MIDDLEBURG – Safe Animal Shelter received a $20,000 grant investment from national nonprofit Petco Love to support their lifesaving work for pets in Clay County and Northeast Florida.

Petco Love is a national nonprofit that is leading change for pets by harnessing the power of love to make communities and pet families closer, more substantial, and healthier. Since its founding in 1999, Petco Love has invested nearly $400 million in adoption and other lifesaving efforts. Petco Love helps find loving homes for pets in partnership with Petco and more than 4,000 organizations — like ours — across North America, with more than 6.9 million pets adopted and counting.

“Our investment in Safe Animal Shelter is part of more than $12 million in investments recently announced by Petco Love to power local organizations across the country as part of our commitment to create a future in which no pet is unnecessarily euthanized,” said Susanne Kogut, president of Petco Love. “Our local investments are only part of our strategy to empower animal lovers to drive lifesaving change alongside us. We launched Petco Love Lost, a free national lost and found database that uses patented photo-matching technology to simplify searching for lost pets.”

“Thanks to the incredible support of Petco Love, we’ve been able to transform our front play yard into a much more functional space,” said Safe’s Executive Director Sandy Summerton. “What was once a single yard is now three separate play areas, each enclosed by a secure six-foot fence.

“This renovation has been a game-changer, allowing more of our dogs to enjoy outdoor time simultaneously and allowing the public to see them in a fun, playful setting instead of confined to kennels.

“Outdoor time is so important for the well-being of our dogs. It gives them a chance to stretch, socialize, and simply be dogs. While they're in the yards, we also work with them on basic commands and provide opportunities for free play, which helps enrich their lives and prepares them for adoption.

“Thank you, Petco Love, for helping us create a brighter, more engaging environment for our furry friends!”

Safe Animal Shelter is a nonprofit organization working to reduce the number of cats and dogs euthanized in Clay and Duval counties and Northeast Florida.

Safe Animal Shelter became Clay County’s first no-kill shelter in 1991 to provide housing for more homeless pets until they could find a forever home.

Since its inception, it has provided loving care to more than 27,000 cats and dogs until they were adopted into loving homes. In 2024, it accepted 1,918 dogs and cats and found homes for 1,914.

For more information about Safe Animal Shelter, visit safeanimalshelter.com, or follow them on Facebook and Instagram. To learn more about Petco Love, visit petcolove.org.