SPCA of Texas Receives $25,000 Grant from PetSmart Charities® to Fund Housing Assistance Through Pet Resource Center

Madeline Yeaman Arnold
214-461-1817 (o)
214-930-1438 (c)
myeaman@spca.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SPCA OF TEXAS RECEIVES $25,000 GRANT FROM PETSMART CHARITIES® TO FUND HOUSING ASSISTANCE THROUGH PET RESOURCE CENTER

(DALLAS, TX; McKINNEY, TX; WAXAHACHIE, TX); October 26, 2020 – The SPCA of Texas has received a $25,000 grant from PetSmart Charities to support the organization’s housing assistance through its Pet Resource Center.The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused many families to struggle more than ever before. Many people are still struggling to provide for their families, and pets are often at risk of being surrendered due to financial hardships, including eviction, homelessness or other loss of housing. Additionally, even more people are in situations where they may not be able to take their beloved pet, such as those experiencing domestic abuse and entering a shelter, or others are facing hospitalization for medical care and treatment.This grant enables the SPCA of Texas to provide pet food for people with pets struggling to feed their families, temporary boarding and fostering for pet guardians who are facing eviction and are between residences for a short period of time and assistance with pet deposits and other pet fees associated with rental properties. This will increase the number of choices pet guardians will have when finding available housing.“The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to place families in difficult situations and has only made other issues our community is battling with even worse. People are struggling to maintain their living spaces, suffering from illness and domestic turmoil. People need to be with their pets, who will provide them love and comfort during these tough times,” said Karen Froehlich, President/CEO for the SPCA of Texas. “The grant we received from PetSmart Charities is enabling us to keep people and their pets together during this crisis, providing pet owners with the critical resources they need to care for their pets.”“Many people consider pets family members and will do whatever they can to provide for them, especially during times of uncertainty,” said Jenny Aho, regional relationship manager at PetSmart Charities. “We’re proud to support the SPCA of Texas to provide resources to pet families through the wide-reaching effects of the pandemic.”Since the beginning of 2020, the SPCA of Texas has assisted over 1,300 families with needs for their pet, including providing pet food, medical care, pet supplies and other financial support.Since 1994, through its partnership with nearly 4,000 humane societies, SPCAs and pet rescues across North America, PetSmart Charities has helped more than 9.3 million pets to find loving homes via its in-store adoption program in over 1,650 PetSmart® stores. The leading funder of animal welfare has also donated nearly $430 million to improve access to veterinary care, to positively impact communities, to connect people and pets and to help preserve families through initiatives like this with the SPCA of Texas.
About the SPCA of Texas
The SPCA of Texas is the leading animal welfare organization in North Texas. Founded in 1938, the non-profit operates three shelters, three spay/neuter clinics, two mobile spay/neuter and wellness vehicles, one mobile adoptions vehicle and an emergency animal rescue center, all located in Dallas, Collin and Ellis Counties, and maintains a team of animal cruelty investigators who respond to thousands of calls in North Texas counties. Moreover, the SPCA of Texas serves as an active resource center for an array of services that bring people and animals together to enrich each other’s lives. The SPCA of Texas is not affiliated with any other entity and does not receive general operating funds from the City of Dallas, State of Texas, federal government or any other national humane organization. The SPCA of Texas is dedicated to providing every animal exceptional care and a loving home. To learn more about the SPCA of Texas, visit spca.org.About PetSmart Charities®
PetSmart Charities, Inc. is committed to finding lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. Through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart® stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities helps to find forever homes and families for more than 600,000 shelter pets each year. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities using the PIN pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores.  In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses more than 90 cents of every dollar donated to fulfill its role as the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, granting almost $430 million since its inception in 1994. Independent from PetSmart Inc., PetSmart Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization that has received the Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator, a third-party organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, for the past 17 years in a row – placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization. To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org.