PHOENIX, AZ--(Marketwired - Jul 29, 2014) - The PetSmart Charities' Humane Alliance Spay/Neuter Training Center opened its doors yesterday on the Humane Alliance campus in Asheville, N.C. At full capacity, this state-of-the-art facility will enable more than 550 veterinarians and veterinary students annually to get the hands-on experience they need to spay/neuter more dogs and cats. With 4 million pets euthanized every year due to lack of space, spay/neuter is the most effective way to help combat shelter pet overpopulation problems nationwide.
The 12,400 sq. ft. training center features:
- a spacious spay/neuter surgical training center with six surgical bays
- office space for 16 veterinary and administrative staff
- kennel space for 140 patients
- the facility also includes a separate, 2,200 sq. ft dormitory, providing living space for up to 20 students
"When organizations come together and collaborate as we've done with Humane Alliance, the results can be transformational," said Julie White, senior director of programs, grants and field initiatives, PetSmart Charities.
As the largest funder of animal welfare programs in North America, PetSmart Charities supports community efforts in all 50 states and Canada. Since 1994, the non-profit has granted more than $210 million to animal welfare organizations, with the largest portion of that funding targeting spay/neuter initiatives. Since 2010, PetSmart Charities has granted Humane Alliance more than $4.5 million to support their lifesaving programs.
"The support of PetSmart Charities allows us to increase the number of veterinarians who will take back new skills to their community to save more pets and make an impact nationwide," said Humane Alliance executive director Quita Mazzina.
Consumers cited cost as a key barrier to fixing their pets in a 2011 PetSmart Charities study, with only 1 in 5 aware of low-cost clinics in their communities. At the same time, 2 out of 3 respondents said they would be more likely to adopt a pet if he/she was already fixed.
Humane Alliance seeks to create a national network of spay/neuter clinics that are safe, efficient and self-sustaining. Altered Tails is a not-for-profit organization in Phoenix, Ariz. that provides high quality spay/neuter services at low costs for area residents. In 2011, they became the first and only Humane Alliance Clinic in Arizona.
"Since our certification, we have sterilized over 35,000 animals, an increase of 61%, and have thus prevented the needless euthanasia of hundreds of thousands of animals," said Ellen Clark, executive director, Altered Tails Barnhart Clinics. "This training energized our staff, improved our workflow, and increased our efficiency while allowing us to continue to provide compassionate care for animals."
ABOUT PETSMART CHARITIES PetSmart Charities, Inc. is a nonprofit animal welfare organization that saves the lives of homeless pets. More than 400,000 dogs and cats find homes each year through our adoption program in all PetSmart® stores and our sponsored adoption events. PetSmart Charities grants more money to directly help pets in need than any other animal welfare group in North America, with a focus on funding spay/neuter services that help communities solve pet overpopulation. PetSmart Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization, separate from PetSmart, Inc.
ABOUT HUMANE ALLIANCE Humane Alliance is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that focuses on high-volume, high-quality, low-cost companion animal sterilization. Since 1994, when they started as a small spay/neuter clinic in Asheville, NC, they have fostered a new mentoring culture across the country to successfully replicate their tried and tested clinic techniques. They currently operate training programs designed to teach high-volume, high-quality spay/neuter techniques to animal welfare professionals, veterinarians, and veterinary externs from across the country and around the world.
Contact: Steve Pawlowski Media Relations Manager PetSmart Charities 623-516-3920 spawlowski@petsmartcharities.org Aimee St. Arnaud Project Manager Humane Alliance 419-874-9584 Aimee@humanealliance.org
