Petco Love Foundation Invests in Lifesaving Work of Ventura County Animal Services

VENTURA COUNTY — Ventura County Animal Services is thrilled to announce that we have received a $27,500 grant investment from the newly named, Petco Love, to support our lifesaving work for the animals in Ventura County.

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 Ventura County Animal Services 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.”

“We are honored and thrilled to have received this grant investment from Petco Love,” says Jackie Rose, Director of Ventura County Animal Services. “These funds will enhance our Pet Retention Program, allowing us to help even more people keep their pets and avoid the need for them to surrender. Petco Love initially funded our Pet Retention program with a generous grant in 2016 and we are excited that they, again, have shown their firm support for our lifesaving mission! Thank you, Petco Love!”

Since its inception, Ventura County Animal Service’s Pet Retention Program has diverted nearly 5,800 animals from entering our shelter by providing resources and assistance to pet owners. Such support includes supporting costs for veterinary care, constructing fencing/enclosures, paying a rental pet deposit, providing short-term pet food assistance, short-term boarding assistance, and offering behavioral training/consultations. As result of this grant award, we are able to fund a pilot program that will provide targeted services to those pets who have treatable, non-life-threatening medical conditions with quality of life, who, without treatment, would continue to be significantly affected.

For more information regarding our Pet Retention program, please visit www.vcas.us/PetRetention, and click here to learn more about Petco Love.

About Ventura County Animal Services (VCAS) — Ventura County Animal Services operates two (2) open-admission, lifesaving, municipal shelters. The main shelter is located in Camarillo and houses the Administrative Offices and Veterinary Hospital. The Camarillo Shelter has a 400-animal capacity which can more than double during declared natural disasters. The second shelter is the Simi Valley Animal Shelter and can house up to 40 animals and offers many of the same services and programs as the Camarillo Shelter, such as the intake of stray, pet adoptions, pet licensing, and the reclaim of lost animals by their owner. VCAS provides contract services to the residents of eight (8) cities within the county: Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Simi Valley, Ventura, and all unincorporated areas of Ventura County. VCAS is dedicated to improving the lives of the animals in their care, and to safeguard the community through the shelter of stray animals and suppression of the rabies virus

About Petco Love (Formerly Petco Foundation) — Petco Love is a nonprofit, changing lives by making communities and pet families closer, stronger, and healthier. Since our founding in 1999 as the Petco Foundation, we’ve empowered animal welfare organizations by investing nearly $300 million in adoption and other lifesaving efforts. We’ve helped find loving homes for more than 6.5 million pets in partnership with Petco and organizations nationwide. Today, our love for pets drives us to lead with innovation, creating tools animal lovers need to reunite lost pets, and lead with passion, inspiring and mobilizing communities and our more than 4,000 animal welfare partners to drive lifesaving change alongside us. Is love calling you? Join us. Visit petcolove.org to be part of the lifesaving work we’re leading every day.