AMSTERDAM — The Montgomery County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has been awarded a $20,000 grant by national nonprofit Petco Love to support its recent shelter project.
“Petco has been great to work with and we look forward to being able to partner with them in the future,” MC-SPCA board President Maureen Rossi said on Wednesday. “We’re always ecstatic when we get additional funding.”
The monies to the city-based shelter is part of an over $15 million investment in animal welfare agencies across the country by Petco Love to further its commitment to preventing unnecessary euthanasia.
“Our local investments are only part of our strategy to empower animal lovers to drive lifesaving change right alongside us,” said Susanne Kogut, president of Petco Love, in a prepared statement.
The mission of the MC-SPCA is to protect, care for and shelter animals in need until they can be placed in appropriate homes. The shelter does not euthanize animals for space.
The opening of the newly constructed building at 111 Cleveland Ave. last year doubled the agency’s space for adoptable animals. Efficiency and the standard of care have been boosted by modern cleaning and sanitation features at the state-of-the-art facility.
“We’ve been at capacity, our adoptions have been up and the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive,” Rossi said.
The $3.2 million building was paid for totally through grants and donations. Rossi said the grant from Petco Love and another anticipated contribution should close the remaining funding gap.
“It’s a weight lifted and another step toward our success,” Rossi said. “The fundraising for this has been going on for at least 17 years, if not a little bit longer, so it’s a long time coming.”
The new shelter features a dedicated medical suite to serve pets housed at the shelter, as well as to provide spay, neuter and vaccination services for the public. The MC-SPCA recently added a veterinarian to its staff to deliver these services.
The agency is looking to continue expanding its support for area animals and residents by seeking further funding to add a community room onto the shelter and install outdoor dog runs.
“It’s always been our priority and we do take pride in doing the best we can,” Rossi said.