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BY JAN RUNIONS

jan.runions@claiborneprogress.net

The national nonprofit organization Petco Love has contributed $65,000 to the Claiborne Animal Shelter because of the facility’s lifesaving work with animals.

Petco Love says its aim is to “harness the power of love to bring communities and pet families closer, stronger and healthier.”

Since its founding in 1999, Petco Love has invested some $330 million in adoption and other lifesaving efforts. The organization also works tirelessly to find loving homes for pets in partnership with Petco and more than 4,000 other organizations across North America. So far, the nonprofit has secured 6.5 million pet adoptions.

“Our investment in the Claiborne Animal Shelter is part of more than $15 million in investments to power local organizations across the country as part of our commitment to create a future in which no pet is unnecessarily euthanized,” said Susanne Kogut, president of Petco Love. “Our local investments are only part of our strategy to empower animal lovers to drive lifesaving change right alongside us.”

Petco Love recently celebrated its one-year launch anniversary of   Petco Lost, a national lost and found database that uses pet facial recognition technology to simplify the search for lost pets, according to Kogut.

“These funds could not have come at a better time,” said Misti Roberts, executive director of the Claiborne Animal Shelter. “Since March of 2022, our shelter has struggled with several parvo outbreaks. Many of our kennels and puppy areas have cracks in the floor where diseases can hide. This grant will be used to professionally strip, repair and reseal the floors in our adoption area and garage. We hope to be able to do the entire shelter in the future.

“We also will use part of the funds to set up a new TNR (trap, neuter/spay, release) program targeting community cat populations in the county. This program will spay/neuter, ear tip, and give rabies shots to the cats and then will be released back into their colony. We certainly could not have achieved these improvements without the help of Petco Love’s support. There are not words to express how grateful we are.”

Claiborne Animal Shelter is a nonprofit organization that serves the county by sheltering animals in a humane environment. The nonprofit promotes pet adoptions and reduces pet overpopulation through spay/neutering and education.

Claiborne Animal Shelter has grown since 2008 from its initial opening with a dog tied to their front porch to taking in some 4,000 animals each year.

The facility has interactive programs to keep animals as healthy and happy as possible during their stay. Despite the high number of intakes, the shelter has a 90 percent adoption and transport rate of healthy, non-aggressive cats and a 96 percent adoption and transport rate of healthy, non-aggressive dogs. Because the shelter is a privately owned organization, it relies on grants like these and donations to be able to operate.

The Claiborne County Animal Control Board, Inc., a 501(c)(3), was founded in 2008. The board agreed to the use of donated property and cash to construct the shelter building in 2009. Within the next couple of years, the shelter was ready to open.

Named in honor of the late county commissioner, the shelter became known as the “Glenn W. Bowling Animal Center.”

With the tremendous help of private donations, the shelter and the brand new Gloria J. McPherson Spay & Neuter Clinic was set to open their doors.

The nonprofit hired a full time Veterinary Technician Shelter Manager in 2013 and a separate cat cottage in 2022.

The facility was renamed the Glenn and Ann Shumate Bowling Animal Shelter in 2017.

The shelter has taken in an average of 400 animals per month since its opening to the current time – funded entirely by donations.

For more information, or to donate money, needed products or time, to the Claiborne Animal Shelter, visit claiborneshelter.com/.

To learn more about Petco Love, visit petcolove.org.