$100,000 Gift is Part of Ongoing Commitment to Pets Alive Animal Sanctuary

[Middletown, N.Y. CA/USA – Nov. 30, 2009] Pets Alive, one of the nation’s oldest no-kill animal sanctuaries, will keep on saving unwanted pets with a $100,000 gift from Sidewalk Angels Foundation.

Matchbox Twenty singer Rob Thomas and his wife Marisol started the foundation to raise money for worthy causes. Sidewalk Angels has so far donated almost half a million dollars to Pets Alive (http://www.petsalive.com) to help the organization save abandoned and unwanted animals.

 “We can attribute a good part of our success to the support of Sidewalk Angels and Rob and Marisol Thomas,” says Matt DeAngelis, Executive Co-Director of Pets Alive. “We are fortunate that they have been involved with Pets Alive all these years and are grateful for their support on projects like GiveaDog.org, our socially responsible pet gift for the holidays.”

GiveADog.org (http://www.giveadog.org) allows people to give their loved ones the gift of a dog without the responsibility of feeding, walking, and cleaning up after a dog. Pets Alive gives recipients regular updates on their dogs through email, custom Web pages and even video.

Rob and Marisol Thomas started volunteering at Pets Alive about six years ago and adopted their beloved dog Tyler from the sanctuary. Tyler recently passed away but the couple’s love for Pets Alive continues, says Kerry Clair, who serves as Executive Co-Director with DeAngelis.

“Rob and Marisol have not only given us their money, but they have given us their hearts, and we appreciate that very much,” Clair says.

Their fans have donated over $6,000 to Pets Alive in Tyler’s memory, Clair says. The sanctuary plans to renovate its outdoor dog area and rename it “Camp Tyler” with that money. Marisol also serves on the Pets Alive board and her parents volunteer at the shelter.

 The most recent $100,000 donation from Sidewalk Angels Foundation will go towards Pets Alive’s annual operating budget of about $400,000, Clair says. The sanctuary saved a record 1,000 unwanted animals last year, and is on track to save a similar number this year.

 “Each year we raise about half of what we need. Sidewalk Angels gets us through the rest of the year,” Clair says. “Without them we would have been forced to shut our doors twice already.”

 Founded 30 years ago by animal lover Sara Whalen, Pets Alive rescues animals from New York and across the United States. The sanctuary also takes animals from other shelters that might otherwise be killed, with a focus on animals that have been abused, neglected or have special needs.