Staff Report
HAYS COUNTY -- Nearly a year ago, Petco Love invested $15,000 to the PAWS Shelter of Central Texas and now, the results are starting to show.
Petco Love is a nonprofit leading change for pets nationally by harnessing the power of love to make communities and pet families closer, stronger and healthier. Since their founding in 1999 as the Petco Foundation, they empower organizations with $300 million invested year to date in adoption and other lifesaving efforts.
“PAWS Shelter of Central Texas is so grateful to Petco Love for promoting additional lifesaving programs like these, helping Texas to decrease the number of animals euthanized each year due to space," said Melody Hilburn, Executive Director of PAWS. "Being able to increase our foster program and save 976 additional puppies and kittens is an amazing feat and I cannot praise these wonderful volunteers who play a huge part in this life saving initiative along with our dedicated staff”.
Petco awarded PAWS Shelter of Central Texas a grant of $15,000 in April 2021, which was used to expand three programs within the organization that allowed the shelter to save an additional 470 companion animals through rescue efforts with partners in Central Texas. PAWS took a three-tiered approach in this lifesaving program which included the following results:
1. PAWS Shelter was able to pull an additional 470 animals from Kill shelters from Hays, Comal, Caldwell and Blanco Counties. This allowed the shelter to expand their efforts by accepting animals from Blanco County, which has no animal control or shelters to support life saving in their county, but is within easy access to the Dripping Springs location. This was a 32% increase in intakes from 2020.
2. PAWS Shelter was able to recruit an additional 327 fosters which enabled them to take in a total of 976 puppies and kittens, up 80% over 2020.
3. PAWS Shelter was able to offer an additional 77 hours of pet training for 51 dogs adopted that needed assistance with transitioning into their forever homes, reducing the return rate and increasing their retention rates.
