Carson Animal Services Initiative is holding its annual Pictures with Santa fundraiser on Dec. 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Benson's Feed and Tack, 2750 Highway 50.
The Nevada Humane Society Carson City Animal Shelter will soon have a new animal control truck thanks to Carson Animal Services Initiative.
A Ford F-250 is on order from Capital Ford and will be specially outfitted with storage space and five air-conditioned kennels for work in animal control.
The roughly $65,000 vehicle will supplement an aging animal control van and should arrive in March, said Lisa Schuette, CASI chairperson.
“We asked what was on the wish list,” said Schuette. “The shelter said we could really use a new vehicle.”
CASI, the group founded to fund construction of a new shelter, is finding many ways to keep contributing to Carson City’s animals.
Its next project, which may be completed before the truck arrives, is the installation of three televisions at the shelter, in the adoption area, licensing office and conference room.
The TVs will display animals available for adoption, the Facebook page dedicated to lost animals, facebook.com/missingpetscarsoncitynv, and general information about cats and dogs.
In May, CASI launched its Critter Fixer program, which provides vouchers for qualifying low-income pet owners to use to get their cats and dogs spayed and neutered.
So far, they’ve provided 50 vouchers to pet owners and are working through applications for 40 more.
The vouchers, equalling $50 for a dog and $25 for a cat, are presented to participating veterinarians who redeem them with CASI, which pays the remainder of a contracted price for services.
The participating vets are Lone Mountain Veterinary Hospital, Quail Ridge Animal Hospital and Sierra Veterinary Hospital, all in Carson City.
Critter Fixer recently expanded to help pet owners in Lyon and Storey counties and CASI has committed $10,000 to the program in 2018.
All of this work takes fundraising.
On Friday, CASI will have a booth on McFadden Plaza during the Silver & Snowflakes Festival of Lights where the group will be selling Christmas gift items such as handmade bird feeders.
Sunday will be the group’s final regular bingo event at the Carson City Senior Center, where for the last three years CASI has held games the first Sunday of every month starting at 12:30 p.m.
“We’ll have a cake and a celebration,” said Schuette. “They’ll be sad. I’m really sad.”
She said CASI may occasionally hold bingo events in the future and players can still get some action on the second and fourth Sundays of the month when Meals On Wheels holds games to raise money for the homebound seniors meals program.
On Dec. 9, CASI will be hosting its 4th annual Pictures with Santa event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Benson’s Feed and Tack, 2750 Highway 50.
For $15, pet owners will get a 4x6 inch photo of their pets with Santa in front of the Benson’s decorated antique truck as well as an online link to the photo to print their own.
“Someone even brought a horse once,” said Schuette.
The group’s big fundraiser, its 5K-9 run, will be sometime in March.
An ongoing fundraiser raises money through engraved 3 x 12-inch tiles that are installed on a shelter wall. Those tiles are now available for $250 by going to the group’s web site, friendsofcasi.org, said Schuette.
And anyone can donate to the group at its web site or by sending a check to 112 Curry St., Carson City, 89703.
“Now that the shelter is built I don’t want people to think we’re not working hard,” said Schuette.