Recession Hits Hard

Helen Woodward staff members state that the economic recession has had a significant impact upon charitable giving, which is vital to the viability of the Center. In any given year, the Helen Woodward Animal Center typically receives some of its largest donations during the holiday season. However, this past year, staff members say those numbers were drastically reduced.

To combat the negative effects brought about by the down economy, Helen Woodward continues to strive to find new and innovative ways to increase private funding opportunities of its programs. One example is its annual Spring gala which, in years past, has generated upwards to $450,000. HWAC remains optimistic this year in spite of the severe economic downturn.



But even though charitable donations are down, Helen Woodward says that pet adoptions are as high as ever. One of its flagship programs, "Home 4 the Holidays" proved just as successful this past year as before. Teaming up with 14 other local shelters, this campaign has become the largest pet adoption drive in history.

This demonstrates that even during a recession, abandoned pets are still able to find loving homes.


(Photo Courtesy of Iams Home for the Holidays)

This winter season realized 1.2 million pet adoptions through the collaborative effort of the Home 4 the Holidays program, with more than 3,500 shelters and centers participating in the drive nationwide. The Staff at Helen Woodward credits this season’s success with the undeniable fact that people find comfort and unconditional love from animals. A new pet introduced into a home can provide solace and relief from the added stress brought on by a recession.

In this year’s drive, dog and puppy adoptions exceeded cat adoptions 49 to 45 percent. Rabbits, birds, amphibians, and other exotic animals comprised the remaining 6%.

Dogs and Puppies 591,533
Cats and Kittens 543,569
Other Pets 67,649
Total Adoptions 1,202,751