Tarrytown Animal Shelter Receives $5,000 Donation from Pharmaceutical Company

Tarrytown-based animal shelter Southern Comfort Animal Rescue announced on July 9 it had received a $5,000 donation from the Virbac Group’s Every Pet Project in May.

According to Virbac’s media contact Lacey Fielder, the corporation’s donation to Southern Comfort Animal Rescue is “double the amount the program typically awards based on nominations each month.” The donation amount increased due to Virbac’s commemoration of $500,000 donated to United States animal charities through the Every Pet Project.

“This milestone belongs to the organizations out there doing the hard work – the shelters, the

rescues, the nonprofits, the clinics and the volunteers showing up every day to give animals a

second chance,” said Virbac’s president and CEO Giovanni Abruzzini in a July 9 press release. “Every Pet Project exists to support that work, and $500,000 proves how small investments can make a big difference.”

Each month, the Every Pet Project draws names of no-kill, 501(c)3 registered animal charities which have been nominated for the program and donates $2,500 towards them. According to the project’s online nomination page, a charity can be nominated on multiple days to increase its chances of receiving the donation.

The Every Pet Project has supported the Tarrytown nonprofit and nine other Georgia animal charities since it launched in 2020. The endeavor has since expanded to support “198 charities across 45 states and receiving more than 150,000 nominations.”

“As animal charities continue to face resource constraints, programs like Every Pet Project provide meaningful financial support that helps bridge the gap between clinical care and community need,” wrote Virbac in the press release.

Tarrytown’s Southern Comfort Animal Shelter was one of the two charities selected for the increased donation, alongside BAGS Basset Rescue in Minerva, Ohio.

Southern Comfort Animal Shelter is a dog-focused nonprofit “dedicated to saving the lives of abused, abandoned, and unwanted companion animals in rural Georgia,” according to the nonprofit’s website. The Tarrytown location works in conjunction with a foster network in New Jersey, where president and CEO Scott Bennett transports rescued animals once per month to be placed in foster care and adoption.

In addition to rescuing animals, the shelter also performs community outreach to “to raise awareness about the plight of homeless animals and the importance of spaying, neutering and heartworm prevention.”

The Virbac Group is an animal pharmaceutical company which develops care, nutrition and hygiene products for veterinarians, farmers and pet owners, with a focus on animal pathologies. 

“Our purpose: advancing the health of animals with those who care for them every day, so we can all live better together,” said the company in the release.