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After being ravaged by Hurricane Dorian, the most intense tropical cyclone on record to strike the Bahamas and the worst natural disaster in the country’s history, the Humane Society of Grand Bahama is getting an incredible and much-needed makeover.
Last September, Hurricane Dorian landed on the Eastern side of Grand Bahama Island with 185 mph winds. It stalled over the island, adding 36 inches of rain to the already tremendous amount of damage from the wind and storm surge. During the storm, the Humane Society of Grand Bahama took on approximately 12 feet of water in all four of its buildings and approximately 50% of the building interior was destroyed. While shelter staff and some animals narrowly escaped the flooded shelter, 90 animals perished in the devastating storm.
Now, Rescue Rebuild, a community-driven animal shelter renovation program of GreaterGood.org, joined forces with PetSmart Charities to give a makeover to the 50-year-old shelter, which serves more than 1,400 animals annually and is the only animal welfare organization on the island.
To date, PetSmart Charities has donated more than $10 million in grant support to GreaterGood.org’s disaster relief efforts and lifechanging programs, that have provided pet food, pet supplies and monetary aid to millions of people and pets impacted by food insecurity and natural disasters. The HSGB makeover is made possible by a generous $225,000 grant by PetSmart Charities.
“We are grateful for our partnership with PetSmart Charities to help the Humane Society of Grand Bahama get back to a safe working environment for their staff and animals,” said Liz Baker, CEO of GreaterGood.org. “After Hurricane Dorian, shelter operations were crippled, decreasing adoptions by 80% a month. This renovation, which is a huge undertaking, will help the animal shelter return to its normal adoption volume of 100 pets a month.”
“The devastation from Hurricane Dorian is immense, and we know the continued need for support of recovery and relief efforts is equally as great,” said Lindsay Del Chiaro, director of community relations and programs at PetSmart Charities. “As an organization that is committed to supporting pets and the people who love them, we are proud to join Rescue Rebuild’s efforts to restore the Humane Society of Grand Bahama’s shelter for the pets and people of Grand Bahama who depend on this vital community resource. Through our longstanding partnership with both GreaterGood.org and Rescue Rebuild, it is our hope this work continues to help pets in need.”
The Rescue Rebuild team will travel to HSGB in February 2020 with a staff of six and enlist volunteers from around the country to clean out and rebuild the facility. The renovation will last two weeks and includes removing large amounts of debris, fencing repair, installing sunshades, installing drywall, doors and molding on the interior.
Due to the depth of the destruction of HSGB, this is only phase one of a two-part renovation that will be completed beginning March 7th.
About Rescue Rebuild
Rescue Rebuild is a shelter renovation program of GreaterGood.org that recruits volunteers from all over the country to help animal shelters in need. The organization travels to selected shelters in need to complete general repairs and renovations.
About GreaterGood.org
GreaterGood.org is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that works to improve the health and well-being of people, pets, and the planet. Over the last 12 years, GreaterGood.org has given over $250 million in cash and in-kind grants to over 3,000 charitable partners worldwide. To learn more, visit GreaterGood.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
About PetSmart Charities®
PetSmart Charities, Inc. is committed to finding lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. Through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart® stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities helps to find forever homes and families for more than 600,000 shelter pets each year. PetSmart Charities also provides grant funding to nonprofits aligned with its mission. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities using the PIN pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores. In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses more than 90 cents of every dollar donated to fulfill its role as the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, granting more than $390 million since its inception in 1994. Independent from PetSmart Inc., PetSmart Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization that has received the Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator, a third-party organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, for the past 16 years in a row – placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization. To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org.
