5/5/07 PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Leora Levy, S.O.S Chairman, leora@kamberllc.com;
Allyson Halm, Greenwich’s Animal Control Officer, 203-622-8299;
Rick Larkin, Director of Development, 203-869-6786 ext. 328; or
York Baker, yorkbaker@sbcglobal.net


S.O.S
‘10 DAYS 10 WAYS’
To Support Building Greenwich’s New Animal Control Shelter

Greenwich, CT: A Paw Run/Tail Walk on Saturday, May 5, 2007 from 10:00 AM to noon kicks off the first event of Shelter Our Strays’ (S.O.S) ‘10 DAYS 10 WAYS’ - an officially declared ten days of awareness building and continued fundraising for Greenwich’s new Animal Control Shelter. The 3k run/walk for adults, children, and their pets will be held in Bruce Park, starting in the Bruce Museum parking lot. Several local firms are supporting the run/walk, including headline sponsor UBS FINANCIAL SERVICES OF GREENWICH, as well as many others such as WEBE 108, PET PANTRY WAREHOUSE, and the AMERICAN PET PRODUCTS MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION. Entry fees are $25 in advance ($35 at the door) for each adult, $10 for a child under 16 - and free for pets, of which all manner are welcome! Each entrant will receive a free t-shirt and goody bag, and each participating pet, a bandana. Food and drink will be available. Registration forms will be widely distributed at various stores and animal hospitals and available at the Bruce Museum, Greenwich Town Hall, and on both the Museum’s and Town of Greenwich’s website. This will be a wonderful day for all the family and their honored pets.

The culmination of S.O.S’s ten days of fundraising is a Cocktail Reception and Silent Auction on Tuesday, May 15, 2007, from 6:30-9:00 PM at the Bruce Museum. The event is sponsored by the Board of Trustees of the Bruce Museum and by UBS FINANCIAL SERVICES OF GREENWICH. At this important fundraising event, S.O.S will honor Donna and Fred Nives with the First S.O.S Award. The Nives are co-founders of Adopt-a-Dog and have dedicated the last 25 years to rescuing animals nationwide with an emphasis on the Greenwich community. Tickets are available for this event from the Bruce Museum, 203-869-6789, ext. 328.

During S.O.S’s ‘10 Days 10 Ways,’ there will be various fundraising and awareness events in the Greenwich community, including an Open House at Greenwich Animal Control in partnership with Adopt-a-Dog on May 12, 2007, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.. Come see for yourself why Greenwich needs a new animal shelter, and perhaps one of the lovely animals needing a new home will be just the one for you and your family! For information on this event and all others, please see the Town of Greenwich’s and Bruce Museum’s website.

WHO WE ARE:
S.O.S is a group of committed animal lovers organized under the aegis of the Bruce Museum. Funds raised for the new Shelter are covered under the Museum's not-for-profit status and 501(c)3. The Town of Greenwich has allocated land for the Shelter and will oversee the construction. The Bruce Museum has committed to raising $750,000. S.O.S is in its second year of fundraising and has already raised $370,000.

Greenwich’s Animal Control Shelter is in unacceptable condition with inadequate heating, no air-conditioning, poor ventilation and inadequate storage. It is only because of the dedication of Allyson Halm, Animal Control Officer, and her staff that the Shelter has been held together for so long.

Halm says: “The new Shelter will be more than just a ‘dog pound’ – it will be a humane Shelter for any lost or abandoned animal needing our assistance. Greenwich’s Animal Control has always helped domestic animals – including horses - and all manner of wildlife from swans to mice needing to be rescued. The new building will enable us at last to properly handle the needs of all the animals entrusted to our care.”

Animal Control is state-regulated and is under far stricter guidelines than any non-profit animal shelter. The new Shelter will be built to the latest stringent state and national standards. It will be clean, modern, and have proper storage facilities. It will have 20 cat condos, 12 kennels and runs, as well as an examining and grooming room. It will be a shelter of which Greenwich can be proud!

Donations of all sizes are welcome and private contributions can be used to honor loved ones by sponsoring everything from interior building tiles for $100 to the Adoption Room for $15,000. For $250,000 the Animal Control Shelter could be named for a person, friend, or pet of one’s choice. Contribution forms are on the Town of Greenwich’s website from the Animal Control department, as well as from the Bruce Museum, 203-869-6786 ext. 328. Checks can be sent to S.O.S, Bruce Museum, One Museum Drive, Greenwich, CT 06830-7100.

===============================================================
Please send your comments and press releases to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com