PRESENT YOUR BLOG COPY BEFORE YOU MAKE YOUR PURCHASE.

For information on the Northern Indiana Pet Expo, go to www.northernindianapetexpo.org.

We hope to see you there!

Get a FREE NOOTERS Club® t-shirt at Northern Indiana Pet Expo June 18-19, 2016

When you purchase a spay or neuter certificate for your pet – at $5 off the regular price – we’ll give you the shirt off our back.

The FIRST 10 pet owners buying a spay neuter certificate from H.O.P.E for Animals at the Northern Indiana Pet Expo June 18-19, 2016 in Fort Wayne will get a FREE NOOTERS Club® t-shirt.  All you have to do is visit the NOOTERS Club® booth at the Expo, show us your receipt and the shirt is yours!

H.O.P.E. for Animals is northeast Indiana’s only high-volume, low-cost spay / neuter and wellness clinic.  Regular prices for spay/neuter range from $35 to $85 based on pet species, age and size of your pet.  For information, go to www.hope-for-animals.org.

5 questions to ask about pet safety at a spay neuter clinic

We get asked a lot about low-cost spay and services.  One of the most frequent questions we get has to do with the level of care a pet will get at a low-cost clinic.

Keep in mind that many low-cost clinics are nonprofit organizations and therefore, they are getting grants and donations that help them offset their costs. This is a good thing since it means that they are NOT cutting corners when it comes to your pet’s care – they are just bringing in other forms of “revenue” to supplement their lower service fees.

Still, you want to make sure that the clinic you choose is going to provide your pet with the best care possible. Questions to ask:

1. Who is doing the surgery?

Find out the name of the veterinarian and number of years of experience he/she has. You might also ask how long the vet has been working at the clinic.

2. Will your pet be given pain medication before and after the procedure?

There is no reason for your pet to be in pain. Ask about clinic protocols when it comes to giving pain meds.

3. What protocols are in place for monitoring your pet during the procedure? Monitoring your pet’s vital signs – like heart rate and blood pressure — during the surgery is done to signal any distress while under anesthesia.  Make sure that your pet will be monitored during the procedure.

4. What does the clinic do to identify any pre-existing conditions that could make surgery risky? Pre-existing conditions such as a heart condition — can cause complications – and even death – during surgery.  Ask the clinic how they identify any pre-existing conditions or health issues that your pet may have.  In many cases, it’s a good idea to have blood work done as well as an echocardiogram before any type of surgery.  Low-cost clinics do not typically offer either of these – so you may want to ask to see if they recommend that your pet be checked first by your regular vet.  Your pet’s age will also be a big factor.

5. Who should I call if there is a problem after the surgery? Does the clinic provide you with emergency contact information in case there is a problem following the surgery? Can you bring your pet back –and what should you do after regular hours?

4 Ways to check out a pet spay/neuter clinic

NOOTERS Club® is an advocate for pet spay and neuter.  You knew that.  But because of the position we take, we are often asked about where to go for affordable pet spay and neuter.  That’s why we created our online directory.  We ask each pet spay/neuter clinic to provide standard information about its services along with contact information.  But it’s up to each pet guardian to decide whether or not a particular clinic is right for his or her pet.

We also get asked, “Where would you go?”  Here in Michigan – it’s an easy answer. (See who I go to here in Michigan in a later blog.)  But it’s more difficult when it comes to clinics with which we have no experience.

How can you tell if a low-cost clinic is reputable? You can ask the standard questions – like, “How long have you been in business??  Or, “How many procedures have you done?”  These answers should tell you something about a clinic’s experience and longevity.  But I would dig a little deeper.

1. How does the clinic fare in reviews? Search online reviews just as you would for a restaurant or other business. For example, the clinic I work with here in Michigan rates 5 stars in many reviews and close to 5 in others. Good enough for me.  Read reviews carefully. Sometimes even a few negative comments – if they are serious enough – will be cause to go elsewhere.

