NEWS

Pennies 4 Paws Begins February 12

JAMESTOWN, N.Y. (February 7, 2014) – The Chautauqua County Humane Society has announced that the ninth annual Pennies 4 Paws campaign will begin this month. This year’s campaign benefits all of the animal rehabilitation services available at the shelter and will strengthen the CCHS adoption process throughout the community.

Pennies 4 Paws kicks off on February 12 and runs through the end of April. Various collection drives and fundraising events will take place throughout the county during that time.

“All of the animals that enter our facility are in need of something. It could be a home; it could be some food; it could be a life-saving surgery; but one thing is certain, they all deserve a second chance,” said Edwin Rodriguez Jr., Community Relations Director for CCHS. “These services can be costly and we know that we cannot ask these animals for a penny. This is why we ask our community to help us collect the pennies and their support enables us to continue our work,” said Rodriguez.

CCHS has seen a growing number of special needs cases where medication, surgery or training has been required to save a pets life. Over the past decade, however, a strong focus on spay/neuter and adoption services has allowed the shelter to concentrate on the rehabilitation needs of each animal. Today, CCHS has a 97% save rate with animal outcomes compared to a mere 50% just a decade ago. This turnaround was partially thanks to funding from Pennies 4 Paws and other fundraising initiatives.

The Pennies 4 Paws program follows the slogan that “every penny counts.” CCHS hopes to collect 17 million pennies, or $17,000, by April of this year. Sponsored by Media One Group, the Pennies 4 Paws campaign provides flexibility for schools, social organizations and businesses to fundraise in a variety of ways. Although pennies are the most common donation, any type of monetary contribution and fundraising during this time can help. Contributions are traditionally made through bake sales, school Hat Days, pop bottle/can drives and other special events. Collection containers are available through CCHS if they are needed by any fundraising group.

“If there are any businesses or organizations that would like to fundraise but do not know where to start, we have plenty of ideas to get them going,” said Rodriguez. Aside from being one of the shelter’s flagship fundraisers, the Pennies 4 Paws campaign is a great team building event for groups needing to fulfill a community service requirement.

For more information on the Chautauqua County Humane Society or to sign up to host a Pennies 4 Paws container, visit www.spcapets.com or call 716-665-2209 ext. 213.

The mission of the Chautauqua County Humane Society is to promote the adoption of animals, prevent all forms of animal cruelty and neglect, shelter lost, abandoned and homeless animals, and to provide education about the humane treatment of animals.