Thousand Palms, CA – By the time your skin recovers from its Labor Day sunburn, Animal Samaritans’ Adoption Alliance Program will reach an animal rescue milestone: 2,000 animals saved in less than two years. Animal Samaritans, in partnership with Riverside County Animal Services (RCAS), has been rescuing more than 100 dogs and cats every month since they formed an animal rescue alliance on April 25, 2011
Animal Samaritans’ private no-kill animal shelter has been adopting animals from RCAS for years, but through the Adoption Alliance program they now rescue animals and place them in safe havens throughout the U.S. and Canada.
What will with the 2,000th rescue be? A terrier or a toy poodle? A Pekinese or pug? A black lab or golden retriever? Maybe it will be a cat, an orange tabby or tri-colored calico. Will it be someone’s abandoned pet, or an unwanted infant from a litter of kittens or puppies? Which rescue partner will take it in? Will they be local or out-of-state? Whatever the case, the Adoption Alliance’s 2,000th rescued animal will go to a no-kill animal shelter or pet rescue group that will keep it safe and work to adopt it into a new home.
“We love this partnership because we know it results in lives saved,” Animal Services Director Robert Miller said. “We are very fortunate that several of our city contract partners have made commitments to keep this program going strong. Saving as many pets’ lives is what we’re all committed to—and this Adoption Alliance is a great illustration of that.”
Animal Samaritans Adoption Alliance Rescue Coordinator, Michelle Bergeron, works in tandem with staff from RCAS to access, test, and pull animals for rescue. Both organizations share a common goal: to reduce animal euthanasia rates and save more lives. Bergeron’s position is partially funded by contributions from the cities of Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage, but the amount is not enough to cover her salary, nor the expense of gas spent on transporting animals to rescue groups throughout California and to major airports, from which animals are flown as far east as Florida and as far north as Calgary, Canada.
“Two thousand discarded animals have been saved through the Adoption Alliance, and we can and will save more,” said Animal Samaritans’ Executive Director Fred Saunders. “The Adoption Alliance program needs your help in saving animals with donations, and volunteer assistance, including pet fostering, to continue in the future.”
Animal Samaritans relies on charitable contributions to underwrite its many community outreach programs, such as Humane Education in our local schools, emergency veterinary care for low-income seniors, and the feeding and care for animals at their own no-kill animal shelter. Animal Samaritans is currently seeking donations earmarked for The Adoption Alliance to ensure the program continues to thrive in 2013, and thousands more animals will be saved next year.
Animal Samaritans SPCA, a 501 (c) non-profit organization founded in 1978, is committed to improving the lives of animals and people. As the Coachella Valley’s most comprehensive animal welfare organization, they strive to one day eliminate the needless suffering and abuse of homeless and unwanted animals. Programs and services in place to save the lives of healthy and treatable animals include prevention through humane education, affordable spay and neuter, vaccinations, and other veterinary care, animal sheltering, animal rescue, pet fostering and pet adoptions. In addition, more than one hundred volunteers from their Pet Therapy programs visit special needs classrooms, nursing homes, local hospitals, and residents at Juvenile Hall. More information is available by calling 760-343-4908 and by visiting HYPERLINK “http://www.animalsamaritans.org” www.animalsamaritans.org
