Education/Adoption Center to Save Lives by Connecting Cats with Zoo Guests
EL PASO, Texas-El Paso will soon be home to an innovative education and adoption facility thanks to a generous donation from the Petco Foundation. The national nonprofit recently awarded El Paso Animal Services with a $500,000 grant that will help bring life to the Cats at the Zoo (CATZ) exhibit, which will bring adoptable cats and kittens to the El Paso Zoo.
This first-of-its-kind facility will be made possible through a partnership between El Paso Animal Services, the El Paso Zoo and the Petco Foundation. The exhibit will be the first in the nation that partners a zoo with its local municipal shelter to provide a hands-on experience for zoo guests. In addition to the unique zoo experience, every cat in the exhibit will also be up for adoption.
“We’re proud to partner with El Paso Animal Services. We believe that helping pets live their best lives possible begins with creating lifesaving communities across the country, and our love for animals is why we seek to partner with organizations that share our commitment to creating a lifesaving nation,” said Petco Foundation President Susanne Kogut.
The goal of this project is to provide the more than 350 thousand annual zoo visitors with an opportunity to interact with animals, while also providing these adoptable pets with more opportunities to find their permanent home. This innovative partnership will also help increase awareness for animals in the El Paso region, which is key as the City moves closer toward its goal of saving 90 percent or more of the animals that enter the El Paso Animal Services Center each year.
“We are very appreciative to the Petco Foundation for this generous gift and are excited for the opportunities that this unique project will bring to El Paso.” said El Paso Animal Services Director Paula Powell. “With great partners like the Petco Foundation we will save more lives and do it in style at the El Paso Zoo.”
About the Petco Foundation
At the Petco Foundation, we believe that every animal deserves to live its best life. Since 1999, we’ve invested more than $250 million in lifesaving animal welfare work to make that happen. With our more than 4,000 animal welfare partners, we inspire and empower communities to make a difference by investing in adoption and medical care programs, spay and neuter services, pet cancer research, service and therapy animals, and numerous other lifesaving initiatives. Through our Think Adoption First program, we partner with Petco stores and animal welfare organizations across the country to increase pet adoptions. So far, we’ve helped more than six million pets find their new loving families, and we’re just getting started. Visit www.petcofoundation.org to learn more about how you can get involved.
###
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.