Funds to support expanded work in the Globeville/Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods
to reduce cat homelessness
October 1, 2018— DENVER, CO – Metro Denver CAT recently received a $70,000 grant from PetSmart Charities, the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, to help residents and cats in Denver’s most underserved neighborhoods.
With the help of this new grant, Metro Denver CAT is committed to offering solutions that will help cats stay in their loving homes and reduce cat homelessness. A new program, focusing on the Globeville and Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods, will remove barriers that have faced cat owners and caretakers in the area by providing free spay and neuter, vaccines, microchips and other supplies, as well as low cost veterinary resources and transportation to those who need it. All resources will be provided in English and Spanish by an outreach team, who will go door-to-door to meet residents needing help for cats in their community. The goal is to provide services to 1,000 cats and their caretakers.
“Denver is a pretty great place for dogs, but we’ve noticed that cats are often left out of the equation,” said Anna Murrin, project manager at Metro Denver CAT. “Our goal is to focus on the most vulnerable animals in our community, and connect directly with residents to end cat homelessness.”
“Pets can bring comfort in uncertain times, and they can also add a level of stress when there are little to no resources to provide for their care,” said Jenny Aho, regional relationship manager at PetSmart Charities. “With the help of this grant, Metro Denver CAT can expand its reach to provide health and wellness services to cats in underserved communities, ensuring more cats in the Denver area are able to stay in loving homes. At PetSmart Charities, we are committed to supporting animal welfare organizations that promote the human-animal bond.”
Pet retention is just one of PetSmart Charities’ seven grant categories. Funding from PetSmart Charities supports animal welfare organizations and non-profits committed to reducing pet homelessness and enhancing the human-animal bond. For more information, visit www.PetSmartCharities.org.
About Metro Denver CAT
Since 2016, Metro Denver CAT has provided lifesaving free resources to more than 3000 cats in Denver’s most vulnerable communities. It started in Denver’s Barnum neighborhood and has since expanded to three additional neighborhoods. Metro Denver CAT is a comprehensive solution - focused effort helping owned and community cats. The program utilizes a bilingual outreach team to connect with neighbors, offer free services and transportation, identify cat hotspots and remove barriers to ensure every cat in the target zip codes has access to spay/neuter services, vaccines, low cost veterinary care and pet supplies. These services ensure that pet cats are retained in their homes and that new litters of homeless cats are prevented. Together with our partners, we’re making Metro Denver a place where cats are valued and cared for by an engaged community.
About PetSmart Charities® PetSmart Charities, Inc. is committed to finding lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. Through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart® stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities helps to find forever homes and families for more than 500,000 shelter pets each year. PetSmart Charities also provides grant funding to nonprofits aligned with its mission under four key areas of support: Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the Bond Between People and Pets and Providing 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. 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 almost $340 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, a third-party organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, for the past 15 years in a row – placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization.
To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org.
Follow PetSmart Charities on Twitter: @PetSmartChariTs
Find PetSmart Charities on Facebook: Facebook.com/PetSmartCharities
See PetSmart Charities on YouTube: YouTube.com/PetSmartCharitiesInc