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PetSmart Charities® Launches Newest Rescue Waggin'® Program in South Central U.S.

Expansion to Southern states means the lives of even more dogs and puppies can be saved

(PHOENIX) – PetSmart Charities’ lifesaving Rescue Waggin’ program celebrates a number of milestones in 2009: its Fifth Anniversary, the 25,000th dog transported, and the launch of a new, fourth route in the South Central United States.

With the South Central route up and running, the Rescue Waggin’ program is expected to save the lives of 8,000 to 10,000 dogs and puppies this year alone. More than 25,000 dogs and puppies have been saved through the Rescue Waggin’ program since it began in 2004. The program also operates routes on the East Coast, in the Midwest and across the Great Plains.

Along the South Central states route, the Rescue Waggin’ vehicle will pick up dogs and puppies from 10 shelters in Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas every month. Dogs and puppies will ride in a climate‐controlled, customized Rescue Waggin’ vehicle with a one‐night stopover at a special facility in Tennessee. After stretching their legs and getting a good night’s sleep, they’ll re‐board the vehicle for the final part of their journey to shelters in Wisconsin and Michigan that have available kennel space and strong adoption programs. When the dogs and puppies arrive, they’ll get some down time
before undergoing medical check‐ups and spay or neuter surgery. Then, they’ll be placed up for adoption.

“With millions of dogs being euthanized in shelters every year, we created the Rescue Waggin’ program to help shelters get more adoptable pets placed into good homes – wherever those homes may be,” said Susana Della Maddalena, executive director of PetSmart Charities. “Our goal is to bring shelters together to save more lives. We are delighted to expand our efforts to the Southern United States, which struggles with a serious homeless‐pet overpopulation problem. We know our program will have a significant, positive impact.”

Most notably, she said, the lives of even more dogs will be saved.

“Every year, thousands of dogs and puppies must be put down in shelters throughout the South because there aren’t enough homes and, despite their very best efforts, many local shelters don’t have enough space or resources to provide long‐term housing and care,” Della Maddalena added. “The Rescue Waggin’ program
provides an alternative to euthanasia.”

In addition to transport, PetSmart Charities’ Rescue Waggin’ program also provides capacity‐building grants in the communities struggling with homeless‐pet overpopulation and euthanasia. The participating shelters in Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas are now eligible to receive grants to expand local spay and neuter services for dogs and cats and improve their shelter facilities, operations and adoption programs. To date, PetSmart Charities has awarded more than $527,000 in grant funding to participating source shelters.

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