TWINSBURG, Ohio — Summit County animal-rescue advocates just had a long-standing wish fulfilled — the Humane Society of Summit County has launched a brand new state-of-the-art mobile veterinary clinic.

What You Need To Know

  • The Humane Society of Summit County has launched MABEL, a brand new state-of-the-art mobile veterinary clinic

  • The 28-foot-long, self-contained clinic can perform spays, neuters, vaccinations and microchipping

  • MABEL will travel around Summit County to low-income areas where it can offer services on-site

  • The mobile clinic was made possible through the Cynthia Parker Matthews Family Foundation

The MABEL Clinic, which stands for “Making Animals Better and Enriching Lives,” is a 28-foot-long, self-contained clinic that can perform spays, neuters, vaccinations and microchipping.

The unit will travel to partner locations around Summit County, focusing on low-income areas where it can offer services on site, the HSSC said in a release.

MABEL was made possible through the Cynthia Parker Matthews Family Foundation, the organization said. Services will be provided at low cost, and in some cases free, through a fund set up for that purpose.

MABEL has capacity for intake care, surgery prep, anesthesia and climate control, so services will be year-round, the agency said. In addition to spay/neuter days, drop-in vaccination and microchipping clinics will also be offered. The clinic is capable of housing up to 25 cats or small dogs.

As it is in most U.S. communities, the need is great, the agency said. With overpopulation filling shelters, the HSSC said it cares for more than 1,000 kittens each year.

According to the Humane Society of the U.S., a single female cat and her offspring can produce 370,000 kittens in seven years. As a result, about 70% of cats in shelters are euthanized.

The economic effects of the pandemic have also made affordable, accessible veterinary care more difficult to come by, said the HSSC, as some facilities have closed while pet ownership has increased. The HSSC reports it gets more than 50 calls per month from residents looking for low-cost spay or neuter services.

“The need has never been greater,” said HSSC President and CEO Diane Johnson-Owens. “Combined with other programs, the Humane Society of Summit County offers to help both homeless and owned pets. We are creating a continuum of services that ensure a safer, kinder community for animals.”

Residents can sign up online to be alerted when the HSSC begins scheduling appointments, or donate online to support the MABEL Clinic.

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