Nonprofits Band Together with Humane Society of Tulsa to Find Homes for 800 Pets
Banfield Foundation, PEDIGREE Foundation and VCA Charities, all nonprofit organizations connected to Mars Petcare and Mars Veterinary Health, are coming together to fund the transport and preventive care for 800 pets at risk of being euthanized from at-capacity shelters in the United States. In coordination with the Humane Society of Tulsa, a leader in animal transport, each organization is assisting municipal shelters that are at —or beyond— capacity to help find loving homes for pets in need. In addition to funding transport costs, the nonprofits will enable access to comprehensive veterinary care, including vaccinations, testing, behavior assessments and more to the hundreds of prospective adoptive pets.
Although some shelters are reporting low inventory due to increased pet adoptions during Covid-19, there are a significant number of healthy, adoptable pets being euthanized in the United States, especially in Oklahoma and Texas. Shelters and rescues in California, Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Washington and more will receive these pets now through the end of 2020 in order to provide deserving cats and dogs a chance at a better future.
“Due to the impact of Covid-19, the animal welfare community has been greatly affected. One of the biggest issues is the devastating backlog of critical preventive care, including spay and neuter, resulting in a growing population of vulnerable pets,” said Kim Van Syoc, Executive Director, Banfield Foundation. “Not only are we thrilled to help find homes for 800 deserving pets, we are excited to partner with the PEDIGREE Foundation and VCA Charities to deliver on our shared purpose of A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS—a world where pets are wanted, cared for and welcomed. This collaboration is another one way we can help deliver meaningful progress against Mars Petcare’s ambition to end pet homelessness.”
“Many shelter partners are still in desperate need of help—while some have seen a rise in pet adoptions as a result of the pandemic, other shelters are flooded with surrenders due to the hardships Covid-19 has brought on families,” said Debra Fair, Executive Director, PEDIGREE Foundation. “We are proud to be part of this collaboration to help facilitate the transfer and care of these pets and ultimately help them find the loving forever homes they all deserve.”
Beginning in 2017, the Humane Society of Tulsa created an emergency Pet Transport Hub that helped rescue and rehome 350 animals in one week. Following the initial program’s success, the hub was launched in April 2018 and has safely moved thousands of dogs and cats across the country. Unfortunately, the pandemic halted transports in March, but the Humane Society of Tulsa has been able to safely begin moving pets again with the help of its partners. In addition to transport, the hub provides each pet with veterinary care and testing for diseases and behavioral issues, as well as the proper certificates and medical documentation for new owners.
“We are excited to work with Banfield Foundation, PEDIGREE Foundation and VCA Charities to provide a lifesaving opportunity for vulnerable pets during this time,” said Gina Gardner, President, Humane Society of Tulsa. “We receive daily calls from shelters looking to save highly-adoptable pets but are low on funds and people looking to adopt or foster. Being able to say yes to helping those shelters is hugely important and rewarding—thousands of pets are saved each year through transport programs. This year has been difficult for everyone but being able to finish 2020 on a strong, positive note by saving the lives of 800 pets is a blessing.