San Antonio Pets Alive! Receives $300,000 Grant from National Animal Welfare Organization Best Friends Animal Society

No-kill leader committed to helping San Antonio and San Antonio Pets Alive! reach their no-kill goal

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS (February 8, 2012) - San Antonio's newest high-volume pet partner, San Antonio Pets Alive! (SAPA!), has a new lifesaving partner in Best Friends Animal Society. The organization that runs the largest no-kill sanctuary in the country and operates life-saving animal welfare programs around the country has awarded SAPA! with a $300,000 grant to help the nonprofit reach their goal of at least 4,000 lives saved from Animal Care Services (ACS) in 2012.

A check presentation will be held at Animal Care Services (4710 State Highway 151) at 11 a.m. on Thursday, February 9 with special guests Gregory Castle, CEO of Best Friends Animal Society, Dr. Ellen Jefferson, executive director of San Antonio Pets Alive! and Eric Walsh, Deputy City Manager.

Last month, San Antonio City Council voted to approve a partnership between ACS and SAPA! that allows SAPA! staff and volunteers to work hand-in-hand with ACS to help increase the number of animals saved at the city shelter and engage the community to adopt, foster and volunteer.

"We are incredibly grateful for the support of such a high-profile organization in Best Friends Animal Society," said Dr. Ellen Jefferson, executive director of San Antonio Pets Alive! "With the help of their grant, we believe that we can go one step further than saving the 4,000 animals outlined in the city contract, and can actually save all salvageable pets in San Antonio this year. We've proven that no-kill is possible in Austin, and we know the same can happen here, making San Antonio the largest city in the U.S. to achieve no-kill."

SAPA! is confident they will be successful with this additional support, and is looking to the community to open their homes to just one more pet through adoption or fostering, as every life is counting on just one person to be a hero for them in the San Antonio community. The organization's new slogan is "What number hero will you be?" and they firmly believe that if enough heroes come forward to help, San Antonio can reach a no-kill status in 2012.

"At Best Friends, we envision a time when there will be no more homeless pets, when all companion animals can live their lives in peace, without fear of being euthanized in a shelter," said Gregory Castle, chief executive officer of Best Friends Animal Society. "We trust that our grant will not only get us a little closer to our mission-driven goal, but also go a long way toward helping the City of San Antonio blaze new trails in animal welfare and save more lives."

Additionally, to kick off the partnership and get an early start on a Valentine's Day celebration, ACS and SAPA! are hosting a "My Furry Valentine" adoption event beginning on Thursday, February 9 and going through Valentine's Day (Tuesday, February 14). All animals will be available for reduced adoption fees of $35 during the time period.

About San Antonio Pets Alive!

San Antonio Pets Alive! (an offshoot of Austin Pets Alive!) is a nonprofit organization of volunteers dedicated to promoting and providing the resources, education and programs needed to eliminate the killing of companion animals. The organization's purpose is two-fold: to provide the services needed to save the lives of the thousands of pets killed every year at city shelters and to prevent them from getting there in the first place. For more information, visit www.sanantoniopetsalive.org.

About Best Friends Animal Society®

Best Friends Animal Society is a nonprofit organization building no-kill programs and partnerships that will bring about a day when there are No More Homeless Pets®. The society's leading initiatives in animal care and community programs are coordinated from its Kanab, Utah, headquarters, the country's largest no-kill sanctuary. This work is made possible by the personal and financial support of a grassroots network of supporters and community partners across the nation.

To become a fan of Best Friends Animal Society on Facebook: //www.facebook.com/bestfriendsanimalsociety

To follow Best Friends on Twitter: //twitter.com/bestfriends

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