SALT LAKE CITY, UT (February 22, 2010) — Despite the economy and record animals abandoned to shelters, there is good news in Salt Lake County.
Salt Lake County Animal Services announced today that a donation from American Dog Rescue largely contributed to January’s record-low euthanasia rates. “January is the fourth consecutive month that no animals were euthanized simply because they were out of time or we needed the space. It has been a hard won battle—absolutely attributable to the extra work and focus made possible by a generous donation from Arthur Benjamin and his organization,” said Shawni Larrabee, Division Director at Salt Lake County Animal Services.
American Dog Rescue president Arthur Benjamin advocated for a substantial donation in 2009 after learning of the shelter’s goal to eliminate the euthanasia of adoptable animals at the shelter within six months. The contribution helped increase staffing at the facility, which hired a Rescue and Foster Specialist to create “no-kill” outcomes for cats and dogs. “We appreciate American Dog Rescue’s interest, compassion and willingness to partner with us as we work to change the fate of animals in our care and in the community,” said Larrabee.
This is the second year in a row that American Dog Rescue helped to produce such a result. The previous year’s telethon challenge grant on CBS KUTV 2 raised over $40,000 for the Humane Society of Utah. “Because of the challenge grant presented by Arthur Benjamin and American Dog Rescue, our special telethon fundraiser was a great success,” said Gene Baierschmidt, Humane Society of Utah Executive Director.
“For the first time in the history of our organization, not a single adoptable dog had to be euthanized in 2009, and the donations from the telethon helped make that happen. We adopted 3,917 dogs! This year we will celebrate our 50th anniversary, and, thanks to the record set last year, we’re off to a wonderful start already,” he said.
Benjamin said, “These results are proof that American Dog Rescue’s mission ‘No Healthy Dog Without a Home’ isn’t mere rhetoric but a real goal that is being achieved one-dog-at-a-time, one-shelter-at-a-time, and one-city-at-a-time.” Moreover, Benjamin believes this mission “is an idea whose time has come,” and American Dog Rescue is supporting it with the funding to make it work now and in the future.
To help prevent euthanasia at shelters like Salt Lake County Animal Services, please go to www.americandogrescue.org today.