Grants, donations help animals get ‘New Beginnings’
What happens in Merced County when a tiny stray terrier needs an emergency cesarean section? Or if a kitten’s leg is crushed by a garbage bin? Or if a puppy suffers from heat stroke after being locked in a car parked at Merced Mall?
Many times, New Beginnings for Merced County Animals does just that – gives a fresh start and proper medical care to animals in need.
In 2015, New Beginnings rescued 4,830 animals in Merced County and issued more than 1,300 vouchers for affordable spaying and neutering, the group said.
The spay and neuter vouchers contribute to New Beginnings’ primary goal of reducing the euthanasia rate at the Merced County Animal Shelter.
A recently received $15,000 grant from the Petco Foundation will help further the group’s cause.
The group also is hosting a fundraiser Sept. 10 in Hughson to replace a transport van with more than 160,000 miles on it. The fundraiser, “Grillin’ 4 A Cause” will feature a meal of barbecued ribs, chicken, corn, baked beans, coleslaw, garlic bread, homemade pie and ice cream.
The van is a vital part of the rescue’s operations. Volunteers transport animals by bus, plane and van to no-kill shelters in other parts of the western U.S. Just last week, New Beginnings sent nearly 150 animals via planes, buses and vans to rescues, a post on the group’s Facebook page said.
“We’d like to be able to do so much more,” said Sharon Lohman, New Beginnings’ founder and president. “Frankly, we need donations. We could transport even more animals to rescues in the Northwest and would be able to bring more neglected, abused and injured animals back to good health.”
In 2015, Lohman estimated, New Beginnings provided $58,000 worth of care for injured animals.
Officer Michael Nole, with the Merced Police Department’s animal control unit, said New Beginnings helps with veterinary bills the city can’t cover. The city will spend $250 on an injured animal but nothing more.
“New Beginnings will often pick up the difference,” Nole said.
Plus, New Beginnings helps many young pets sent to them from animal control by finding them new homes. “That helps because it keeps me from taking a young animal to the shelter where it’s likely to get (parvovirus),” Nole said.
To purchase tickets for “Grillin’ 4 A Cause,” visit Christina’s Boutiques in the Bear Creek Shopping Center, Santa Fe Pet Hospital on Beachwood Drive or Valley Animal Hospital on 16th Street. For questions about the fundraiser, call 209-769-8953.
Anyone who would like more information on the spay and neuter vouchers can call 209-969-2010.
This story was originally published August 18, 2016 at 4:57 PM with the headline "Grants, donations help animals get ‘New Beginnings’."