(Lawrenceville, Ga., Sept. 05, 2019) – Best Friends Animal Society has awarded Gwinnett County Animal Welfare and Enforcement Division a $50,000 grant to help keep animals out of the shelter and in loving homes.

The grant aims to manage and ultimately decrease the number of shelter intakes by at least 20 percent in 2019 – 2020. Many people surrender their pets for financial reasons – an inability to pay for food, veterinary care or even leashes. The $50,000 Best Friends grant will be used to help operate a new mobile unit that will remotely perform vaccinations, spay/neutering, microchips and provide educational assistance that will encourage people to keep their pets.

“We’ll find out what services or resources they need to ensure their dog or cat stays with them,” said Alan Davis, Animal Welfare and Enforcement Division director. “We anticipate that providing these services to those who might not otherwise have access to basic veterinary resources will create a healthier environment for pets and families while reducing the number of calls and intakes from these neighborhoods.”

Davis said the money will provide a big boost to the Animal Welfare outreach program.

“We’re very excited and grateful to receive this grant,” Davis said. “This is the biggest grant Gwinnett Animal Welfare has ever received.”

The funding will allow Animal Welfare staff and volunteers to canvass targeted neighborhoods in Snellville, Lawrenceville and Norcross and assist families thinking of surrendering their pet to the county.

Carrie Ducote, senior manager for the Southeast Region of Best Friends Animal Society, said Gwinnett was chosen because it has a high adoption rate and this new community outreach program will benefit even more animals and families in Gwinnett and possibly beyond.

“We wanted to help start this program from the ground up,” Ducote said. “Once this is up and running, Gwinnett can then teach other shelters how to save more animals.”

Gwinnett Animal Welfare anticipates receiving about 7,100 animals in 2019. It typically adopts out about 96 percent of the animals it receives, one of the highest rates in the Southeast.

Best Friends Animal Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting pet adoptions and no-kill animal rescue, and spay and neuter practices.

Please visit the Gwinnett County Animal Welfare at Facebook.com/GwinnettAnimalShelter or the Animal Welfare webpage at www.GwinnettAnimalWelfare.com to view a video about the program or to learn information including available pets, adoption specials and events.

Gwinnett Animal Welfare is located at 884 Winder Highway in Lawrenceville.