It Takes A Village Animal Rescue & Resources (ITAVARR) of Muscatine, Iowa has been awarded $30,000 in grants in the past month from the following organizations: Greater Good Charities, The Miccio Foundation, The Petfinder Foundation and The Best Friends Network. These awards will help support the organization’s newly-opened pet care pantry, waive adoption fees, provide training for staff, purchase equipment and support transfer partnerships.
Greater Good Charities awarded ITAVARR a GOODS grant, funded by donations from The Animal Rescue Site, to support the organization’s Pet Care Pantry. This in-kind award consists of pet care products including toys, treats, blankets, accessories, nail trimmers and enrichment items for pets. Jennifer DeFosse, Director of Public Relations for ITAVARR says, “Working with Greater Good Charities and The Animal Rescue Site is such an honor. These folks dedicate every day to saving animals all over the world and we’re incredibly grateful for their generosity. This grant is going to improve the lives of hundreds of local animals and their humans.”
The Miccio Foundation awarded ITAVARR two separate grants, one for the purchase of cat condominiums for the shelter and a Jean M. Walker grant that will fund continuing education for staff as well as the implementation of an enrichment program for the shelter’s animals. According to ITAVARR president, Meagan Koehler, “Enrichment programs play a vital role in providing mental and physical stimulation, reducing stress and promoting overall happiness for shelter animals. These enriching experiences help alleviate boredom, prevent behavioral issues, and increase their chances of successful adoption. The Miccio Foundation has supported us since day one and their help has been invaluable. We are grateful for their commitment to animals and for their support of these important programs.”
The Petfinder Foundation, in partnership with Kia, has awarded the organization a grant to waive adoption fees of dogs and cats who have been in the shelter for extended periods. “We believe that everyone who has love to offer a pet and wants to adopt should be able to. By waiving adoption fees, that’s one more barrier we’re removing to make pet ownership a reality for both humans and the animals desperate to find their forever homes,” says Koehler.
The Best Friends Network has awarded ITAVARR a grant to fund transport missions as well as funding for The Best Friends National Adoption Weekend event which happens June 30th-July 2nd, 2023. According to Koehler, “Best Friends is working incredibly hard to turn all of our country’s shelters into no-kill by 2025. Being able to partner with this organization and be a part of that positive, necessary change, is very rewarding. We’re proud to work with them to save more lives than ever.”
It Takes a Village Animal Rescue & Resources, a 501c3 organization, was founded in 2021. The Pet Care Pantry is open 7 days a week, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. ITAVARR asks that clients bring a clean, reusable container to take pet food home in. For press inquiries, please contact Jennifer DeFosse at [email protected]. To learn more about It Takes A Village Animal Rescue & Resources, visit www.facebook.com/ITAVARR and www.ittakesavillage.dog.
NOTIFICATION:
This content has been provided via press release or other notification systems to Discover Muscatine. It is being published as a resource for the Muscatine community and has not been vetted or edited by our staff. All questions regarding this content should be directed to the contributor, It Takes A Village Animal Rescue & Resources.
