by Alisia Sanchez,
Valley Animal Center Marketing Manager

Every year, Valley Animal Center welcomes hundreds of dogs and cats into their care, all rescued from local animal control agencies or surrendered by their owners. During “kitten season,” their staff members, volunteers, and foster parents also work to save the lives of innocent kittens. With funds raised through their annual fundraising campaign, “Pennies for Pets,” the nonprofit no-kill shelter can lay the foundation for the impact it can have on the community every year.

“It’s very important for us to raise funds as spring approaches,” Valley Animal Center Marketing Manager Alisia Sanchez said. “This year, we hope to rescue 300 kittens, which would require more than $85,000 to prepare them for adoption. With funds donated to our “Pennies for Pets” campaign, we can give many dogs and cats a second chance at furever homes and save the lives of hundreds of innocent kittens this year.”

Their goal last year was to raise $50,000, and with a $50,000 matching donor, they were able to raise a little over $100,000. This year, their goal is to raise $100,000 and donations made in March will be matched up to $46,000.

To help them reach their goal, Valley Animal Center is bringing back their Change Collection Days, and the public is welcome to visit them at any one of the following intersections in Fresno or Clovis to donate their spare change. All Change Collection Days are from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with the exception of March 31. On that day, they will be on location from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.

• March 11 at Herndon & Riverside Dr.
• March 11 at Shaw & Palm
• March 18 at Shaw & Fresno St.
• March 18 at Shaw & Clovis Ave.
• March 25 at Willow & Herndon
• March 25 at Cedar & Ashlan
• March 31 at Blackstone & El Paso
• March 31 at Cedar & Shepherd

“Of course, all Change Collection Days are subject to change,” Sanchez said. “It all depends if we have enough volunteers signed up to help us collect change. For those who’d love to help us, they may head to valleyanimal.org/volunteer to sign up for any of the above dates. We welcome volunteers under 18 with a parent or guardian, and you do not have to attend a volunteer orientation. We will have you sign an Event Volunteer Form the day of the event.”

Those interested in donating to their Pennies for Pets fundraising campaign, may visit their website at valleyanimal.org or visit their admin office at 3934 N. Hayston in Fresno, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The last day to donate to the fundraiser is March 31.

Editor’s note from VAC: We’ve made the difficult decision to cancel all our change collection days due to unforeseen circumstances.

Website: www.valleyanimal.org
Email: info@valleyanimal[dot]org
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Check out more animal rescue stories in our Pet Perspective section & watch for more stories from Valley Animal Center every month, and we would love to have you join our KRL Pets Facebook group.