PetSmart Charities® Grants $16,000 to Humane Society Silicon Valley

    SAN JOSE, CA, January 11, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ -- PetSmart Charities has granted $16,000 to provide basic veterinary services for clients of HSSV's Pet Pantry Program. The free services include spay/neuter surgeries, vaccines, and other wellness support to pets of clients who are struggling financially.

HSSV's Pet Pantry Program provides free pet food and supplies to families in the community who need it most. The program and the additional medical services HSSV provide are part of HSSV's Community Development Programs, which are focused on ensuring that pets and the people who love them can stay together during periods of financial hardship. HSSV's Community Development Programs also provide emergency boarding services to support those needing temporary housing and care for their pets while seeking shelter or facing hospitalization.

"We are thrilled to support this initiative that will make pet health and wellness care more accessible to those in need, especially during the pandemic," said Jenny Aho, regional relationship manager at PetSmart Charities. "Thanks to this initiative, pet parents can focus on spending time with their pets, instead of how to provide for them."

PetSmart Charities' generous grant arrived just before California moved back into the most restrictive COVID-19 tier. As financial hardship in the community increases and access to affordable veterinary care becomes more challenging, the need for these critical services is growing.

"PetSmart Charities' investment in providing spay/neuter and basic veterinary care through HSSV for our Pet Pantry clients couldn't have come at a better time," says Stephanie Ladeira, Chief of Philanthropy and Community Development. "The number of families using the Pet Pantry is growing every month and the need for basic, preventative veterinary care is just as important as having access to pet food. By coupling these services together, we know we're helping bonded families stay together during these incredibly challenging times."

A recent Pet Pantry client said, "[They] have been a huge help in providing for my pet during these difficult times. Their Pet Pantry is truly a gift and is greatly appreciated by my family and many others."

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 500,000 shelter pets each year. PetSmart Charities also provides grant funding to nonprofits aligned with its mission. 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 nearly $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.

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About Humane Society Silicon Valley: Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV) is an independent, privately funded, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving people and pets for over 90 years. In 2017, HSSV became the first organization ever to earn model shelter status according to the guidelines set forth by the Association of Shelter Veterinarians. As an independent non-profit organization, HSSV does not receive funding from Humane Society of the United States, ASPCA or state and federal government entities. HSSV offers quality adoptions, affordable spaying/neutering, vaccinations, microchipping services, pet care services and education programs to enhance the human-animal bond. Established in 1929, HSSV has adopted more than 500,000 animals into permanent, loving homes. Animal welfare is their top priority and their mission is to save and enhance lives. For more information, visit HSSV.org.

About Stephanie: Stephanie joined HSSV in January 2006. As the Chief of Philanthropy & Community Development, Stephanie oversees a team of ten development professionals. Special campaigns completed since joining HSSV's leadership team are a $25M building campaign and HSSV's first ever $55M comprehensive campaign. In the community development role, Stephanie's focus is on one of HSSV's newest strategic priorities: to provide integrated services that impact both human and animal lives. By addressing the key issues facing under–served individuals who consider pets part of their family and by enhancing the transitional growth and development of marginalized groups, HSSV aims to improve peoples' lives and increase its mission results. Stephanie earned a BS from University of South Carolina and was a past board member for a German Shorthair rescue group. She also served as volunteer counsel for an animal welfare organization in her home state of South Carolina. Stephanie shares her home with Lulu, a Majestic Coonhound, Ruby, an Akita/Pekinese mix, and Buster, a Border Collie.

For more information, visit HSSV.org.

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