MACON, Ga. — The Critter Fixers are inviting you and your pet to a free pop-up clinic happening in Macon.
Our Junior Journalist Abigail Brook Goss met with the Critter Fixers to get a scoop on what's in store.
Did you know 70 percent of U.S. households own a pet – often more than one -- and the costs can really add up! According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, that's $98 for every cat, and $253 for every dog.
Doctors Vernard Hodges and Terrence Ferguson have a veterinarian clinic in Byron -- you may know them as the Critter Fixers.
They are partnering with several organizations including Macon's Mental Health Matters to offer free health care for pets and their owners.
At the clinic, your four-legged friend can get a free exam, heartworm testing, even vaccinations.
Dr. Ferguson says protecting your pets is important.
"It's like soldiers inside your body," Ferguson says, "When the enemy comes you have those soldiers to fight."
It's the same for "pet parents." Preventing illness is the best protection, but Dr. Hodges says many times people will take care of their animals before themselves.
"The biggest thing is providing total care for the whole community," Hodges says.
The pop-up clinic happens Saturday, October 8 at Bloomfield Gilead Park. The event runs from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.
You can visit the Critter Fixer website for more information, as well as Macon Mental Health Matters.