CL pet shelter receives $175K Petco donation

Animal Friends of the Valleys, which provides pet shelter services for the City of Canyon Lake and other Southwest Riverside communities, accepted a $175,000 grant investment from the national nonprofit Petco Love last week at a presentation at the Temecula Petco store.

The funds come at an opportune time. The shelter is in the process of building a new low cost spay/neuter and vaccination clinic adjacent to the shelter in Wildomar.

“This new clinic will be able to perform up to 120 surgeries per day,” Beth Soltysiak, Animal Friends of the Valleys Director of Development, said. “It will be a new modern clinic which will be suitable for the growing population in our communities.”

Petco Love is a national nonprofit organization with a goal of leading change for pets by harnessing the power of love to make communities and pet families closer, stronger, and healthier. Since its founding in 1999, Petco Love has invested $330 million in adoption and other lifesaving efforts. Petco Love helps find homes for pets in partnership with Petco and more than 4,000 organizations across North America.

“AFV is incredibly thankful for our partnership with Petco Love for their generous grant which will not only help the animals, but the residents as well,” Mo Middleton, Executive Director of Animal Friends of the Valleys, said. “The need for spay/neuter services in our valley is overwhelming, and this investment will allow AFV to continue our work towards ending pet overpopulation and finding a loving and forever home for all adoptable pets at AFV.”

Animal Friends of the Valleys is a nonprofit organization that serves the cities of Temecula, Murrieta, Wildomar, Lake Elsinore, Canyon Lake, Menifee and surrounding rural county areas. Since 1987, Animal Friends of the Valleys has been an active part in all local cities, chambers and other civic groups.

AFV works closely with all local Police Departments, County Sheriffs and Cal Fire. Last year alone, AFV opened its doors to over 8,600 animals and is at the highest adoption rate in its 31-year history.

“Our investment in Animal Friends of the Valleys is part of more than $15 million in investments recently announced by Petco Love to power local organizations across the country as part of our commitment to create a future in which no pet is unnecessarily euthanized,” Susanne Kogut, president of Petco Love, said. “Our local investments are only part of our strategy to empower animal lovers to drive lifesaving change right alongside us.”