More than 9,541 dogs and puppies boarded PetSmart Charities® Rescue Waggin’® vehicle in 2011
642 of those dogs and puppies were from the Humane Society of Tulsa – the most lives saved among participating shelters
517 of those dogs and puppies were from Washington County SPCA
PHOENIX, AZ, JANUARY 18, 2012 – Every day, overcrowded animal shelters look for new ways to save the lives of homeless pets, such as promoting adoptions and encouraging people to sterilize their pets.
To that end, the Humane Society of Tulsa and the Washington County SPCA are among 60 animal shelters across the country that participate every month in PetSmart Charities® Rescue Waggin’® program – a national transport program that has saved more than 52,000 dogs and puppies since 2004.
In 2011, the Rescue Waggin’ program transported 9,541 dogs and puppies from overcrowded animal shelters, like the Humane Society of Tulsa, to animal shelters in other communities where adoptable dogs and puppies are more in demand.
The Humane Society of Tulsa boarded 642 dogs and puppies on a Rescue Waggin’ vehicle in 2011 – the most of any participating Rescue Waggin’ partner – significantly reducing the number of homeless pets needing homes in Tulsa, Okla. Through this program, the Humane Society of Tulsa also received $16,000 in grant support from PetSmart Charities for shelter improvements.
.
The Washington County SPCA boarded 517 dogs and puppies on a Rescue Waggin’ vehicle in 2011, successfully reducing the number of homeless pets needing homes in Bartlesville, Okla. Through this program, the Washington County SPCA also received $52,000 in 2011 to establish a spay/neuter program where they currently provide 100 spay and neuter surgeries a month to those who qualify.
“Until more people spay and neuter their pets and we reduce the number of animals entering shelters, the Rescue Waggin’ program will continue to be a resource for shelters working to change the fate of homeless dogs in their communities,” says Susanna Della Maddalena, executive director of PetSmart Charities, Inc.
PetSmart Charities Rescue Waggin’ vehicles run along the East Coast, Midwest, Great Plains and South Central States.
The Rescue Waggin’ program is a three-part program designed to help shelters save pets’ lives, which includes the transport program as well as grants for spay and neuter expansion and professional consultations and funding support from PetSmart Charities for enhanced operations and shelter improvements for participating shelters.
To learn about the many ways PetSmart Charities is saving the lives of homeless pets, visit PetsmartCharities.org. Members of the public can support these programs by making a tax-deductible donation online, by email at gifts@petsmartcharities.org or via phone at 623-587-2826 to help save the lives of homeless pets across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.
For more information on the Humane Society of Tulsa, visit TulsaPets.com.
###
About PetSmart Charities®
Established in 1994, PetSmart Charities, Inc. is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that creates and supports programs that save the lives of homeless pets, raise awareness of companion animal-welfare issues, and promote healthy relationships between people and pets. The largest funder of animal-welfare efforts in North America, PetSmart Charities® has provided more than $134 million in grants and programs benefiting animal-welfare organizations and has helped save the lives of nearly 5 million pets through its in-store adoption program. To learn more about how PetSmart Charities is working toward its vision of a lifelong, loving home for every pet, visit petsmartcharities.org or call 1-800-423-PETS (7387).
