The Humane Society of Central Oregon (HSCO) will receive a check today for $12,500 from the newly named, Petco Love, to support their lifesaving work for animals in Central Oregon. The check celebration will take place today at 3:00 p.m. at Petco in Bend. Petco Love is a nonprofit leading change for pets nationally by harnessing the power of love to make communities and pet families closer, stronger, and healthier. Since their founding in 1999 as the Petco Foundation, they’ve empowered organizations with nearly $300 million invested to date in adoption and other lifesaving efforts. And, they’ve helped find loving homes for more than 6.5 million pets in partnership with Petco and more than 4,000 organizations, like ours, nationwide.
“Today Petco Love announces an investment in the Humane Society of Central Oregon and hundreds of other organizations as part of our commitment to create a future in which no pet is unnecessarily euthanized,” said Susanne Kogut, President of Petco Love. “Our local investments are only one component. This month, we will also launch the first of our national tools to empower all animal lovers to drive lifesaving change right alongside us.”
“HSCO is the only animal welfare organization in Central Oregon that provides a community cat spay and neuter program. Petco Love’s investment enables HSCO and our Bend Spay Neuter Clinic to provide essential spay and neuter surgeries for personal pets and unowned community cats to reduce pet overpopulation,” said Sabrina Slusser, Executive Director of HSCO.
The Petco Love investment will help HSCO continue its work to reduce pet overpopulation with increased funding for HSCO’s Spay Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP) which helps pet owners experiencing financial hardship afford spay or neuter surgeries for their pets.
The number of community cats in Central Oregon is significant. In 2017, HSCO altered 200 community cats. In 2018, HSCO altered 428 community cats and 34 feral (unsocial) domestic rabbits. A 2019 Petco grant of $20,000 helped HSCO sterilize 757 community cats between April 2018 and March 2019.
Despite the pandemic shutting down elective surgeries for two months in 2020, HSCO performed 643 community cat spay and neuter surgeries. Two feral domestic rabbit surgeries were also performed by HSCO’s veterinary team in 2020.
For more information about the Humane Society of Central Oregon, visit www.hsco.org. To learn more about Petco Love, visit petcolove.org.
