PAWS plan promotes healthy pets, healthy adoptions

A new program initiated at the Animal Hospital of Waynesville is helping to promote preventative veterinary care for both area pets that already have homes and homeless pets currently housed at the Haywood County Animal Shelter.

The program is called PAWS for a Cause. The practice offers its clients PAWS plans, which cover preventive wellness care for their pets. And for each new enrollment in one of the plans, the practice donates to the Haywood shelter to provide some dogs and cats there awaiting adoption with their own PAWS plan. That increases the animals’ chances for adoption since the expense of preventive care for them will be entirely covered by the PAWS plan.

When enough donations have been collected to fund a plan, Hospital Manager Danielle Treadway, RVT, calls Doyle Teague, Director of Haywood County Animal Services. Together, they select a potentially adoptable dog or cat that might need a little extra help getting a home, whether for medical reasons, age, or just that the pet has been at the shelter for an extended period.

The most recent canine beneficiary of a donated PAWS plan is Penny, a six year old Treeing Walker Coonhound. When she arrived at the shelter she was sick, greatly underweight, and anemic. She received a thorough examination, de-worming, and a lot of love. Now she is on her way to complete health and, hopefully, adoption by a loving family or individual.

For more information about PAWS plans, call the Animal Hospital of Waynesville at 828 456-9755or visit their website, animalhosp.com. For more information about Penny, call the Haywood County Animal Shelter at 828 456-5388.