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By Alex Oliveira
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Two patients pay a visit to Powers to ensure that their licenses are up to date. Photos by Alex Oliveira
The Westwood Board of Health hosted its annual rabies vaccination clinic on Saturday, January 12, with an unprecedented turnout.
Hosted in conjunction with Westwood Board of Health, Veterinary Services of Westwood, and the Rotary Club of Westwood, the clinic is held every year to provide local pets with rabies vaccinations, and to update the licenses of those pets.
With the help of an entourage of volunteers and veterinary assistants, Dr. Carolyn Thorne greeted a line of dogs, some small and unfazed, others large and timid, before tenderly giving them a quick shot to protect them from the dangerous disease. After the shot and dog-bone treat, owners and their dogs went over to table set up for Powers, who ensured that all licensing was up to date.
“I think it’s a good cause,” said Dr. Thorne, “It’s something we’ve been doing for many, many years.”
“It was a much wider spread than usual this year. Usually it’s just Westwood, and you might get a Norwood or a Walpole,” said Treasurer of the Rotary Club of Westwood Laura Macs. “But we had Hyde Park, Canton, somebody from Quincy, dogs from Milford.”
Volunteers from the town of Westwood, Veterinary Services of Westwood and The Rotary Club of Westwood came together to run the clinic on Saturday morning. Photos by Alex Oliveira
The unexpected turnout, the Rotary Club members in attendance speculated, was due to advertising on social media for the first time.
“It used to just be advertised in the newspapers, posters on telephone poles, postings on boards in public offices and local businesses, but this was the first time it was advertised on Facebook,” said Macs. “I think it was Facebook that did it.”
