Humane Society Silicon Valley Honored with Grant Award to Save Kitten Lives

    SAN JOSE, CA, February 24, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Maddie's Fund, a national family foundation established by Dave and Cheryl Duffield to revolutionize the status and well-being of companion animals, has just awarded a grant to implement the Maddie's Kitten Lifesaving Apprenticeship at Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV).

The total award was for $32,400, of which $12,000 will be used to host a total of 12 students and $1,700 in stipends to be distributed to each student to cover their travel expenses.

Maddie's Kitten Lifesaving Apprenticeship at Humane Society Silicon Valley enables employees of other organizations to come to HSSV and learn about their incredible work with kittens. HSSV will hold three one-week sessions in June, July and August 2017, welcoming four students per session. The organization's Chief of Shelter Medicine, Dr. Cristie Kamiya, is directing the execution and administration of the program.

HSSV plans to share kitten lifesaving measures with incoming students including vital programs, such as:

- kitten nursery - used to house under-socialized kittens as well as nursing mothers with their litters
- kitten foster program - sends out 2,000 kittens annually to be cared for in loving homes
- ringworm and URI treatment rooms - used to quarantine and care for kittens with treatable but contagious diseases

"HSSV brought in and saved almost 3,000 kittens in 2016 thanks to this strategy," says Dr. Kamiya. "Being awarded the Maddie's Kitten Lifesaving Apprenticeship program grant at Humane Society Silicon Valley gives us a great opportunity to share our strategy with other shelters."

Online press kit: www.HumaneSocietySiliconValley.OnlinePressKit247.com
Public site: www.HSSV.org

For more information, contact Executive Publicist Michelle Tennant Nicholson at [email protected] or 828-749-3200.

About Maddie's Fund: Maddie's Fund is a family foundation created in 1994 by Workday co-founder Dave Duffield and his wife, Cheryl, who endowed the Foundation with more than $300 million. Since then, the Foundation has awarded more than $187.8 million in grants toward increased community lifesaving, shelter medicine education and pet adoptions and foster care across the U.S. The Duffields named Maddie's Fund after their Miniature Schnauzer, Maddie, who made them laugh and gave them great joy. Maddie was with Dave and Cheryl from 1987 - 1997 and continues to inspire them today. Maddie's Fund is the fulfillment of a promise to an inspirational dog, investing its resources to create a no-kill nation where every dog and cat is guaranteed a healthy home or habitat. #ThanksToMaddie.

About Dr. Kamiya: Dr. Cristie Kamiya serves as Chief of Shelter Medicine at Humane Society Silicon Valley and is one of only a handful of residency-trained veterinarians in the specialized field of shelter medicine. She completed her three-year shelter-medicine training program at University of California - Davis and now oversees both Shelter and Medical Operations for HSSV. Dr. Kamiya travels all over the country and the world providing volunteer veterinary support. She also fosters underage shelter kittens and loves spending time with her adopted shelter dogs. For more information, visit www.HSSV.org and subscribe to the Humane Society Silicon Valley YouTube channel.

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