Title Sponsor Provides Pet Food Donation from Coast to Coast
Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. (Oct. 6, 2021) – The first week of October officially marks the kick-off of the 23rd Annual Home for the Holidays campaign, sponsored by Blue Buffalo. For the fourth year in a row, the big-hearted pet food company is providing animal rescue organizations and shelters on both coasts of the country a very special holiday gift by unloading a massive amount of free pet food in San Diego and New York City. At the same time, Naturally Fresh will also provide free pallets of their premium kitten litter. The media is invited to attend on Friday, Oct. 8, between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., as representatives from west coast animal groups pick up the high-quality food and litter for shelter pets in their care.
Founded by Helen Woodward Animal Center in 1999, the Home 4 the Holidays campaign has helped place more than 18 million pets (from more than 4,000 participating global rescue partners) into loving homes. The program seeks to encourage families to find their four-legged family members at a shelter, rather than a pet store or breeder, during the holiday season when more families choose to bring home a new pet than any other time of the year.
Blue Buffalo has supported Helen Woodward Animal Center’s holiday campaign since 2013. Last year, Home 4 the Holidays resulted in more than 1.2 million dogs and cats united with loving families.
“Blue Buffalo is fueled by our mission to love pets like family and feed them like family,” said Tom Morton, VP Brand Marketing for Blue Buffalo. “There are so many lovable dogs and cats in rescues and shelters waiting for homes where they will be embraced as family. Let’s make it a happy holiday for all and choose adoption.”
Many animal welfare organizations struggle with limited funding and hungry mouths to feed, while juggling budgets with supply costs and medical expenses. The COVID-19 pandemic placed an even greater financial strain on rescue facilities that depend on donations for much of their limited income. The Coast-to-Coast Blue Buffalo Food Drop helps takes a big bite out of the financial strain; enabling shelters to focus on matching pets with loving families. Blue Buffalo is delivering several truckloads of food to Helen Woodward Animal Center and the Center’s partner, Paws Crossed Animal Rescue in New York. The much-needed holiday meals will be distributed to pet rescues within those regions. Locally, those groups include; Lionel’s Legacy, Second Chance Dog Rescue, Volunteers in Defense of Animals (VIDA), Rescue House, Spay and Neuter Action Project (SNAP), SPOT and many others.
“Blue Buffalo is not only wonderful food and treats for pets,” stated Helen Woodward Animal Center VP of Development Renee Resko, “the company is also an incredible supporter of animal adoption and rescue facilities all over the country. Each year they are the engine behind the push to promote adoption during the holiday season. This gift of free food is an incredible bonus to rescue facilities that really need it.”
Helen Woodward Animal Center wants to continue to encourage rescue organizations to up their adoption efforts during the holiday season, when more families opt to bring home a new pet. For the third year, the Center is offering $25,000 and a custom kennel courtesy Horizon Structures to the rescue organization that develops the most creative promotion to increase adoptions.
There are many ways to get involved in the Blue Buffalo Home 4 the Holidays campaign including adopting and encouraging friends to adopt and then showing the world your newly adopted best friend by posting a photo at https://animalcenter.org/home-4-the-holidays/contest, or sharing on Twitter or Instagram with #IChoseToRescue and tagging @hwac and @bluebuffalo. For more information about the campaign or to find participating local shelters and rescues groups, go to https://animalcenter.org/home-4-the-holidays.
The media is invited to join us on Friday, Oct. 8th, between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00, as local rescue groups arrive in shifts to pick up the generous Blue Buffalo food donation at Helen Woodward Animal Center. Media with questions, please contact Helen Woodward Animal Center PR Director Jessica Gercke at (858) 756-4117 x335 or jessicag@animalcenter.org, or Helen Woodward Animal Center PR Manager Fernanda Lopez at (858) 756-4117 x379 or fernandal@animalcenter.org.
For information on Helen Woodward Animal Center, call 858-756-4117, visit www.animalcenter.org or stop by at 6461 El Apajo Road, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067.