PRESS RELEASE – December 2013
HUMANE SOCIETY/SPCA OF NELSONCOUNTY AWARDED $10,000 GRANT
The Humane Society/SPCA of NelsonCounty (HS/SPCA), which runs the no-kill AlmostHomePetAdoptionCenter, is thrilled to announce it has been awarded a $10,000 grant from The Petco Foundation Holiday Wishes Grant Campaign.
On December 22, at the Emmet Street Petco Store in Charlottesville, Loren Thomas,reporter for Charlottesville Newsplex 19, filmed and interviewed Store Manager Justin Dodgins, HS/SPCA President and Shelter Director, Bette Grahame (volunteer positions), and Greenville resident, Shawn Angell and his dog, Jake, the subject of an award winning success story.
“From Hell to Heaven – Jake’s Story” as written by Flower Vankan, volunteer Adoption Counselor at AlmostHomePetAdoptionCenter, is about a 3–legged dog rescued from a home on Rockfish Valley Highway in the Faber area in NelsonCounty, along with 5 other dogs and 3 puppies, where they had been abandoned, living in horrific conditions. Shawn Angell, a 15 year old at the time, was touched by reading a flyer about Jake that Flower had posted on a bulletin board in a veterinarian’s office, and urged his parents to let him adopt Jake.
After visiting the shelter and meeting Jake, the family decided to adopt him. Shawn insisted that the adoption fee be paid for with money he had been saving to buy a used truck, a fact which apparently favorably influenced the judges selecting the recipients. Jake hit the jackpot on January 25, 2012 when he was adopted by the Angells, and his forever family hit the jackpot that day when they adopted Jake. Shawn’s Mom says Jake is the best dog ever. According to Justin Dodgins, the Charlottesville Petco Store will be providing a year’s worth of dog food for Jake.
The Humane Society/SPCA of NelsonCounty is very grateful to The Petco Foundationfor honoring them with this award. The Petco Foundation received 4500 applications for this award. Winners were chosen based on the quality of the organization’s work and the impact of their top success story. The HS/SPCA is thankful to Steve Schwartz, HS/SPCA Board member, for submitting the application and Flower Vankan for writing the accompanying success story. The funds received will be used to provide medical treatment, when needed, for animals taken into their custody, and for spaying and neutering feral cats in their Feral Cat Colony Program. This press release and the winning story will be featured on the Humane Society/SPCA of NelsonCounty’s website: