The San Diego Humane Society kicks off their Holiday Drive to Save Lives, the largest year-end matching gift challenge set to fundraise through Dec.31 for supporting veterinary care, rescue from cruelty and animal neglect.
The Resource Partners Foundation made a donation of $500,000 to match any donation made through December to ensure care for more than 40,000 animals in the coming year. Programs like advanced veterinary medicine, a Kitten Nursery, and a Behavior & Training are funded.
These programs deter the use of euthanasia on healthy and treatable shelter animals. According to the San Diego Humane Society, a puppy named Poki that was relinquished in April of this year came from a family that was unable to care for it.
Director of Behavior Programs Amanda Kowalski said Poki exhibited resource guarding behaviors and was fearful of people. Poki would growl and hide in a crate to create distance from trainers.
“The dedicated trainers and animal caregivers at our state-of-the-art Behavior Center worked with Poki daily for four months, helping him overcome his behavioral challenges and be ready for life in a loving home,” Kowalski said.
According to San Diego Humane Society SVP & chief of philanthropy & communications Brian Brian Daugherty, communities that can’t offer behavioral support may face the possibility of euthanasia.
“That’s why our Behavior & Training program is such an important part of how we save lives. And it’s why our Holiday Drive to Save Lives is so important. Poki is a perfect example of the specialized care we can provide animals at San Diego Humane Society because of the generosity of our community,” Daugherty said.
Members of the public who wish to donate may visit sdhmane.org/matching or text “holidaydrive” to 50155 before Dec. 31, 2021.
