FORT MYERS, FLORIDA, February 5, 2021 — People aren’t the only ones who need emergency medical assistance. To make sure animals get lifesaving help in times of crisis, American Humane, the country’s first national humane organization, today presented a giant $4,500 check to Lee County Domestic Animal Services to help them treat animals in severe medical emergencies. The money comes from American Humane’s Meacham Grant, which helps provide capital improvements to shelters across the country, and will be used to purchase specially made, lifelike canine and feline mannequins to train staff in animal first aid and CPR, IV catheter placement and IV infusion, endotracheal intubation techniques, and limb bandaging.

“For 144 years, American Humane, the country’s first national humane organization, has been helping animals in need,” said Dr. Robin Ganzert, president and CEO of American Humane. “That includes helping the many state, county and local groups like Lee County Domestic Animal Services, which are on the very front lines of that effort, working to save, shelter, and care for helpless animals when they are abused, abandoned, or injured. We hope that this grant will serve to help many more of our best friends in their worst times.”

Dr. Ganzert, who is also the author of the new, best-selling book, “Mission Metamorphosis” and  executive producer of the new international documentary, “Escape from Extinction,” traveled to Fort Myers with American Humane National Ambassador Steven DeLalio and her colleague, Disaster & Cruelty Response Specialist Amber Batteiger to present the oversized check to Pablo Adorno, who is serving as Interim Director for Lee County Domestic Animal Services and his colleague Dr. Nicole Ferguson.

“Lee County Domestic Animal Services would like to thank American Humane for its generous donation that will enable us to purchase canine and feline mannequins to train staff to assist in lifesaving measures,” said Mr. Adorno. “We appreciate and look forward to our ongoing partnership.”

About American Humane

American Humane is the country’s first national humane organization, founded in 1877. Today, the nonprofit saves, shelters, feeds and protects nearly one billion animals around the world each year. To learn more about their lifesaving work, please visit www.americanhumane.org.

About Lee County Domestic Animal Services

Lee County Domestic Animal Services is a tax-funded, government domestic stray animal control agency dedicated to ensuring public safety and health; providing education on responsible pet ownership and compliance of local ordinances and State Statutes relating to animals; strengthening the human-animal bond to reduce the number of animals surrendered to overcrowded shelters; reducing pet overpopulation through non-lethal humane methods; reuniting lost and missing pets with rightful owners; and the adoption of unwanted, abused and neglected animals into loving, permanent homes.​​​ For more information, please visit www.leegov.com/animalservices.