Save Ohio Pets is an organization that holds low-cost monthly vet clinics in the Columbus, Ohio. Veterinarians, techs and volunteers provide basic pet wellness checks, vaccines, and treat animals with minor ailments like ear infections and skin issues and then they provide microchipping 

services. Since, January Save Ohio Pets estimates working with more than 600 pets and providing around 250 spay and neuter procedures.

“There’s such a huge group of people who cannot afford vet services,” said Stacey Morris with Save Ohio Pets. “It can take over 2 years to save up to take their animal to vet. Our goal is to hopefully decrease the number of animals entering the shelters. Our main goal is keeping them healthy and in their homes.”

Save Ohio Pets also goes to the homeless camps with Mt. Carmel Outreach, which has a wellness program to check on people staying there. They inform Save Ohio Petswhere the camps are that have animals, and SOP volunteers befriend the homeless, and helps their animals. These animals mean everything to the people in these camps. SOP takes in the animals, treats them, gives them

This sweet dog was treated at Save Ohio Pets vet clinic in May. He was sent to Rascal Animal Hospital for further treatment.

shots and spays/neuters them and returns them to their owners. With these services in mind, through Rascal Charities and Rascal Animal Hospital, The Tortorella Foundation has given a grant to help in these low-income and homeless pet situations in Columbus, Ohio. 

“(This kind of money) is unheard of when you’re just getting started,” Morris said of the grant. “I think we’ve (treated) 13 homeless camp cats thanks to the Tortorella Foundation.”

In addition, with the foundation’s grant, the Rascal Unit (a mobile spay/neuter unit) will attend Save Ohio Pets’ monthly clinic and perform as many as 40 spay and neuters and more.

“My homeless stories wouldn’t exist if I didn’t have (the Tortorellas) behind us,” Morris said.

For more information, visit the Save Ohio Pets Facebook page here.