BrightSide Animal Center wins $25,000 grant
BrightSide Animal Center is one of the winners in the Petco Foundation’s Holiday Wishes grant campaign, the foundation announced Monday. The shelter will receive a grant of $25,000.
The Petco Foundation, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” Ellen DeGeneres and her natural pet food company Halo, Purely for Pets, announced a total of $500,000 in grants.
Winners were selected from 4,500 grant applicants on the basis of the quality of the organization’s overall work and the impact of their top success story, according to the foundation.
The top success story BrightSide submitted was that of Chance, the severely injured pit bull mix who was found near death on a roadside in Terrebonne last July.
Since then, Chance has undergone five months of life-saving medical treatment and rehabilitation at BrightSide. His wounds now are almost completely healed and soon he will be released for adoption.
“We are thrilled to be one of the winners of the Holiday Wishes grants,” said Chris Bauersfeld, BrightSide’s executive director. “A grant this size provides significant help to our high-save mission.
“The remarkable will to live of Chance the pit bull is the ‘success story’ that brought us this award, but his is just one of many success stories.” BrightSide found homes for 98% of the animals it received last year. “Every animal in the shelter deserves a loving home, just as Chance does,” Bauersfeld said. Chance is expected to be ready for adoption soon.
“We were overwhelmed with the response to this campaign and brought to tears by the incredible success stories and tireless work being done around the country to help animals,” said Susanne Kogut, executive director of the Petco Foundation. “Every story was tremendous, but the winning success stories really stood out as examples of humans helping animals and at times, those animals helping humans right back.”
The winner of the $100,000 grand prize was the Pet Rescue Center in Mission Viejo, Calif. A list of all the grant winners is available at http://www.petco.com/petco_Page_PC_foundationholiday.aspx.
BrightSide Animal Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit shelter dedicated to the high-save mission of giving every animal a chance to find a forever home. BrightSide also encourages responsible pet ownership through its spay and neuter program and low-cost dog-training classes.
The Petco Foundation’s mission is to raise the quality of life for pets and people who love and need them. The Petco Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation (#33-0845930) that supports other IRS (Internal Revenue Service) designated non-profit pet related groups as well as municipal/governmental agencies and educational institutions involved in animal causes.
Halo, Purely for Pets® has created holistic pet products of uncompromising quality for more than 25 years. Halo believes nutrition is the single most important factor in the quality of a pet’s life. Ellen DeGeneres — a longtime Halo customer – became part-owner in 2008.
