news
Jeff Mann
Save a Pet, Vote BARC
Aug 09, 2012A new contest is giving Brooklyn Animal Resource Coalition (BARC) a chance at a $10,000 grant provided they get enough votes from their North Brooklyn neighbors. Last month, GOOD and Purina ONE announced that they had teamed up on the Shine a Light on a Shelter challenge and asked the public to submit a story describing how a local shelter was going above and beyond to make a difference, and why that shelter should receive the grant.
After a submission from a still anonymous neighbor, BARC became one of only 40 shelters nationwide to be part of the contest. Voting for the winner began on Monday, August 6th and will end on August 20th. The shelter with the most votes will win the money, and the person who submitted their story a one year supply of Purina ONE pet food and a one year subscription to GOOD magazine.
According to BARC’s Robert Vazquez, a $10,000 grant would help them get more cages, fix their roof and install a new ventilation system for the dogs and cats. The no kill shelter, which has been serving North Brooklyn since 1987, relies heavily on volunteers and private donations to carry on their mission of caring for animals and helping them find permanent homes. Over the years, they have been fortunate to gain some well-known benefactors, including entertainers Bernadette Peters and Matt and Kim and investment bank Goldman Sachs. However, even with that high-powered help, “when you run a shelter like this and you want to rescue a lot of dogs, it can cost a lot,” said Vazquez.
The contest sponsors have made one of their goals to change the public’s perception of shelter pets. According to GOOD Maker general manager Jennifer Chiou, the contest “is shining a light on innovative shelters that are doing more than just providing care – they are changing peoples’ perception of shelter pets from pity to praise as they find these loving animals forever families.”
To vote for BARC and to see all the competing shelters, visit http://purina.maker.good.is/. Visit http://purina.maker.good.is/projects/BARCshelter to view BARC’s profile and post comments about the shelter.
