Grant of $20,000 will help save more pet lives in Citrus County, FL

Newly Named Petco Love Invests in Lifesaving Work of Citrus County Animal Services

Citrus County Animal Services announced today a $20,000 grant investment from the newly named Petco Love, to support the lifesaving work done through their pet retention program which provides supplies, medical treatment, and other services for animals in Citrus 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 Citrus County Animal Services and hundreds of other organizations as part of our commitment to create a future in which no pet is unnecessary 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.”

“This lifesaving investment will allow us to help more pet families stay together and strengthen the human-animal bond by helping owners provide necessary care that may not otherwise be feasible due to hardships. This will help keep pets out of the shelter and in their loving homes,” said Colleen Yarbrough, Director of Citrus County Animal Services.

Citrus County Animal Services is an open-admission shelter that takes in approximately 5,000 animals annually, regardless of capacity or reason for surrender. The nonprofit organization is the only animal shelter serving Citrus County. Since 2019, Citrus County Animal Services has increased lifesaving measures to achieve a release rate of over 90% for both dogs and cats.

For more information about Citrus County Animal Services, visit www.citrusbocc.com/departments/community_services/animal_services or call (352) 746-8400. To learn more about Petco Love, visit petcolove.org.

About Citrus County Animal Services

Citrus County Animal Services is the County’s only animal shelter. The open-admission shelter takes in approximately 5,000 animals annually regardless of capacity or reason for surrender. The shelter staff and its volunteers work tirelessly to find these animals loving and forever homes. Citrus County Animal Services relies heavily on the help of staff and volunteers to extend its resources and budget. Volunteers perform tasks such as dog walking, cat cuddling, grooming, cleaning kennels, dishes and laundry, data entry, receptionist duties, photography, animal fostering, obedience training and adoption outreach events, just to name a few.

In addition to animal sheltering, the shelter offers low-cost vaccination clinics to allow citizens to provide basic wellness care to their pets and encourages compliance with state and local laws. Microchipping and heartworm testing is offered in this clinic service. Lastly, the Animal Services staff is responsible for maintaining a Pet-Friendly Evacuation shelters in the event of a declared emergency or disaster.

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  or follow at Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to be part of the lifesaving work we’re leading every day.