KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Petco Foundation and Petco showed their love for Young-Williams Animal Center on Valentine's Day in the form of a $750,000 grant.
Young-Williams said it will use the money for several initiatives including low-cost spay and neuter, training, and facility improvement.
"We can really take some of the animals that have challenges, might be behaviorally or even medically, and we can treat easy animals and we can give them more time," Young-Williams CEO Janet Testerman said. "We can provide the resources for them in order to make them adoptable."
Young-Williams is offering a special Valentine's deal. You can adopt a pet for the donation of your choice through Feb. 17. The offer does not include puppies.
The shelter’s staff and leadership were surprised with the check presentation, a Valentine’s Day lunch, and toys and treats for the animals.
“We are so grateful for the support and Valentine’s Day surprise from the Petco Foundation as part of its Send Love to Shelter Pets campaign and can’t thank them enough,” Testerman said.
This event was one of 16 celebrations across the country – and the only one in Tennessee – held to thank staff and volunteers for their hard work.
“Valentine’s Day is all about love, and we especially love shelter pets, so it’s exciting to make this Valentine’s Day special for the people who work tirelessly every day to save them,” said Susanne Kogut, president of the Petco Foundation. “Our grant investments are designed to support the organizations that have the biggest hearts and who save the most lives. We’re so honored to be a partner in Young-Williams’ lifesaving work. And we aren’t the only ones who wanted to thank them. Adopters around the country conveyed their gratitude with their personal messages to staff and volunteers working hard to save lives all year round.”
The Petco Foundation also presented the shelter with the world’s largest virtual valentine to shelter pets and the people that care for them, an online mosaic of thousands of heartfelt valentine messages from supporters across the country.
According to a release, the celebration is part of the more than $14 million in grant investments that the Petco Foundation is committing to animal welfare organizations across the country as part of its annual investment efforts to find and invest in the most-effective lifesaving animal welfare organizations nationwide.
RELATED (2016): Young-Williams receives $500,000 Petco Foundation grant