Animal Rescue Coalitions Spring Newsletter : simplebooklet.com

Dear Friends of ARC,As we head into the summer months, the ARC team continues to provide access to affordable spay/neuter surgeries and wellness. While April is designated as Heartworm Awareness Month, May also plays a crucial role in heartworm prevention and awareness, especially in Florida, where the mosquito season extends into the spring and summer. We hope you ﬁnd our newsletter feature on the heartworm disease informative. We also encourage you to take advantage of our summer specials on testing and prevention! ARC cannot continue to make strides in saving animal lives without the generosity of donors like you. ARC is very fortunate to have a strong core of long-standing donors who have supported our efforts for years. We also welcome our new donors, many of whom attended our “All Aboard for Animals” spring fundraising event. We hope to see you all (and your dogs in their best nautical ﬁnery!) next year at the Sarasota Yacht Club on Saturday, March 14, 2026. We are grateful for the donations which fund the ARC programs which beneﬁt our rescue partners, such as Ready Set Rescue (RSR) and the Emergency Medical Fund (EMF). In this newsletter, we feature two rescue animals who beneﬁtted from life-saving treatment which was subsidized by ARC’s EMF fund. Note: Diamond is not adopted yet, so if you are looking for a dog who is playful, loyal and loving, contact Sarasota County Animal Services (SCAS)! The challenges associated with operating a low-cost spay/neuter clinic can only be overcome with your ongoing partnership. Your belief in our cause strengthens our determination, and your generosity paves the way for our success. Together, we can continue saving animal lives.With Gratitude,Laura McCannExecutive Director1 | ARC NEWSLETTER SPRING 2025FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORARC VETERINARIAN DR. CAROL MCKEE From a young age, Carol McKee knew that she wanted to spend her life caring for animals. Her summers in northern Michigan at her family’s lakeside home fostered this passion, as she cared for her grandmother’s dogs and sometimes for orphaned wild animals that she found. This taught her compassion and love for any animal, not just pets.Naturally, Carol set her sights on veterinary school, graduating from Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1979. Three years later, she started her own veterinary practice in Detroit with two other community-minded vets. Part of their vision and mission was to work with rescue groups in the area, and they always made time to see those homeless animals at a reduced fee. But there were no High Quality, High Volume Spay/Neuter (HQHVSN) clinics in the area, and it wasn’t until 2008 that Carol was introduced to the concept by a friend in rescue. They traveled to Ohio to learn about HQHVSN, and established a clinic in south Detroit that was devoted to HQHVSN. Carol visited Humane Alliance in Asheville, North Carolina in 2010 to learn the “tricks of the trade” in decreasing the time it took her to spay or neuter a dog or cat. There deﬁnitely was a learning curve after spending years performing the procedures with the methodical, time- consuming way she learned in veterinary school!Later in 2010, Carol sold her portion of the veterinary practice and decided to devote her “retirement” to helping dogs and cats in need, with the biggest focus

