By Janet McAfee
It was an exciting day when the colorful Lucy Pet Foundation “spaymobile” rolled into the Indio Municipal Golf Course this month. But when canine loving comedienne Joan Rivers arrived, the magic of star power brought a renewed energy to the effort to solve the pet overpopulation problem. Rivers gently held one of the dogs who was about to be neutered, a sweet Spaniel mix named Koala Bear, as she mingled with pet owners and toured the mobile spay and neuter clinic. Rivers quipped to their vet, “I wish you could do some of Melissa’s (her daughter) boyfriends!” but then turned serious when she addressed the media.
Rivers proudly announced that she is the owner of four rescue dogs. She explained, “I love rescues and mutts. Rescue dogs know they’ve been rescued, and it creates much more of a bond. It’s always the one that gets pushed aside that needs the love and will love you back that much more.” Hollywood stars as Rivers, Pierce Brosnan, Bob Barker and Betty White lend their voices to fight for homeless animals. These celebrities generate media attention and help raise needed funds. The weapon to prevent the annual killing of six million adoptable shelter animals is free or low cost spay and neuter services. Many pet owners cannot afford the several hundred dollars this service costs at a private veterinarian.
Joan Rivers is a long time friend of Joey Herrick, founder of The Lucy Pet Foundation. Decades ago, Rivers was the opening act for a band when a young Herrick played drums for the group. Rivers paid tribute to the man who now crusades for animals, “Today Joey is a huge animal rights activist, and it’s absolutely amazing what his foundation is doing to help them.”
In 2013, Joey Herrick sold the Natural Balance pet food company, a business he started decades ago. An ardent animal lover, Herrick was determined to make a dent in the number of homeless animals flowing into our nation’s shelters. “I wanted to give back to the animals the good life they had provided to me and my family. I realized I could make a major change with this spay and neuter mobile clinic. I want to use my marketing skills to put 50 of these clinics on the road in every state in America.”
Local animal advocate Jacque Mercier-Berman drew upon their 40 year friendship when she asked Herrick to bring his spaymobile to the Coachella Valley. Indio welcomed them, and elected officials Mike Wilson, Elaine Holmes, and Jason Chan worked side by side with the “Lucy” team to ensure success. During their March visit, 91 dogs and cats were sterilized at no cost, and free vaccinations were provided to over 500 pets. The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and the Walter Clark Legal Group partnered with “Lucy” to provide additional funding.
Lulu, the beautiful brindle Pit Bull/Chow mix dog pictured here was brought in to be spayed by Carlos Scherzer. Carlos stated, “Lulu was born to my mother’s pit bull, and her birth could have been considered a mistake. There is an overpopulation of puppies, and I wanted Lulu spayed before she added to the problem.” Pit bull dogs are the largest group entering shelters, and the largest group being euthanized.
One pet owner walked some distance from her home on her walker with her two dogs in a push cart. On disability, she had no money to pay a vet. Like many low income pet owners, the folks who waited hours to get the free vaccines love their animals and want the best for them. After her dogs were spayed, Herrick drove the woman home with a large supply of dog food.
Why is the Foundation needed in Indio? Last summer, the public animal shelter in Indio closed its doors. Their stray animals are now transported to the already crowded shelter in Thousand Palms operated by Riverside County. This shelter serves 8 local cities, but Indio accounts for the largest number of impounded animals, 15% of the total which amounts to 1,862 dogs and cats for this fiscal year. Sadly, over half of these animals are euthanized. Other abandoned animals are killed by cars or perish from the elements.
When asked why his organization plans more events in Indio, Herrick quickly responded, “We had no choice but to bring The Lucy Pet Foundation back to Indio. The first time we came here in January, we were not able to meet the demand for services. The people in Indio were so appreciative. Many of them came up to shake my hand. We were on television on Monday, and by Wednesday we had over 700 emails and 400 phone calls from people wanting to get their pets spayed and neutered. It was unbelievable. We’re looking forward to coming back soon!”
You may have seen Daniel the miracle Beagle on the Foundation’s float in the 2014 Rose Parade. Daniel became famous after surviving an Alabama shelter’s gas chamber. With Joan Rivers as their spokesperson and Daniel the Miracle Beagle as their official “spokesdog”, nothing can stop this organization in their mission. The Lucy Pet Foundation returns to Indio on April 4th and April 5th. For more information go to www.lucypetfoundation.org.
jmcafee7@verizon.net
