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PALS (Pets Assisting the Lives of Seniors) provides assistance in caring for the pets of current Meals on Wheels Central Texas clients.
A pet can provide much needed companionship and help to reduce the isolation and loneliness that many of the homebound seniors and adults with disabilities we serve experience. As one client wrote to us, “God Bless you for thinking about our little pets. I love and adore my kitty more than anything or anyone on Earth. I couldn’t live a day without him.” The PALS program keeps clients and their pets together, living at home with dignity.
What We Do
Pet Food Assistance
PALS provides free dog and cat food on a monthly basis to more than 450 pets owned by current Meals on Wheels Central Texas clients. Pets get the food they need and our clients, many of whom are socially isolated, benefit from interaction with our pet-loving volunteers.
Veterinary Care Assistance
PALS provides access to, and payment for, veterinary care for current Meals on Wheels Central Texas clients. In order to provide these services, we partner with two other local non-profit organizations: Emancipet and the Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation (TVMF). TVMF recruits partner veterinarians to provide veterinary care, and also donates all of the vaccines, heartworm preventative, and flea preventative that PALS pets receive annually. Through these partnerships, PALS will provide annual veterinary care (exams, vaccinations and preventatives) for more than 450 pets this year alone. In addition, our partnership with the TVMF allows us to assist pets with larger medical procedures such as heartworm treatment, dental extractions and mass removals.
Additional Services
PALS also works with volunteers and community partners to provide services such as grooming and trap-neuter-release of stray and feral cats, all at no charge to clients.
PALS is able to easily utilize donations of cat litter, as well as dry and canned cat and dog food. We also accept new or gently used pet supply items such as collars, leashes, bedding, toys, scratching posts, etc… Donations may be dropped off at Meals on Wheels Central Texas at 3227 East 5th Street, Monday through Thursday, 8am to 5pm, and Friday, 8am to 2:30pm.
ELIGIBILITY
To receive services from PALS:
- You must already be receiving home-delivered meal service from Meals on Wheels Central Texas.
- Your pet must be a dog or a cat. We are unable to provide services for other animals.
- Pets in the home must be spayed/neutered already, or the client must agree to have PALS pay for that surgery.
Veterinary care for PALS pets is provided in part through the Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation. PALS is grateful for their contribution.