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ARCSRQ.ORG | 2CLINIC MANAGER | JENNIFER KALBACHER Please welcome ARC’s new Clinic Manager, Jennifer Kalbacher! A transplant from Woodland Park, CO, Jennifer has more than 20 years of experience in the veterinary and pet care world. Back in CO, Jen worked as a licensed vet tech, an Animal Control ofﬁcer, and a Sheriff’s Deputy in the K9 unit. After moving to Sarasota, she ﬁrst managed the Bayside Pet Resort near the SRQ airport. Then she joined Dogs, Inc. in Palmetto, serving as the manager of the Canine Care Team at their training kennel, and most recently, as the Canine Strength and Conditioning Coach (basically a ﬁtness trainer for dogs!). Holistic healing for both animals and humans is a passion for Jen. She is a Reiki Master/Practitioner for both animals and people, and she enjoys working with crystals, herbs, and oils.In addition to Jennifer’s work accomplishments, she is the mother to two adult sons, Garrett and Jakeb. She also has 3 furry family members. Owens, a sweet 3 year-old yellow Lab, who was in the service dog program at Dogs Inc. but decided being a pampered pet was more his style! Two shy 6 year-old cats, Robert and Dolly, round out the family.Jen says she was attracted to ARC’s mission of providing affordable veterinary services, which she is passionate about. We are happy to have her with us, utilizing her extensive skills and knowledge to help ARC deliver quality, low-cost care to the animals in the region. Welcome, Jen!on low cost high-quality spay neuter. Four years later, Carol and her husband moved to northern Michigan, living on the same lake of her childhood. She volunteered with the Benzie County Animal Control Ofﬁce, but she quickly realized that, while they did a good job overall, there was no plan for feral cats in the county other than euthanasia.In 2016, Dr. McKee was contacted by local EMS about an elderly gentleman (“Louie”) who had had a heart attack. The ﬁrst responders discovered that Louie had been feeding 60+ cats. In response, Dr. McKee founded the Community Cats of Benzie County (CCBC). They were able to place 20 kittens and friendly cats into homes. The other 40 were neutered and released back. By the time Louie passed away, CCBC had succeeded in decreasing the population of cats at his trailer, but CCBC was lucky to have a neighbor who offered to continue to feed and provide shelter for the remaining cats. In 2018, Carol purchased a building that is used by CCBC as a veterinary surgery center. Over the years they have helped with several large colonies and many small ones within the county, and expanded their services to include providing spay/neuter for 6 rescue groups in the tri-county area at cost.Meanwhile, Carol’s husband had retired, and they bought a winter home in Sarasota. Never one to rest for too long, Carol obtained her Florida veterinary license and went to work at ARC. Carol says, “Being able to work with the wonderful staff at ARC has truly helped me to gain ideas and learn different procedures that help when I return to Michigan. Truly - I wish that I could just transplant ARC with its wonderful staff with me to northern Michigan.”Last year, Carol resigned from CCBC and formed Benzie Area Affordable Spay Neuter in MI. She is planning to provide low cost spay/neuter services for both cats and dogs, and will continue to work with the local rescue groups, but will also work with the general public. When she is in Sarasota, November through May, Carol works 2 -3 days a week at ARC. Dr. McKee says she loves ARC. We love and appreciate her as well!

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ARCSRQ.ORG | 4MEDICAL CORNER THE POWER OF THE EMF FUNDThe Emergency Medical Fund funds lifesaving treatment for animals that are in the care of ARC’s rescue partnersROCKY | CRUELTY CASEFour month-old Rocky was found wandering alone in a rural county, his jaw and cheekbone badly broken from being hit in the face. The shelter planned to euthanize him until Love4Paws stepped in. Because surgery to ﬁx Rocky’s jaw would be complex and needs to be done in stages, the rescue was referred to Dr Smithson at The Pet Dentist in Wesley Chapel. The ﬁrst surgery done was to place wires in his jaw, and the second was to remove the wires. He has healed beautifully, but he will need a third oral surgery in a few months to extract teeth which are malformed. Finally, he will be neutered. This is a lot of surgery for a puppy, but thanks to funding from ARC’s Emergency Medical Fund, Love4Paws has been able to get the medical treatment Rocky needs. The good news is that Rocky has been adopted. His new mom is a realtor and his dad is a sheriff’s deputy. He also has a human brother who adores him, and the feeling is mutual. Things are looking up for Rocky! DIAMOND | HEARTWORM POSITIVE Diamond was surrendered to Sarasota County Animal Services when her human dad lost his housing. Although he was heartbroken and tried to ﬁnd a temporary home until he was able to take her back, he was unsuccessful.While ARC tests for heartworm and offers prevention, ARC does not provide treatment. Instead, ARC works together with rescues to locate private veterinary practices which can provide an affordable course of heartworm treatment. In Diamond’s case, Dr. Nic at Sarasota Veterinary Services has started her heartworm protocol. She is doing well!Diamond weighs 56 lbs and is about 6 years old. Housebroken, kid-friendly and dog-friendly with canines her size, she is a sweetheart who loves to have her butt scratched! She is very playful, but because dogs need to be kept quiet while they are undergoing heartworm treatment, her exercise is restricted right now, which doesn’t make her happy!Because heartworm treatment is costly, SCAS applied for and received help from ARC’s Emergency Medical Fund. We are looking forward to the day that Diamond is adopted and once again has a home of her own.

