The Pet Rescue Center Receives $5,000 Grant from the Petco Foundation

The Pet Rescue Center has received a $5,000 Grant from the Petco Foundation for their Rescue.Rehab.Rehome program. The Mission Viejo-based non-profit saves dogs and cats from local high-kill animal shelters and other at-risk situations, providing them a veterinarian-supervised temporary sanctuary, while working to find them adoptive families.

“We are honored to have received this grant award from the Petco Foundation,” explained Jan Henry, Director of Development for The Pet Rescue Center. “We appreciate all that the Petco Foundation does to support animal rescue throughout the county and will use these funds to rescue more pets, create more families, and save more lives.”

With their Rescue.Rehab.Rehome program, The Pet Rescue Center networks with veterinarians, shelters, rescue groups, and the community throughout all of California, to rescue dogs and cats from situations that without their intervention would result in the unnecessary euthanasia of that pet. They personally tour and search out shelters that euthanize due to over-crowding; these dogs and cats sometimes have merely 4 days to find a family before their time is up. They seek out these pets through personal trips to the shelters, email warnings for at-risk dogs and cats, and special requests by other rescue groups to work cooperatively to save these adoptable and loveable pets.

Once rescues are brought to The PRC facility, their Veterinarian and Operations Director RVT thoroughly examine the dog or cat for any medical, behavioral, aesthetic, or social problems that will need rehabilitation during his/her stay with them. The duration of stay for each rescued dog and cat is determined by the severity of the pet’s rehabilitation, spay/neuter, vaccination, flea treatment, and micro-chipping needs. Once a rescue is ready adoption, they work tirelessly to find that dog or cat a forever family though social media, adoption websites, meet and greets, and adoption events. 

The Pet Rescue, co- founded by Blythe and Dr. Matthew Wheaton of Alicia Pet Care Center in 2007, also provides educational resources, has a community outreach program, and stocks a Pet Pantry that distributes free pet food and cat litter for seniors and unemployed pet owners to keep pets in their homes. 

To date, The Pet Rescue Center has successfully saved and adopted out almost 700 dogs and cats from possible death. Some of these animals needed major medical treatment, and all of the dogs and cats were spayed or neutered, micro-chipped, dewormed, flea treated, and fully vaccinated prior to being made available for adoption. The Petco Foundation grant funds will help cover a portion of these pre-adoption expenses for animals saved during the coming months.

About The Pet Rescue Center

The Pet Rescue Center, located inside Alicia Pet Care Center in Mission Viejo, is a 501c3 non-profit organization that rescues, rehabilitates, and re-homes pets saved from euthanasia at high-kill shelters and other at-risk situations. These pets are provided with a veterinarian-supervised, temporary sanctuary, while The Pet Rescue Center works to find an adopting family for them. To view their adoptable pets, to volunteer, or to make a donation, please visit them online at www.thepetrescuecenter.org or call 877.277.7938.

About Petco and the Petco Foundation

Petco is a leading pet specialty retailer that focuses on nurturing the powerful relationship between people and pets. We do this by providing the products, services, advice and experiences that keep pets physically fit, mentally alert, socially engaged and emotionally happy. Everything we do is guided by our vision for Healthier Pets. Happier People. Better World. We operate more than 1,250 stores nationwide and in Puerto Rico, including more than 80 Unleashed by Petco locations, a smaller format neighborhood shop; nine Pooch Hotel destinations for pet daycare, boarding and spa services; and petco.com. The Petco Foundation, an independent nonprofit organization, has raised more than $115 million since it was created in 1999 to help promote and improve the welfare of companion animals. In conjunction with the Foundation, we work with and support thousands of local animal welfare groups across the country and, through in-store adoption events, help find homes for more than 350,000 animals every year.