Community Service

Lions Club Honors Veterinarian

Lions Club Award

Dr. Mike Nelson, left, receives the Mahoning Township Lions Club’s Distinguished Service Award from club President Tommy Zimmerman


Vaccinating your pet against rabies not only protects them from an incurable disease, it’s also required by law.

The Mahoning Township Lions Club and Mahoning Valley Animal Hospital have been working together for years to provide a low-cost rabies vaccine clinic for residents.

The club recently recognized the hospital’s veterinarian, Dr. Mike Nelson, for his part in last year’s wildly successful event. Club President Tommy Zimmerman IV presented Nelson with the club’s Distinguished Service Award. Nelson took over running the clinic last year for Dr. Mary Lombardo, who ran it for more 26 years.

During last year’s clinic, Nelson administered rabies vaccine to 395 animals in a time period of about two hours.

“We see a lot of animals that do not get to the vet regularly,” he said. “(Rabies) can be a big public health problem, so we like to provide that service,” he said.

The Mahoning Township Lions sponsor the event, which means that pet owners only need to pay $10 per vaccine.

Animals can become infected from any other mammal, even if they just escape the house for a few minutes. That’s why Nelson says it’s so important to have the vaccine.

“No vaccine is 100 percent, but it does a very good job,” Nelson said.

This year’s event is set for May 7, at McCall’s Field, located near the intersection of Country Club Road and Blakeslee Boulevard Drive West. The clinic will run from noon to 2 p.m.

By Chris Reber creber@tnonline.com