Local Veterinarians Team Up to Provide Rabies Vaccination Clinic at Logan Warming Center

A group of volunteer veterinarians from the Utah State University College of Veterinary Medicine and the Cache Veterinary Practitioners Association descended upon St. Johns Episcopal Church in downtown Logan on Thursday. Their mission: to provide free rabies vaccination and de-worming services to the pets of guests at the William A. Burnard Warming Center.

Between Nov. 30 and April 15, the warming center serves as a place to pick up something to eat, obtain hygiene products and have a cot to sleep on between 7 p.m. and 8 a.m. nightly. Individuals and families are welcome, and so are their pets, provided they are leashed and supervised.

Timothy Keady, USU professional practice extension assistant professor in health and wellness, has been part of this effort since it began four years ago. He serves as vice president of the center’s board of directors and chairs its Community Engagement and Outreach Committee.

“We see all kinds of different people,” Keady said. “Families who have lost everything because of a cancer diagnosis and medical bills. People just getting out of jail who need somewhere to stay for a night or two. We have people who have stayed here, and their children haven’t had to miss a day of school.”

The connection to the college Cache Veterinary Practitioners Association came about after Professor David Wilson heard Keady speaking about the warming center at an outreach event.

“Afterward, I asked him about if they ever had pets, he said, ‘Yeah, dogs and cats,’ and even though I'm a dairy extension vet and I haven't done small animals since ’87, I started talking to people in the Cache Veterinary Practitioners Association about it to see if the small animal people were interested, and they were,” Wilson said. “So I thought we would try a rabies and deworming clinic, and he’s been publicizing it with flyers at check-in for about a month now. We'll see.”

Right on time, a flurry of caramel-colored fur scurried through the door, restrained by tangling leashes. The three Chihuahuas, named Rascal, Nugget and Pumpkin, seemed happy to be anywhere as long as their owners were close by; privacy considerations protect the identities of guests who access the center.

“The vet said rabies shots were $40, and I don’t have $40,” one of the dogs’ owners said as all three tiny pups clamored to sit in her lap at once. “Even though you’re worth it.”

Unhoused individuals sometimes refuse shelter, even in freezing weather, if emergency or temporary housing won’t accommodate their pets. Twelve percent of unsheltered adults own pets, according to a 2019 study cited by the ASPCA. Studies also show that pets provide people experiencing homelessness with social support and motivation to reduce substance abuse.

In December, the Burnard Warming Center enter served 76 unique individuals and provided 792 nights of emergency shelter. It takes about 56 volunteers a week to operate the center, plus teams of two paid staff members per night who provide overnight security and continuity of care for guests. An average night sees about 30 but can serve 60 guests at maximum capacity.

The warming center is the only one of its kind in Cache Valley; the next closest is in Ogden.

Rascal, Nugget and Pumpkin each received rabies shots and shiny, gold-colored collar tags documenting their newly acquired vaccination status.

The next free rabies vaccination and deworming clinic will be from 8-9:30 p.m. Feb. 26 at the center, 85 E. 100 North.