Petco Foundation Invests More Than $30 Million in FY15 to Support Lifesaving Work

SAN ANTONIO, July 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Petco Foundation today announced that grant investments in FY15 totaled $30 million in funding for animal welfare initiatives – marking the highest annual funding total in the Foundation's seventeen-year history. Combined with in-kind product donations of $2 million, the collective footprint of the Foundation's support efforts reached 2,770 organizations across the country from May 2015 through April 2016. 

"We believe that the love you share with a pet doesn't just change your life – it can change the world for animals," said Susanne Kogut, executive director of the Petco Foundation. "As we reflect on the previous year, we're thankful for those who put their love into action to help animals, including our store partners and the countless others who have been instrumental to the success of our fundraising campaigns. More importantly, we are thrilled to be able to support so many deserving animal welfare organizations that are working tirelessly to save animals every day."

Last year's investments featured a heavy emphasis on organizations that inspired and transformed their communities to take action towards reducing euthanasia and implementing programs that save lives.

Recipients recognized for their lifesaving achievements and their relentless determination to eliminate needless euthanasia of animals in their communities include:

• LifeLine Animal Project, an Atlanta-based, private non-profit that took over operations of two county facilities just a few years ago when euthanasia rates were over 65%. Because LifeLine has been able to inspire the community to participate in their lifesaving work, they are saving close to 90% of the 16,000 animals they care for each year at two of Atlanta's oldest sheltering facilities.
• Kansas City Pet Project, a newly formed organization that created excitement and hope for Kansas City and the 10,000-plus animals entering their city shelter. After assuming operations in 2012, the Kansas City Pet Project has been saving over 90% of the animals and has put their city on the national map as a leader and example of a successful lifesaving community.
• Front Street Animal Shelter, the City of Sacramento animal shelter that has put itself on the map for its creative outreach activities. Efforts have spurred an entire community to take action and participate by fostering and volunteering to help care for more than 11,000 community animals each year. Front Street's approach has made it one of the most engaging city shelters and created an international social media following that has contributed to the increase in its lifesaving rate from just 25% five years ago to 83% today.
• Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter(BARCS), led by Jen Brause, whose determination to succeed despite very unfavorable conditions has been nothing less than heroic in changing the horrific 98% euthanasia rate in 2005 into a 85% save rate through the early part of 2016. BARCS is striving to save even more of the 11,000-plus animals entering its facility annually.

Significant support was provided to other up-and-coming organizations transforming communities such as the Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association (WV), Animal Care Centers of NYC, HALO Animal Rescue (Phoenix), Charleston Animal Society (SC) and The Animal Foundation (Las Vegas), in addition to many smaller rescue groups that support these lifesaving efforts.

"The support of organizations like the Petco Foundation provides further validation of our impact and encourages the community to join our efforts to sustain our lifesaving success well into the future," said Rebecca Guinn, founder and CEO of the LifeLine Animal Project. "We are grateful for their invaluable investment and are committed to the ultimate pursuit of a lifesaving nation."

Other initiatives of note included the Foundation's annual "Helping Heroes" campaign, which supported organizations providing service and therapy assistance animals, including support dogs to our nation's veterans with physical and emotional disabilities, as well as Pet Cancer grants, which supported research and treatment initiatives to offset the burden of veterinary care and provide broader context for the way we approach cancer treatments in human patients.

The Petco Foundation directs many of its investments to organizations that are significantly under-resourced for the number of animals that depend on them, providing funding that is crucial to their ability to save lives. A comprehensive overview of the year in review will be included in the Petco Foundation's 2015-2016 Annual Report, to be distributed later in the year.

To learn more about the Foundation and ways to contribute to lifesaving causes, visit www.petcofoundation.org.

About the Petco Foundation
At the Petco Foundation, we believe that every animal deserves to live its best life. Since 1999, we've invested more than $167 million in lifesaving animal welfare work to make that happen. With our more than 4,000 animal welfare partners, we inspire and empower communities to make a difference by investing in adoption and medical care programs, spay/neuter services, pet cancer research, service and therapy animals, and numerous other lifesaving initiatives. Through our Think Adoption First program, we partner with Petco stores and animal welfare organizations across the country to increase pet adoptions. So far, we've helped more than 5 million pets find their new loving families, and we're just getting started. Visit petcofoundation.org to learn more about how you can get involved.

About Petco
With more than 50 years of service to pet parents, Petco is a leading pet specialty retailer that focuses on nurturing powerful relationships between people and pets. We do this by providing the products, services, advice and experiences that keep pets physically fit, mentally alert, socially engaged and emotionally happy. Everything we do is guided by our vision for Healthier Pets. Happier People. Better World. We operate more than 1,430 Petco locations across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico, including more than 115 Unleashed by Petco locations, a smaller format neighborhood shop; prescription services and pet supplies from the leading veterinary-operated pet product supplier, Drs. Foster & Smith; and petco.com.

Media Contact: Soojin Yoon, Edelman Public Relations, [email protected], 323-202-1909.

SOURCE Petco Foundation

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http://www.petcofoundation.org