RANCHO SANTA FE — The Helen Woodward Animal Center was recently awarded $3,000 from the BISSELL Pet Foundation. The foundation, which was established in 2011, is championed by Cathy Bissell. Its mission is to offer assistance to both rescue and shelter programs fanning the nation to help homeless pets.
Development manager at the Helen Woodward Animal Center, Laurel Dalsted, wants people to know that the BISSELL Pet Foundation is a new funder for them.
“We’re very excited to have them on board supporting our adoption program,” Dalsted said. “And the grant that we received from them is going to help provide medical care for the adoptable pets that we have here at the center to get them prepared to become available for adoption.”
And every cent counts.
“We’re just really grateful that the BISSELL Pet Foundation has chosen to reach out and provide these opportunities to animal organizations across the country to get help for these pets,” she said.
Joanna Randazzo, BISSELL Pet Foundation Coordinator, said their foundation awarded $3,000 to the Helen Woodward Animal Center for the medical care of orphaned pets to prepare them for placement in a forever home.
Treatments may include an array of veterinary services, vaccines, lab work costs, pharmaceuticals and more.
The BISSELL Pet Foundation reviewed numerous funding queries.
“Our grant review committee poured through over 100 applications and selected those that they felt would make the most impact for pets in need,” Randazzo said. “The committee was impressed by the Helen Woodward Animal Center’s passion and commitment to homeless animals and items outlined in the grant fit very closely to our mission.”
According to Randazzo, they awarded a total of $116,350 to 30 various organizations dedicated to adoption, foster care, spay/neuter programs, emergency relief and micro-chipping.
Randazzo went on to say that the BISSELL Pet Foundation is dedicated to assisting animal welfare organizations across the United States.
“We have partnered with over 700 animal welfare groups through our Partners for Pets program and have donated more than $1.6 million to fund life-saving work for pets in need. And the Foundation just began in 2011,” she said.
Randazzo also explained that BISSELL Homecare, Inc., has committed up to $250,000 annually in donations to the BISSELL Pet Foundation based on its pet product sales.
For every BISSELL pet product sold on Bissell.com, she said, a portion of the proceeds are donated to the Foundation.
“Purchases made ‘in-store’ can be activated online at bissell.com/savespets. BISSELL also offers a way for online shoppers to support a local shelter or rescue with their bissell.com pet product purchases,” she said. Randazzo continued, “Shoppers can designate their donation to participating BISSELL Partners for Pets organizations by entering the coupon code ‘ADOPT’ at checkout.”
Dalsted said the community of Rancho Santa Fe has embraced the mission of the Helen Woodward Animal Center and they are truly grateful to the community.
Dalsted also pointed out that they really do rely on community support, and also having the recent generosity from the BISSELL Pet Foundation, helps in their mission to providing the care their pets need.
“Every penny really does help,” she said.
