Local & Community
Free Clinics Bring Vaccines, Spay and Neuter Services to East Valley Pet Owners
A coalition of local and regional organizations came together to bring free veterinary care to pet owners in the east valley, tackling both animal health and a growing tick problem in the area.
Animal Samaritans partnered with Loving All Animals, Coachella Valley Animal Network, Riverside County Animal Services, the Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District, and UC Davis to run the effort. Three vaccination clinics led by Dr. Doug Kunz were held across the east valley, offering free tick preventatives, routine vaccinations, and microchipping. Nearly 200 dogs were treated.
From there, qualifying dogs, many of them participants in those same clinics, were able to receive free spay and neuter surgeries through Animal Samaritans' veterinary clinic in Thousand Palms, made possible by funding from the Richard Brooke Foundation.
Animal Samaritans Director of Operations Athena Norton said the reach of the partnership surprised even those involved. "When a group of literally dozens of individuals can come together and better our community, it is a very rewarding experience," she said.
Organizers say spaying and neutering reduces pet overpopulation and cuts down on the number of animals entering shelters, while also providing direct health benefits for the pets themselves. Vaccines and preventive care, they add, protect animals from serious illness and keep families and communities safer.
Learn more at animalsamaritans.org.
By: NBC Palm Springs
June 8, 2026
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