A Lifetime of Advocacy Leads to Huge Impact

    SAN JOSE, CA, March 30, 2022 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Animal advocate and business leader Cecilia Claudio has committed a $3 million legacy gift to Humane Society Silicon Valley to establish the Cecilia Claudio Spay and Neuter Programs, which support spay and neuter programs critical to reducing animal homelessness. As HSSV launches its new campaign, "Making and Keeping Families Whole", leadership commitments like Cecilia's successfully kick off the effort. Over the next 3 years, HSSV's goal is to raise $60 million to launch new programs to make and keep families whole, and to expand its powerful existing programs.

The Cecilia Claudio Spay and Neuter Programs at HSSV will not only reduce animal homelessness by preventing unintended births in the community, it will also provide funds to make spay and neuter services affordable, enabling more people to care for and keep the animals they love healthy.

"This generous legacy gift will allow our incredible medical team, led by Chief of Shelter Medicine Dr. Cristie Kamiya, to save lives and impact the health of dogs and cats for years to come," HSSV President Kurt Krukenberg says. "With Cecilia Claudio's vision and commitment, we can secure the future of our spay and neuter programs and ensure their ongoing impact."

About Cecilia Claudio

Cecilia (known as Cece) was born in Portugal and entered the technology sector in the mid-70s. She became one of very few women in the sector, and one of even fewer to lead. She served as CIO for a number of Silicon Valley companies, including Anthem Blue Cross, HP, Farmers Insurance, and Gap.

Her love of cats started from a very young age. "Wherever in the world I've lived, I've always found a way to have cats in my life," she says.

Cece's connection to HSSV deepened when she was CIO at Align Technology, which happened to be located across the street from HSSV's old campus. There was a large cat colony at Align, and Cece helped HSSV launch their Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) program for feral cats. She sees the effort as giving feral cats a healthier life.

"Female cats are able to start having kittens at 8 months, and after that, they can have a litter every few months," she says. "By eliminating the stresses of pregnancy and the risks of seeking a mate, we can give them better, longer lives."

Cece's experiences with HSSV inspired her legacy gift. "I want to work at the root cause of homeless animals," she says. "Unwanted births are the beginning of the problem. Spay-neuter is the first step in taking care of animals — and in addressing the overpopulation we see everywhere."

"I've known HSSV a long time, and I have faith in their good work. It's always best to know that your dollar will not be wasted in ways that don't go directly to animals. With HSSV I can be sure my gift is going for the right reason, in a straight line to animals."

Cece hopes the greatest impact of her legacy gift will be that it inspires others to lead with animal-friendly legacies of their own. She invites others to join by making a gift or legacy fund to support spay and neuter programs at HSSV.

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, with over 5,800 finding homes in 2018, 3,400 of which were fostered by volunteers. Animal welfare is their top priority and their mission is to save and enhance lives. For more information, visit HSSV.org.

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

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

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