One of the most common reasons pets are surrendered to local shelters is the lack of affordable pet wellness, training and education programs. Due to cost and other barriers, pets in under-resourced communities often do not have access to basic veterinary care such as spay/neuter services, vaccinations, dental care and other medical and preventative care.
With this $80,000 grant from PetSmart Charities, we aim to support pets and pet parents in need of these services. In August 2020, we opened the first ever veterinary clinic in East St. Louis. The funding from PetSmart Charities has allowed us to transition from a wellness only clinic to a full-service veterinary clinic by allowing us to purchase x-ray equipment, dental surgery equipment and much more.
“Our approach to improving access to vet care is pretty simple. We made an investment in East St. Louis and moved our operations so we would be located right in the heart of an absolute resource desert for pet owners where there were no vet clinics, pet supply stores or groomers. And now we are on a mission to expand the services that we can offer our neighbors beyond basic wellness services,” said Jill Henke, Director of Community Programming.
“We are thrilled to support GPG in making affordable veterinary care accessible throughout East St. Louis,” said Kate Atema, senior manager, community grant initiatives at PetSmart Charities. “With these expanded services, thousands of pets will be able receive critical care, so that pets and the families can stay healthy and together.”
Since 1994, through its partnership with nearly 4,000 humane societies, SPCAs and pet rescues across North America, PetSmart Charities has helped more than 9.5 million pets to find loving homes via its in-store adoption program in over 1,650 PetSmart stores. The leading funder of animal welfare has also donated more than $451 million, to positively impact communities, to connect people and pets, to help preserve families and to improve access to veterinary care through initiatives like this.
About PetSmart Charities
PetSmart Charities 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 nearly 600,000 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 more than $451 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 petsmartcharities.org.
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