OKC Animal-Welfare Organizations Awarded $338,000 in Grants from PetSmart Charities®

Grants Support People Saving Pets™ Movement in Aiding City’s Homeless Pets

Continuing the momentum of the People Saving Pets™ movement in Oklahoma City, PetSmart Charities® today awarded more than $338,000 in grants to three local animal welfare organizations to help save the lives of more homeless pets in the community. People Saving Pets is dedicated to saving the lives of adoptable pets and solving the homeless pet problem by uniting pet-lovers and inspiring action in their communities.

PetSmart Charities will award the grants during a check presentation ceremony today at noon at the Oklahoma City Animal Shelter, 2811 Southeast 29th Street, which will be attended by city officials and leaders of each organization that is receiving grants.

The grants support current and future programs to help address homeless pet overpopulation around Oklahoma City, including:

• The Central Oklahoma Humane Society will receive two grants totaling $222,550 to expand programs that provide foster homes and trap-neuter-return spay/neuter services to reduce the free-roaming cat population, and to subsidize spay/neuter surgeries and rabies vaccinations for dogs and cats of low-income residents.
• The City of Oklahoma City’s Animal Welfare Division will receive a grant of $104,000 over two years to fund a new volunteer coordinator position and a new adoption coordinator position to recruit volunteers and foster homes and to promote adoption through marketing and events.
• The Bella Foundation received $11,500 to purchase a new vehicle to transport adoptable pets from the city shelter to its facility and to transport pets to adoption events and veterinarian care.

“We are inspired by the dedication and passion of these organizations for serving homeless pets,” said Susana Della Maddalena, vice president and executive director of PetSmart Charities. “It is our hope that this funding will help save even more pets’ lives in Oklahoma City and accomplish People Saving Pets’ mission of ending pet homelessness for good.”

Oklahoma City was selected as one of two launch cities for People Saving Pets earlier this year due to the great strides the city government, animal-welfare organizations and the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) have made to find homes for pets and reduce euthanasia. Among Oklahoma City residents, however, a gap still exists between the public’s perception of the homeless pet crisis and reality. A 2010 survey by PetSmart Charities revealed that 40 percent of Oklahoma City residents estimated the number of homeless pets euthanized annually in the U.S. to be 1 million, when the true number is 4 million, and only 28 percent were familiar with the issue of pet homelessness.

“Ending pet homelessness doesn’t require a miracle—it is an achievable goal if all people who love pets throw their support behind it,” said Catherine English, unit operations manager of the Oklahoma City Animal Welfare Division. “By providing funding to organizations on the frontlines of the battle to end pet homelessness, PetSmart Charities is raising the awareness of the problem. This helps us empower residents to get involved and do their part in saving pets.”

“With these funds, we can improve the lives of many more pets in our community and strengthen our spay and neuter programs – one of the most effective solutions to the homeless pet problem,” said Christy Counts, executive director of The Central Oklahoma Humane Society. “The only way to achieve great things is through collaborative efforts. We are fortunate in Oklahoma City to have an exceptionally collaborative climate that enables us to together make great strides in saving lives.”

“The grant from PetSmart Charities is literally a life-saver for pets in our community who will benefit from our new transport vehicle,” added Eric McCune, president and co-founder of The Bella Foundation. "The number of pets we are adopting each month is growing and having the ability to transport our animals to spay/neuter appointments, adoption events and veterinary appointments using our new van will make life easier for all of us. Now instead of coordinating multiple volunteers and vehicles, our adoption coordinator can transport our rescues all at once giving her more time to save more pets!"

About People Saving Pets

Every day, 11,000 adoptable pets are euthanized simply because they don’t have homes. People Saving Pets is a first-of-its kind initiative that unites everyday people who love animals and animal welfare organizations toward a common goal of helping people understand the issue of pet homelessness and learning how they can take action in their communities. Nearly 200 animal welfare organizations, representing 11 states and some national groups, have joined the movement.

There are many ways to get involved with the People Saving Pets Movement. PetSmart Charities encourages animal-lovers to volunteer, donate, spay or neuter their pets, or simply spread the word about the People Saving Pets movement. Visit www.PeopleSavingPets.org to find online tools and resources, or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.