WHS has received a $75,000 grant from PetSmart Charities to help ensure shelter pets in Salem, Oregon are ready for adoption.
In 2021, WHS took in more than 2,500 animals. Many of these dogs and cats needed significant medical care, such as wound repair or dental procedures, before they were ready for adoption. Most required spay/neuter surgeries and vaccines.
“We have a skilled medical team ready to help dogs and cats prepare for loving homes, but that work can be expensive,” said Erin Weldon, Development and Community Engagement Director. “We’re so thankful for grants like this. The funds help us provide the care animals need so they can move on to healthier, happier futures.”
“Some five million animals find their way to shelters each year,” said Heidi Fulcher, Adoption Grants Manager at PetSmart Charities. “As an organization dedicated to promoting the human animal bond, we’re thrilled to support local partners such as the Willamette Humane Society. Together, we can help adoptable pets receive vital care, along with the best chance of finding loving homes, which builds healthier families and communities.”
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 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 nearly $400 million to positively impact communities, to help preserve families, to improve access to veterinary care and to connect people and pets through initiatives like this with Willamette Humane Society.
See adoptable cats and adoptable dogs on the WHS website. Applications start the adoption process, and WHS offers adoption appointments seven days per week. Families hoping to meet adoptable cats (and kittens) without an appointment can visit Meow Town, our offsite adoption center located within PetSmart at 2925 Lancaster Dr. NE in Salem.
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About Willamette Humane Society
Willamette Humane Society, located in Salem, Ore., was founded in 1965 by local civic leaders to serve communities in Marion and Polk counties. The organization is dedicated to establishing, maintaining and enhancing the bond between companion animals and people. Willamette Humane Society provides essential services and programs such as adoption and sheltering, behavior and training, youth programs and a low-cost spay and neuter clinic. The shelter is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and supported by more than 60 employees and 700 volunteers. For more information about Willamette Humane Society, visit whs4pets.org.
About PetSmart Charities®
PetSmart Charities is committed to making the world a better place for pets and all who love them. Through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart® stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities helps nearly 600,000 pets connect with loving families each year. PetSmart Charities also provides grant funding to support organizations that advocate and care for the well-being of all pets and their families. Our grants and efforts connect pets with loving homes through adoption, improve access to affordable veterinary care and support families in times of crisis with access to food, shelter and emergency relief. Each year, millions of generous supporters help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities directly at PetSmartCharities.org, while shopping at PetSmart.com, and by 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 $475 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 for the past 17 years in a row – placing it among the top one percent of rated charities. To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org.