American Humane Presents Busch Wildlife Sanctuary with Feed the Hungry Grant
Washington, D.C. – American Humane, the country’s first national humane organization, today announced that the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary received a grant from American Humane’s Feed the Hungry fund. Located in Jupiter, Florida, the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and conservation of Florida’s wildlife and natural resources.
“The very sad reality for shelters and rescue organizations today is that they are struggling to keep kibble in food bowls and litter in boxes,” said Dr. Robin Ganzert, president and CEO of American Humane. “We must take action to ensure organizations that are housing animals left by the wayside during this sweeping pandemic have the basic resources needed to ensure the safe and humane treatment of animals in their care. To stand by and do nothing during this time is unconscionable.”
Like every other business or organization in America, rescue shelters are struggling to maintain basic services and care for their animal residents in the face of the current worldwide pandemic. Thousands of animals are being left without homes and facilities are in desperate need of general supplies. In response to the overwhelming number of calls received from animal rescuers, shelters and first responders, American Humane launched the Feed the Hungry fund to feed and care for animals across the country who have been abandoned as a result of the coronavirus crisis. The fund seeks to raise much-needed resources to help shelters and rescue organizations that are not only struggling to keep the lights on, but also to keep critical supplies like food stocked.
“I really want to thank American Humane for their generous grant through the Feed the Hungry campaign,” said Amy Kight, Executive Director of Busch Wildlife Sanctuary. “Not only will that help us feed our permanently impaired resident educational ambassadors, but also all the animals that are coming to us in need. Since March 17, we have received over 450 sick, injured or orphaned wild animals that are native to the state of Florida. Without this kind of support, there is no way we can keep the doors open and keep taking care of them.”
The Busch Wildlife Sanctuary provides free comprehensive medical and rehabilitative care to almost 5,000 injured wild animals each year. Nearly 90 percent of the injuries treated at the wildlife hospital are directly related to man-made causes, which include collisions with automobiles, fishing line entanglement, electrocutions, illegal gunshots, poisonings and attacks by dogs and cats. The ultimate goal of the wildlife rescue program is to return recovered animals to their natural habitats to once again become an integral part of the environment. Former patients of the wildlife hospital that have suffered injuries too severe to allow them to return to the wild are provided with a refuge in which to live, where they now serve as ambassadors to the animal kingdom. In addition to its wildlife rehabilitation efforts, the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary annually offers community outreach programs to more than 125,000 children and adults. The sanctuary was selected as a recipient of the Feed the Hungry fund due to the impact it has made for the native wildlife in Florida.
To help shelters continue to save lives during this unprecedented crisis, consider donating today. Learn more at www.americanhumane.org/
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