EL CAJON–The City of El Cajon is pleased to announce that PetSmart Charities awarded a $50,000 grant for the soon to open animal Shelter.
The grant will be used to purchase spay and neuter medical equipment at the City’s new animal shelter. In appreciation for the donation, the El Cajon City Council will present a commendation to PetSmart Charities during its March 27 City Council Meeting.
Since breaking ground in May 2017, construction of the new state-of-the-art animal shelter has quickly taken shape. The facility is on schedule to open in June 2018. The 14,700 square foot shelter will include space for new pet enclosures, a full veterinary clinic, pet grooming, pet play and exercise areas, pet adoption services and more. It will be twice the size of the current 50-year-old shelter. The facility was designed with the future in mind and allows for an expansion if it is ever needed.
Funding for the $10 million shelter was made possible by the voter approved Proposition O. The half-cent sales tax passed in 2004 and ended in 2015. Funds from the special tax has paid for improvements to public safety facilities and the new animal shelter.
PetSmart Charities, Inc. is a nonprofit animal welfare organization with a mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together.
Besides finding homes for almost 500,000 shelter pets each year through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities funds non-profits aligned with its mission through four key areas of grant support: Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the Bond Between People and Pets; and Emergency Relief and Disaster Support.
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. PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 90 cents of every dollar donated and has become the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, donating about $300 million to date. PetSmart Charities, a 501(c)(3) organization, has received the Four Star Rating from Charity Navigator, an independent organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, for the past 14 years in a row – placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization.
