Each year, five out of every ten dogs in shelters across the United States are euthanized for the simple reason that no one is there to adopt them. Nationwide, there were an estimated 8 million new pets added to the shelter system this year. The Petfinder.com Foundation is a nonprofit charity whose mission is to ensure that no pet is euthanized for lack of a home. Founded in 2003, the foundation helps homeless pets by saving lives through adoptions, helping shelters prepare for and recover from disaster, and working to make shelters across the country more sustainable. The foundation supports more than 14,000 animal-welfare organizations, providing direct funding, as well as training, education, and grants of equipment and supplies so that homeless pets have happier lives. In 2011, the Petfinder.com Foundation gave over 10 million in grants to support adoption, but the need is great and with your support we will continue to expand our work helping dogs find homes and live happier, healthier lives.
With an Orvis Commitment Grant and coverage in the Orvis catalog, the foundation could vaccinate 25,000 shelter dogs against curable diseases; transport 10,000 dogs from the South to the North, where their odds of being adopted are much greater because of demand; spay or neuter 1,000 dogs to reduce overpopulation; promote general adoption programs in shelters across the U.S.; and purchase thousands of beds and enrichment toys for dogs in shelters, thus reducing stress and increasing their adoptability.
To learn more, visit Petfinderfoundation.com.
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Imagine not being able to open a door, answer the phone, hear a fire alarm, or even pick up a pencil. Think what it would be like to have people stare at you because you’re in a wheelchair, or to feel isolated and alone because you’re “different.” These are the kinds of challenges many people with disabilities face daily. Introduce a Canine Companions for Independence assistance dog, and everything changes. Thanks to multiple tasks the assistance dog performs, lives are suddenly filled with independence, new promise, and potential. The dogs are there to open doors, pick up items out of reach, pull a wheelchair, and be a best friend and constant companion. Founded in 1975 as the first nonprofit to train dogs for people with physical disabilities, Canine Companions provides these assistance dogs, free of charge, to people with a wide range of disabilities.
The breeding, raising, and professional training of one assistance dog costs $35,000. Funds from an Orvis Commitment Grant could change the lives of not only the dog’s recipient—a disabled person struggling to achieve independence—but the lives of the recipient’s family, friends, and colleagues, as well. The ultimate beneficiary of an Orvis grant could be an adult like Matt, who was left a quadriplegic after being shot by a sniper in Iraq, or a child such as 11-year-old Savannah, who has been in a wheelchair since birth. This is an opportunity for Orvis customers to make a meaningful difference in a disabled person’s life.
To learn more, visit cci.org.
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