Karyle Steele
2020 was probably the most challenging year in our nine-year history as the Network.
SaddleBrooke Pet Rescue Network (SPRN) lost the income of all major fundraising efforts; however, we were able to maintain and add to our membership, and there was also an increase in individual donations to help offset this loss.
SPRN assisted 41 pets at a cost of $4,003 with an additional $2,900 sent directly to veterinary clinics to offset medical care expenses. We assisted in the placement of over 20 pets through adoptions or re–homing. SPRN also made a $2,000 contribution to buy a dental cleaning machine for Pinal County Animal Care and Control. It has been our goal to establish strong relationships with Friends of PCACC and several rescue groups that are pulling pets from PCACC. These steps have contributed to our commitment to strengthen the support for our own county, Pinal.
We announced the startup of the new Angel Program at our membership coffee meeting this past spring. This program was established to direct donations to special needs situations, which required more financial aid than we, as a Network, could provide. We have used it selectively but with good results.
This year is the fifth anniversary of the First Friday in-kind donation program. It has been such a huge success that it had to be changed from a pickup to drop off program to improve efficiencies. We now take in-kind donations on the first Friday of each month at the SaddleBrooke One bocce ball court parking lot between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. This year SPRN has collected and distributed over $38,000 worth of pet food and supplies to the different rescue groups in our area and over $8,000 worth of towels to Pima Animal Care Center. We have also contributed bags full of empty, clean prescription containers weekly to PACC and other shelters.
SPRN had its first Pet Food Drive in October for Pets in Need Action League, and what a success it was. At this event, we were able to collect enough to fill both a pick-up truck and SUV for distribution to over 200 families in Pinal County that would have had to surrender their pets without this group providing the necessary pet food to keep them in their homes.
SPRN would not have been able to aid so many homeless pets without your unwavering support. We look forward to celebrating our 10th year anniversary in 2021. SPRN will work hard to stretch every dollar for the good of the pets and ensure that all items donated go to the pets in need.
The SaddleBrooke Pet Rescue Network Board: Carol Merlini, Doris Tassin, Karen Brooks, and Karyle Steele.