2. Are there any complaints filed against the clinic or its veterinarians? This is easy to find out but takes a little digging.  In each state, complaints against veterinary hospitals and veterinarians are filed with a state department of licensing and regulations.  Here in Michigan it’s called the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs at http://www.michigan.gov/lara/0,4601,7-154-63294_27647-67393–,00.html.  The name could be slightly different in each state – check on your state’s official website – or call for assistance.  In any case, such a department posts disciplinary actions taken against healthcare institutions and professionals including physicians, nurses, dentists and veterinarians.  Locate these lists on your state’s website and search, by name, for the clinic and its veterinarians.  (Of course, you’ll need to obtain a list of the clinic’s veterinarians in advance.)  If your state’s like mine, you’ll be surprised at the number and nature of medical professional complaints!)

3. Check out the clinic’s website. Is the website professional looking and does it provide useful information about procedures, preparation, post-surgical care at home, etc.?  If a lot of care and attention went into developing the site, this sends a good message about the clinic.  At the same time, do not trust JUST what you see on the site.

4. How helpful are they on the phone?  Granted, many low-cost clinics have limited staff and may have a difficult time answering the phone.  For me, what I hear on the phone is a HUGE gauge of how I can except to be treated at the clinic, veterinarian’s office, physician’s office and so forth.  Clinics may be upset with me for suggesting this, but I would give them a call.  Double check hours, protocols for appointments and walk-ins, cost of services and so forth.  How they treat you on the phone will likely be similar to how you are treated in person.

The story behind NOOTERS Club® tank tops

Our tank tops have been a hit among dog and cat lovers from day one.  Certainly they can be mistaken for the tanks worn by the young ladies at the famous chicken wing place.  But when people discover they are really looking at a dog or cat in our design, they get the joke.

Well, there IS a reason our tanks look so similar!  A number of years ago, NOOTERS Club® participated in the Happy Paws Pet Expo in Las Vegas.  The expo invited the local Hooters® girls to participate at the event –and they did – by selling raffle tickets and raising money for the Heaven Can Wait Sanctuary of Las Vegas.  The girls were wonderful—and we found out that a lot of them are huge animal lovers.

We asked the restaurant’s permission for the girls to wear NOOTERS Club® shirts at the event.  Hooters® said yes, but the shirts must be tank tops—and they must be identical – in style and fabric content — to the ones they wear to work.  We got a sample from Hooters and set out to find the same type of tank tops that we could imprint with the NOOTERS Club® logo.  We were lucky enough to find a supplier with the right combination of 90% cotton and 10% lycra.  So the girls were able to wear our shirts!  We had a great time at the event and raised more than $2,000 for Heaven Can Wait Sanctuary.  

So that’s the story behind the NOOTERS CLUB® tank tops.  They’re meant to be worn fitted, close to the body.  For ladies who prefer a looser fit, we added a SECOND STYLE OF TANK that’s 100% cotton and PROVIDES A MORE OPEN LOOK (cute with a sports bra underneath!).  Either style is perfect for showing off your NOOTERS® in the summer sun!

For a limited time, these tank tops are on sale for just $15 (regularly $20)! Get them while it’s hot!!

Facts about pet spay and neuter

Did you know…

• Millions of healthy cats, dogs and other pets are euthanized in the U.S. each year.
• On average, about 65% of animals that end up in shelters are euthanized.
• Purebred animals account for about 30% or more of homeless pets at shelters.

“Fixed” pets are healthier.

• They live longer, healthier lives.
• They have fewer health problems, including some that are serious.
• Females do not get uterine or ovarian cancer and have fewer occurrences of breast cancer.
• Males do not get testicular cancer and have fewer occurrences of prostate disease.

“Fixed” pets are more sociable.

• They are more affectionate.
• They are less likely to spray and mark territory.
• They do not go into a heat cycle, during which females can cry and attract males.
• They have fewer behavior and temperament problems.
• They are less likely to roam, run away or get into fights.

You know what they say about rabbits…

• Pet rabbits need “fixing” too!
• Altering rabbits can reduce behaviors such as lunging, mounting, spraying, and boxing.
• Spaying can prevent ovarian, mammarian and uterine cancers in females.

For more information, visit The Humane Society of the United States website at www.hsus.org and the ASPCA website atwww.aspca.org.

Click here for one of America’s largest directories of low-cost Spay/Neuter directories.