The Allen County SPCA has been awarded a $50,000 grant from the ASPCA ® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) as part of its national ASPCA Relief and Recovery Initiative, which includes providing a minimum of $2 million in critical funding for animal welfare organizations whose programs, operations, or fundraising capabilities have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. The grant will help the Allen County SPCA fund essential lifesaving services through daily operations as well as their Pet Promises program, which includes services such as Compassion Fostering, In-Home Services, and a daily Pet Food Bank, all of which are proving to be crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“A gift of this magnitude from the ASPCA is life changing for a community our size. Their investment in the critical work we do to help pets and the people who love them speaks volumes about their belief in the human-animal bond and their commitment to organizations like ours that our working every day to keep that bond intact. We are so grateful,” said Jessica Henry, Executive Director.

Since the start of the pandemic, the Allen County SPCA pivoted their focus from adoption to pet-retention, a concept that centers around helping to keep pets out of shelters, and instead, at home with the people who love them. As a result, the Allen County SPCA temporarily closed their doors to the public (and is currently open to the public for Adoption Appointments only) to allow for emergency pet fostering due to COVID-19, and has increased resources for those impacted by the virus, either financially or medically. For example, the Allen County SPCA’s Pet Food Bank has been open six days a week since Monday, April 6, 2020, providing a "no questions asked" service for pet owners in need.

“In addition to the unprecedented challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has created for people, it is also putting animals at risk by straining essential owner and shelter resources,” said ASPCA President and CEO Matt Bershadker. “Considering the vital role pets play in our lives – especially in times of crisis and stress – it’s extremely important to safeguard their welfare as much as we can, and we are grateful to the animal welfare community for stepping up, thinking creatively and courageously, and forging new paths to meet this need. Through the ASPCA Relief & Recovery Initiative, we are helping animals stay healthy and safe as we weather this crisis together.”

“These generous grant dollars will be used to fund operating costs of our community’s only nonprofit animal shelter as well as to continue providing emergency assistance to pets and people impacted either medically or financially by COVID-19,” stated Henry.

Area pet owners who need assistance are encouraged to contact the Allen County SPCA.

To learn more about the Allen County SPCA, visit www.AllenCountySPCA.org.