WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, December 15, 2020 — American Humane, the country’s first national humane organization, today announced that the Humane Society of Skagit Valley (HSSV) received a grant from American Humane’s Feed the Hungry fund. Located in Burlington, Washington, HSSV provides a safe haven to shelter and care for the abandoned, abused or unwanted animals within Skagit County.
“Animals have a special place in my heart, and I am saddened to see so many being abandoned and left hungry as a result of this sweeping COVID-19 pandemic,” said Jean Shafiroff, national spokesperson for American Humane’s Feed the Hungry campaign and renowned philanthropist. “We must ensure that rescue organizations have the basic resources necessary to care for these defenseless animals who are in dire need of a forever home.”
Like every other business or organization in America, rescues and shelters are struggling to maintain basic services and care for their animal residents in the face of the current worldwide pandemic. Thousands of animals are being left without homes and facilities are in desperate need of general supplies. Detrimental natural disasters including hurricanes and wildfires have further heightened the situation. In response to the overwhelming number of calls received from animal rescuers, shelters and first responders, American Humane launched the Feed the Hungry fund to feed and care for animals across the country who have been abandoned during the coronavirus crisis. The fund seeks to raise much-needed resources to help shelters and rescue organizations that are not only struggling to keep the lights on, but also to keep critical supplies like food stocked.
“Sadly, our facility is aging, and heavy rain fall in the Pacific Northwest really did a number on our shelter,” said a representative from HSSV. “The heavy and constant rains took a real toll on our facility, damaging the roof and several walls… These problems were not anticipated so we have had to dig deep to fix them and unfortunately, COVID has not helped the situation.”
HSSV is a socially conscious animal shelter that offers lifesaving, life-changing animal advocacy services since 1974. These services include a low-income pet food bank, a low-income spay & neuter clinic, pet behavior counseling, therapeutic animal visits and animal adoption among others. On average, HSSC processes 2,000 adoptions and returns 500 lost pets to their owners every year. After dealing with structural damage to the shelter as well as the impact of the pandemic, the Feed the Hungry grant will allow the shelter to continue its critical services and help many more animals in the community.
To help shelters continue to save lives during this unprecedented crisis, consider donating today. Learn more at www.americanhumane.org/feedthehungry.
About American Humane
American Humane is the country’s first national humane organization. Founded in 1877, American Humane is committed to ensuring the safety, welfare, and well-being of animals, and our leadership programs are first to serve in promoting and nurturing the bonds between animals and people. For more information or to support our work, please visit www.americanhumane.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
