PAWS NY RECEIVES $20,000 GRANT FROM PETSMART CHARITIES TO HELP KEEP PETS AND PEOPLE TOGETHER

July 29, 2020— New York, NY – Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS) NY has received a $20,000 grant from PetSmart Charities® to help keep more pets in loving homes and out of shelters in New York City. PAWS NY is the only nonprofit organization in New York City that is dedicated exclusively to providing services to help vulnerable New Yorkers and their pets remain together, and is the only organization providing foster care for hospital patients.

As the face of family changes over the years, what remains constant is the role pets play in our lives. Many people consider pets family members and it can be challenging to find resources when facing life changes and issues such as illness or lack of pet-friendly housing. Pet parents in these and other at-risk situations often determine they have no options beyond surrendering their beloved pet to a local shelter.

With this grant, PAWS NY will help preserve the bond between pets and their people by providing services to keep them together through its Foster & Emergency Care program. When individuals need to be hospitalized or are otherwise unable to care for their pets, PAWS NY will manage foster care services for the pets so the people can get the healthcare and recovery they need. Through this grant, PAWS NY hopes to support more than 35 pets with this program.

“Often times, individuals put off healthcare services, surgeries, or procedures, and don’t want to spent time at a rehabilitation facility because they are worried about who will care for their pet at home,” said PAWS NY Founder and Executive Director Rachel Herman. “Thanks to the support of PetSmart Charities, PAWS NY will be able to provide foster care for dozens of pets in these situations, allowing the individual to get the healthcare they need and helping to keep pets and their people together.”

“For many people, pets are considered beloved family members and a pet can reduce feelings of stress and lift our moods, particularly when facing life challenges,” said Kelly Balthazor, regional relationship manager at PetSmart Charities. “We’re proud to partner with PAWS NY to support pet families in New York City, so pet parents never have to choose between their beloved pets and their own wellbeing – especially through the uncertainty of this pandemic.”

Since 1994, through its partnership with nearly 4,000 humane societies, SPCAs and pet rescues across North America, PetSmart Charities has helped more than 9.3 million pets to find loving homes via its in-store adoption program in over 1,600 PetSmart® stores. The leading funder of animal welfare has also donated nearly $430 million to improve access to veterinary care, to positively impact communities, to connect people and pets and to help preserve families through initiatives like this with PAWS NY.

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About Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS) NY  

The mission of PAWS NY is to help New York City’s most vulnerable residents remain with their pets by delivering critical programs and services through a community of partners and volunteers. Our programs help keep pets in their homes while protecting and promoting the human-animal bond that is so physically and psychologically valuable to our clients.  Thus, our motto: helping people by helping pets. To learn more, visit www.pawsny.org.

Follow PAWS NY on Instagram: @PAWSNY
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Find PAWS NY on Facebook: Facebook.com/PAWSNY
See PAWS NY on YouTube: YouTube.com/PAWSNYvideo

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 600,000 shelter pets each year. 

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 almost $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.

Follow PetSmart Charities on Instagram: @PetSmartCharities
Follow PetSmart Charities on Twitter: @PetSmartChariTs
Find PetSmart Charities on Facebook: Facebook.com/PetSmartCharities
See PetSmart Charities on YouTube: YouTube.com/PetSmartCharitiesInc

Media Contact:

Kimberly Green                                                          24-Hour PetSmart Charities
Community Outreach Manager, PAWS NY             Media Line:  623-587-2177
212-203-4760, ext. 304
[email protected]