BY MADELINE ZUCKERMAN
Animal Samaritans was founded in 1978, with an urgent goal of helping to find a solution to the epidemic of shelter overcrowding and the unnecessary euthanasia of adoptable animals that resulted from it. The organization has compassion and respect for all living creatures, with a primary focus on dogs, cats, and the humans who love them. In their view, dogs and cats are not just animals – they are valued family members and as such, should be treated with care and respect. Animal Samaritans believes adoptable homeless dogs and cats deserve a chance at life and to live in a loving home, through its animal rescue, animal shelter, and pet adoption programs. Being pioneers in low-cost spay and neutering, Animal Samaritans today offers two State-of-the-Art Vet Clinics offering affordable pricing, because nothing can be scarier than when your family pet needs care and you may not be able to afford it! In addition to maintain affordable prices, Animal Samaritans provides Financial Aid to qualifying low-income pet owners, because they consider care of your animals to be their duty. From low-cost spay and neuter services to their two state-of-the-art nonprofit Veterinary Clinics, to their unique Humane Education and Animal Companion Therapy Programs, Animal Samaritans is not your average animal welfare organization.
“We believe that kindness to living beings is both innate and learned,” stated Tom Snyder, CEO of Animal Samaritans. “I am happy to report that our unique Humane Education Programs are helping create a new generation of kinder, more respectful citizens. We do not just save the lives of animals and provide them forever homes from our No-Kill Shelter. Our organization has dedicated staff who are stationed within local shelters that have not yet been able to institute no-kill policies. Our rescue efforts add capacity to the county shelter by recognizing and working to find safe haven for at-risk animals. In partnership with Riverside County Animal Shelter, we connect these animals with potential guardians and rescue groups. This program has been an enormous success, having saved more than 12,000 animals, and we have only just begun!” Snyder continued.
For 41 years, Animal Samaritans has believed in the healing power of animal-human connections! This is part of the reason why the organization’s relationships with their animal friends are so meaningful. These are bonds as strong as family, and at Animal Samaritans these bonds are honored as such. Because of this, Animal Samaritans
has created healing curricula that offers animal companionship as a form of treatment.
Some of the amazing and truly caring work this organization does includes:
FINDING FOREVER HOMES for the animals the staff has saved from Kill Shelters
The organization’s TWO VET CLINICS operate under a simple principle of Pets.Not.Profits. These Clinics are priced affordably and offer a wide range of standard animal care. Some of the many services these two Clinics offer include spay and neuter services, pet wellness exams, pet dental, micro-chipping, vaccinations, blow-out bars, etc.
THE HUMANE EDUCATION PROGRAM is based on a philosophy dedicated
to the principle of creating kinder communities through kindness to animals. Every year, Animal Samaritans educates more than 12,000 school children, and also provides summer camp for children who might not otherwise have opportunities to bond with animals
THE ANIMAL COMPANION THERAPY PROGRAM utilizes the healing power of animal-human connection
THE SILVER PAWS PROGRAM never gives up on an animal because it’s “too old”. Animal Samaritans values living beings in their later years of life, and makes a special effort for their care and to find them forever homes
Animal Samaritans’ three major fundraising events that support its programs and services for the upcoming season in the Desert include:
DECEMBER 8, 2019 – “MEN OF THE DESERT” FASHION SHOW & CHARITY LUNCHEON at Omni Rancho Las Palmas.
MARCH 22, 2020 – LE CHIEN EVENT AT FASHION WEEK EL PASE0
EARLY APRIL, 2020 – “OLD BAGS” LUNCHEON
WHY SUPPORT ANIMALS SAMARITANS
“We know you have many choices when it comes to how to invest your philanthropic dollars, and we take seriously the stewardship of your investment with our organization,” stated Tom Snyder. “According to the Better Business Bureau, the average charity spends 37 cents per dollar of its budget on administration and fundraising. At Animal Samaritans that number is close to10 cents on the dollar. This means the other 90 cents goes to our mission and services. This is just one of the reasons for more than four decades that Animal Samaritans is among Southern California’s most trusted animal welfare organizations,” Snyder continued.
Animal Samaritans is a 501 (c3) nonprofit and is Coachella Valley’s Lead Animal Welfare organization. The community-at-large can help support Animal Samaritans by donating today or by giving a gift from their estate, will, trust or other financial instrument.
For additional information on Animal Samaritans, please call 760-343-3477 or visit www.animalsamaritans.org
ANIMAL SAMARITANS story by Madeline Zuckerman. Ms. Zuckerman is Owner of Madeline Zuckerman Marketing & Public Relations, Inc., a full service Marketing Communications firm located in Rancho Mirage, California. She can be reached at 760-328-2880 or at Madeline@zuckerman-marketing.net