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Did you know that the incidence of heartworm disease in Florida has grown by leaps and bounds over the last two decades? In 2001, veterinary clinics in our area reported seeing 1 - 5 cases of heartworm each year. In 2022, some of these clinics were seeing over 100 cases annually!5 | ARC NEWSLETTER SPRING 2025Heartworms are exactly that…worms. The vector, or carrier of heartworms is mosquitoes. A healthy mosquito bites an infected animal, and becomes a carrier, so any future animal bitten by that mosquito also becomes infected. Once an animal is infected, this potentially fatal disease causes lung damage, heart failure, and damage to other organs and blood vessels. In dogs particularly, the heartworms, which can grow to a foot long, mate and produce offspring inside the body. Dogs have been known to harbor several hundred worms in their bodies. Coughing, fatigue, exercise intolerance and weight loss are often the ﬁrst symptoms seen, and if untreated, the disease can progress to heart failure and death. Although cats do get heartworms, the symptoms are much less obvious. In some cats, sudden collapse and death is the ﬁrst sign of the disease. Sadly, there is no effective treatment for heartworm in cats. Although heartworm disease is found in all 50 states, including Alaska, it is much more prevalent in southern states where the weather is warm and humid all year long. In Florida, the mosquito population decreases in winter, but mosquitoes never go away entirely. This makes heartworm disease a year-round problem. Can heartworm disease be prevented? Yes! Certainly, keeping your dog or cat inside 100% of the time is neither practical, nor good for the animal, since that means no veterinary visits as well. Good veterinary care, though, can allow your canine family member to live a long, healthy life. Heartworm preventatives such as Heartgard Plus, Proheart 12, Simparica Trio, and Revolution Plus (for dogs), or ProHeart 12 for Cats, are available through ARC as well as your own veterinarian. You may ask yourself, “If heartworm disease is preventable, why is the disease so prevalent in Florida?” One of the reasons is our high population of snowbirds and other seasonal visitors. Our population jumps signiﬁcantly when the weather up north gets colder. Many of our seasonal visitors bring their pets with them when relocating to Florida for the season. Some of these pets are not sufﬁciently protected against heartworm because their home state has few mosquitoes. If an infected mosquito bites an unprotected animal, either pet or wildlife, the cycle continues. One bite is all that it takes.Starting your dog or cat on heartworm prevention is a two-step process. First, the animal must be tested for current heartworms. This is a simple blood test that is performed and read in the clinic. If the test is negative, the ﬁrst dose of the chosen preventative is given. Depending on the product chosen, a pet parent will need to be compliant with the recommended dosing schedule. Topical medications such as Revolution, and oral preventatives like Heartgard and Simparica, are typically given monthly, all year round. Those who would prefer an annual dosing can choose Proheart12, an injection that protects for a full year. Heartworm testing must be continued on an annual basis with all of these medications, but that cost is minimal. Although heartworm prevention may seem beyond your budget, the consequences of not giving prevention are much higher. Treatment for heartworm disease can be quite expensive, and no one wants to lose their dog or cat to a preventable illness. ARC’s mission is not only to provide affordable spay/neuter, but also to help your pet live a long and healthy life. Heartworm testing and prevention, along with vaccinations, is a major component of this goal.For the months of July and August, ARC will be offering a $5 discount on heartworm testing and 10% off prevention for any pet brought in by the general publicHEARTWORMS THE TRUTH ABOUT THIS PREVENTABLE DISEASE

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5,601 ANIMALS SPAYED/NEUTERED5,116 NON-SURGICAL VETERINARY SERVICES, INCLUDING VACCINES, MICROCHIPS, AND HEARTWORM TESTS NUMBERS AT-A-GLANCESEPTEMBER 2024– MAY 2025Donate Today!Your donations enable ARC to continue its mission of beneﬁting animals and the people who love them by providing access to affordable, high-quality spay/neuter surgeries and veterinary services.April was Heartworm Awareness Month! Get your pet protected with ARC’s ProHeart 12 for dogs! This combo protects from heartworms, for 12 months with just one injectionSET UP AN APPOINTMENT: ARCSRQ.ORGGRANT UPDATESARC is a 501(C)(3) registered nonproﬁt, EIN 65-0950292. Our income depends on donations, fundraising events, and grants. We are fortunate to have received several over the years from the entities listed below. We are grateful to the Foundations and Grantors who have supported ARC’s goal of beneﬁting animals and the people who love them by providing affordable, high-quality spay/neuter surgeries and veterinary services.

Animal Rescue Coalitions Spring Newsletter