(530) 343-7917 • 2579 Fair St. • Chico, CA
www.buttehumane.org / info@buttehumane.org
For Immediate Release: Contact: Robin Swanson
April 27, 2009 (916) 204-6890
BUTTE HUMANE SOCIETY EARNS 2nd PLACE IN NATIONAL ZOOTOO.COM COMPETITION; THANKS COMMUNITY FOR UNWAVERING SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGES CONTINUED INVOLVEMENT
CHICO – Butte Humane Society is proud of its 2nd place finish in the national Zootoo.com "shelter makeover" competition, winning a prize of $50,000 that will go toward shelter renovations that will help rescue more animals.
"We thank our supporters from the bottom of our hearts for their tireless efforts to bring attention to our shelter and to secure votes for us in the Zootoo.com competition," said Heather Schoeppach, BHS’ executive director. "We want everyone to know that this process has only just begun, and we intend to move forward with vast improvements to our shelter, working hand-in-hand with the community that helped propel us to this point."
"The Zootoo ‘grand prize’ is also dependent on community backing for the shelter makeover, and we have no doubt that with the outpouring of support we’ve seen over the past month, we will be able to create our own world-class shelter," she added.
BHS makeover priorities include repairing a leaky roof, improving ventilation, and adding more housing to meet the animals’ needs. With home foreclosures and fewer resources putting a huge strain on every community’s animal shelters, BHS’ 60 year-old facilities limit its ability to help more animals in the Butte County area and beyond. "We thank Zootoo.com for this amazing opportunity to draw attention to the needs of our shelter," Schoeppach said. "Now we must use this unprecedented awareness about the plight of homeless animals to our advantage so that we can expand and improve our shelter and our services."
During the Zootoo.com competition, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger acknowledged the hard work of Butte Humane Society and offered his support:
"I commend the Butte Humane Society for their compassionate, hard work in taking in more than 5,000 abandoned dogs and cats each year," said Schwarzenegger.
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