St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana (January 10-14, 2023) – We’re excited to announce that $100,000 in funding provided by RedRover ($20,000) and Greater Good Charities ($80,000) will enable Big Sky CARES (Community Animal Resources and Education Services) Animal Shelter and Farm to expand their space to welcome MORE animal victims of domestic abuse. The shelter renovation is taking place January 5 to 20.
Rescue Rebuild, a program of Greater Good Charities, and RedRover are providing hands-on support creating a dedicated space to house these animals. The Rescue Rebuild team lends their expertise in repair and renovation to domestic violence, homeless, and animal shelters in need across the nation.
“I am touched and grateful beyond words,” said Catherine Wilbert, founder and CEO of Big Sky CARES. “This is such an amazing opportunity to help so many, at a time when the need is so great, and resources are so limited!!!”
RedRover President and CEO Nicole Forsyth said, “Louisiana has suffered tremendous losses between Hurricane Ida and the pandemic – limiting housing options for survivors and their pets to safely escape abuse. We are proud our grants can help Big Sky CARES greatly expand housing so they can welcome more survivors’ pets.”
The shelter renovation includes:
- Building three new private spaces
- One space will house dog kennels – each kennel will have an attached pet relief area outside that pets can access via a security pet door. The teams will build a privacy fence to shield the outdoor dog runs from view. A play yard containing enrichment equipment will also be a new addition, and will be enclosed with a privacy fence.
- One space will include four smaller cat rooms – each of the rooms will be filled with enrichment equipment such as climbing trees and shelving, have an attached outdoor catio with access for cats via a security pet door.
- One space will be a visitation room where survivors and their pets can spend time healing together.
“Big Sky CARES has been a vital piece of our GOODS Program for many years by helping us to amplify the good in eastern Louisiana through pet food and product distributions, said Bryna Donnelly, Vice President of Pet Programs for Greater Good Charities. “Our Rescue Rebuild team is excited to help them, through this grant, to create the infrastructure needed to expand how they serve their community.”
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About RedRover
RedRover is a 501(c)(3) national animal welfare nonprofit. Since 1987, RedRover has focused on bringing animals out of crisis and strengthening the human-animal bond through emergency sheltering, disaster relief services, financial assistance, and education. Since 2012, RedRover has awarded 185 grants to domestic violence and animal shelters in 46 states, totaling more than $3 million and providing more than 443,000 safe nights for pets. Additionally, Safe Housing grants have created the first pet-friendly domestic violence shelter in 10 states! RedRover has earned a coveted 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator. To learn how RedRover is creating a more compassionate world, visit RedRover.org.
About Greater Good Charities
Greater Good Charities is a 501(c)(3) global nonprofit organization that works to help people, pets, and the planet by mobilizing in response to need and amplifying the good. Greater Good Charities, with a 100/100 rating on Charity Navigator, has provided more than $475 million in impact, including cash grants, in-kind supplies, and programmatic support, to charitable partners in 121 countries since 2007. To learn more about how Greater Good Charities is amplifying the good across the globe, please visit greatergood.org or follow Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok.
About Big Sky CARES
The organization known to many as Big Sky Ranch/CATNIP Foundation is now Big Sky CARES (Community Animal Resources and Education Services). The name change reflects the organization’s growth since its founding 10 years ago. Today, Big Sky operations encompass two facilities and more than a dozen programs aimed at keeping animals out of shelters. In 2021, Big Sky’s efforts touched more than 3,000 owned and unowned animals in need.