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Humane Society of Sarasota County awarded $25,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County to support extraordinary medical care for shelter animals Contact Name: Jaime Limoges Contact Email: [email protected] Contact Phone Number: 563-571-3183 SARASOTA, Fla. – The Humane Society of Sarasota County (HSSC), the area’s premier no-kill shelter, is the recipient of a $25,000 grant from the Helen C. Schwieder Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. Grant funds will be used for emergency veterinary treatment for urgent cases or extraordinary medical needs for shelter animals. As a no-kill shelter, HSSC takes great pride in being a resource for homeless cats and dogs and saving more than 3,000 lives each year. All animals receive complete medical care from HSSC’s in-house veterinary team, which includes two full-time veterinarians. Animals experiencing illness or injury receive the immediate lifesaving care they need, either in-house or through referrals to external specialty providers. This Community Foundation grant will ensure HSSC can continue to help animals in their hour of need—animals like Fumbles and Rhoda. Fumbles, an adorable one-year-old dog from a crowded shelter in a neighboring county, arrived at HSSC with visual and neurological abnormalities. After several examinations, including a visit to Dr. Christopher Levine of Levine Veterinary Neurology, the cause of Fumbles’ condition remains unclear. HSSC’s medical team continues to try different treatments and rule out causes. In the meantime, Fumbles is not in any pain and is an otherwise happy puppy. He is spending time in a foster home, where he is receiving one-on-one attention and care until he is ready to be adopted. Rhoda, a sweet three-year-old dog, was suffering from a dislocated left hip and heartworm disease. She was at an under-resourced county shelter with no ability to provide medical care. Upon arriving at HSSC, the medical team immediately took x-rays and sent them to Dr. John Kirsch of Coastal Veterinary Surgical Specialists. Rhoda will undergo hip surgery with Dr. Kirsch in the coming weeks, after which time she will be treated for heartworm. After her treatments, she will be able to lead a normal, healthy life with a loving family. Fumbles and Rhoda (pictures available upon request) are just two examples of animals that will be impacted by this grant. Thanks to the generosity of the Community Foundation and numerous other individual, corporate, and foundation donors, HSSC can save these animals from suffering and give them the second chances they deserve. HSSC is one of 13 local animal welfare organizations that received grant funding from the Community Foundation through their annual grant cycle. Nearly $160,000 was awarded this year. In the last four years, Animal Welfare Grants have invested more than $721,000 in dozens of local nonprofit organizations working towards the betterment of animals in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, and DeSoto counties. About the Humane Society of Sarasota County: Founded in 1952, the Humane Society of Sarasota County is the area’s premier no-kill shelter. HSSC is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that is not affiliated with any other animal organization—local or national—and receives no government funding. Instead, HSSC relies solely on donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations to continue its mission to engage the hearts, hands, and minds of the community to help animals. Programs offered include pet adoptions, volunteer and foster opportunities, pet owner resources, pet therapy, and an affordable public animal clinic. The Humane Society of Sarasota County is located at 2331 15th Street, Sarasota, FL 34237. Adoption hours are Tuesday through Thursday 10am–6pm, Friday 12-7pm, and Saturday 10am–4pm. No appointment needed to adopt. For more information, please visit www.hssc.org or call 941-955-4131. About the Community Foundation of Sarasota County: The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is a public charity founded in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council as a resource for caring individuals and the causes they support, enabling them to make a charitable impact on the community. With assets of $488 million in more than 1,580 charitable funds, the Community Foundation awarded grants and scholarships totaling $40 million dollars last year in the areas of education, the arts, health and human services, civic engagement, animal welfare and the environment. Since its founding, the Community Foundation has been able to grant more than $435.8 million to area nonprofit organizations to our community thanks to the generosity of charitable individuals, families, and businesses. For more information, visit www.CFSarasota.org or call (941) 955-3000.