Coastal Pet Rescue Calls On Community To Vote For Group In Efforts To Win $10k From Care2

(Savannah, GA) - January 27, 2009

Coastal Pet Rescue has the opportunity to win $10,000 with local community support in the “America’s Favorite Animal Shelter – A New Year of Hope for Animals” contest sponsored by Care2.com and Adopt-a-Pet.com. Voters’ favorite local animal shelter or rescue group will win the grand prize, which will go a long way to help Coastal Pet Rescue to change lives of homeless pets in the Savannah and Lowcountry area.

Care2.com, the largest online community of people passionate about making a difference, is hosting the contest with Adopt-a-Pet.com to bring public awareness about the plight of homeless animals over the holiday season, as well as recognize animal shelters and rescue groups for their outstanding efforts in animal welfare.

In addition to the grand prize, Care2 is awarding $1,000 each to the second and third runner-ups, and $500 each to the groups that come in fourth through twentieth in the contest. The winner of the contest is determined by its local citizens and supporters, who can vote for their shelter or group by going to http://www.care2.com/animalsheltercontest/70269/.  At this site, people can also invite their friends (via email) to vote for that same favorite shelter.

The contest aims to raise awareness about the importance of supporting pet adoptions and taking action to save homeless animals’ lives. All participating animal shelters and rescue groups, including Coastal Pet Rescue, are part of the Adopt-a-Pet.com network.

Coastal Pet Rescue has seen a an increase in abandoned animals and decrease in charitable giving in the past year. The grand price of $10,000 would help Coastal Pet Rescue, to pay down current veterinary expenses, as well as bring in future donations.

“As we enter this holiday season and the economic crisis deepens, we commend groups, like Coastal Pet Rescue, which promote the need for pet adoption to save animals’ lives,” said Randy Paynter, CEO and founder of Care2. “We are excited to work with Adopt-a-Pet.com’s network of shelters and rescue groups to support a cause that really matters to our members and so many others – the welfare and adoption of animals.”

“Ten thousand dollars would make a huge impact on the kinds of support we can provide to our animals,” said Lisa Scarbrough, president and founder of Coastal Pet Rescue. “We encourage all of our local supporters and citizens to visit the web site and vote for us.”

How The Contest Works:

The contest runs from December 1, 2008 through January 31, 2009 on Care2.com’s website. Anyone can simply go to http://www.care2.com/holidaycontest and vote for their favorite shelter or rescue group. The shelter or group that receives the most votes nationwide wins the grand prize of $10,000.

Care2 is also giving away a total of $10,500 to the next 19 groups with the highest votes, as well as $500 at random each week during the contest period to ensure every shelter and rescue group has a chance to win, providing Coastal Pet Rescue another opportunity to support its causes.

Shelter supporters can also invite their friends and encourage them to vote for Coastal Pet Rescue.  The results of votes for shelters and groups are updated in real-time. The 20 people who recruit the most friends to vote will receive a $50 gift certificate sponsored by Care2. Visitors can keep track of who has recruited the most people to vote for their favorite shelters at http://www.care2.com/animalsheltercontest/70269/.

For more information, visit http://www.coastalpetrescue.org or call 912.228.3538.

Coastal Pet Rescue is a 501(c)(3) non-profit animal rescue organization dedicated to saving the lives of homeless, abused and neglected dogs and cats in Savannah and surrounding areas. Founded in February 2003, Coastal Pet Rescue changes the lives of homeless pets in Chatham, Bryan and Effingham Counties through its foster home program and small capacity shelter, Camp Pawsawhile Retreat.

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