Hillyard’s Northeast Community Center will open a walk-in pet vaccination clinic

The Northeast Community Center already offers a full slate of services and is now adding four-legged creatures to its roster by offering a low-cost pet vaccination clinic twice a month.

The clinic will open Feb. 18 and on successive first and third Mondays of every month from 5 to 6 p.m. at the center, located at 4001 N. Cook St.

Center director David Richardson is excited to see the clinic set up shop inside the center.

“We’ve got a lot of services here,” Richardson said. “The idea is that we act as a hub for care for the two-legged, so why not care for the four-legged? We jumped on board.”

The agencies that have offices or offer programs in the community center include Head Start, the Hillyard Senior Center, Children’s Home Society, SNAP and the Women, Infants and Children program. There are also a medical clinic and a dental clinic. People can use the computer center or visit the community count to take care of misdemeanor charges.

The center is walking distance from surrounding senior and low-income housing, so the center expects plenty of clients for the new vaccine clinic. The center is also on a bus route. Richardson said he found out pets that can fit inside a carrier small enough to go under the seats are allowed on STA buses.

The vaccination clinics will be run by Dr. Laura Talaga, who launched her Northeast Washington Spay Neuter Alliance mobile clinic last spring.

“I worked with her when I was the director of the Humane Society, and she went out on her own,” Richardson said. “She’s amazing. She’s definitely got the right outlook to help the four-leggeds.”

The center has a meeting room called the Founders Room that will serve as the walk-in clinic. Vaccines for both cats and dogs will be available for $15 each and microchipping will be offered for $20. Each pet will get a brief exam.

“They’ll get a tip-to-tail general health analysis,” Richardson said.

If pets need further care, the owners will be referred elsewhere or asked to make an off-site appointment.

Dogs must be on leashes, and cats must be in carriers. Pets need to be at least 6 weeks old to get their vaccines. No appointments are necessary. Richardson said he expects pet owners to begin lining up early for the clinic.

“It’s meant to be pretty fast and furious; in, out and done,” he said.

The clinics will be set up inside during the winter. “We’ll give that a go,” Richardson said. “Maybe in the summer months we’ll bring in the mobile clinic.”

Talaga’s practice is usually limited to vaccines, spay and neuter surgeries and teeth cleaning and extraction. During the spring, summer and fall she spends one day a week on the road to places like Newport, Colville, Cheney, Ford and Springdale to set up her trailer.

Talaga said it has always been her goal to have set locations for her mobile clinic when possible. She used to set up at the Country Store on the North Side once a month, but that store has since closed.

“That was just us getting our feet wet,” she said. “I wanted to get closer to the community in Spokane that was clearly more in need.”

Setting up shop at the Northeast Community Center just seemed like a natural fit, she said. “Their entire purpose is to support people who need services,” she said.

Richardson said he thinks the new vaccination clinic will be a good fit for the center.

“I’m just excited to offer another service here at the Northeast Community Center,” he said.