VALDOSTA – The Humane Society of Valdosta/Lowndes County received a $10,000 grant from national animal welfare organization, Best Friends Animal Society, to support their transport program, Life Ride. It was given as part of the Rachel Ray “Save Them All” initiative. Established a year ago, the Life Ride transport program’s purpose is to transport cats and dogs from overcrowded shelters in the southeast to shelters and rescues in the northeast where there is more space and adopters for homeless pets.
Around 2000 homeless pets are killed in United States shelters daily simply because there is no space. Shelter data from across the country reveals that Georgia ranks number five in the nation for the number of cats and dogs that are killed each year. In 2018 alone, over 42,000 cats and dogs lost their lives in Georgia because they didn’t have a place to call home. Transport programs are just one way that shelters can save pet’s lives.
“Due to the high number of animals being killed there each year, Lowndes County Animal Shelter is a priority for Best Friends,” said Carrie Ducote, Senior Manager, Southeast Region for Best Friends Animal Society. “The partnership between them, The Humane Society and Best Friends has seen Lowndes County’s save rate increase in previous years. We are excited to see additional increases in the number of animals being saved there, thanks to the transport program.”
In 2019, the Life Ride transport program successfully transported 279 animals to No-Kill rescues. The grant will fund the transport or adoption of 208 cats from the Lowndes County Animal Shelter this year. Additionally, the Lowndes County Animal Shelter is responsible for reducing cat euthanasia by at least 100 cats in 2020, compared to 2019. The collaboration between the Humane Society of Valdosta/Lowndes County and Lowndes County Animal Shelter will result in more lives saved.
“We are so excited to receive a grant from Best Friends,” said Emily Smith, Director of Operations at the Humane Society of Valdosta/Lowndes. “This will help tremendously in our efforts to save lives here locally. Transport makes a huge difference in keeping the county shelter from getting overcrowded, but it can be expensive. This funding helps alleviate a lot of stress, now we can focus on getting the job done.”
Best Friends Animals Society has previously funded the Humane Society of Valdosta’s Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program. Since implementing the TNR program, the save rate for community cats has increased from 22 to 54 percent. The transport and TNR programs provided by the Humane Society are key components in helping the Lowndes County Animal Shelter reach no-kill. Their efforts will contribute to Best Friends Animal Society’s goal to make Georgia, and the entire country, no-kill by 2025.
About Best Friends Animal Society
Best Friends Animal Society is a leading national animal welfare organization dedicated to ending the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters. In addition to running lifesaving programs in partnership with more than 2,800 animal welfare groups across the country, Best Friends has regional centers in New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Salt Lake City, and operates the nation’s largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals. Founded in 1984, Best Friends is a pioneer in the no-kill movement and has helped reduce the number of animals killed in shelters nationwide from an estimated 17 million per year to around 733,000. That means there are still about 2,000 dogs and cats killed every day in shelters, just because they don’t have safe places to call home. We are determined to bring the country to no-kill by the year 2025. Working collaboratively with shelters, rescue groups, other organizations and you, we will end the killing and Save Them All. To check out our community lifesaving dashboard and for more information, visit bestfriends.org.
