The “Hart” of Helping

Sometimes a parent’s teaching moment can turn into a lifelong passion.

When Ann Hart walked through the doors of Homeward Pet nearly ten years ago, she did so with the intention of teaching her daughter a valuable lesson about the importance of giving back to the community. That first trip to the shelter ignited a decade long passion for the homeless animals of Homeward Pet.

Growing up in the company of her family’s Dachshunds, Ann quickly learned the significant role animals play in the lives of their human companions. As Ann grew older, so did her dedication to protecting that sacred bond, but rescuing and rehabilitating adoptable pets wasn’t always at the forefront of Ann’s work.

“There was a time when I had Bull Terriers from a breeder,” Ann shared. “But animals I have adopted from the shelter like Baxter, who I’ve had for sixteen years now, they never forget that day.”

Today, Ann dedicates her time to advocating for animals and the environment. She is deeply involved with rescues and works to help organizations like Homeward Pet overcome challenges like limited resources and funding. This in part, encouraged Ann to create the Ann M. Hart Foundation which focuses on making a larger impact in the community.

The Ann M. Hart Foundation most recently funded the expansion of Homeward Pet’s Low-Cost Public Spay & Neuter Program to include $5 cat spay and neuter surgeries for pets of families-in-need. When we asked Ann why spaying and neutering pets was important to her, she responded with one of Benjamin Franklin’s infamous quotes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Ann knows that shelters are overflowing and the more we can do to prevent unplanned litters, the better chance we have at stopping pet overpopulation in its tracks. Low-cost spay and neuter services are one of the best solutions to this problem.

According to the United States Humane Society, 6-8 million pets enter the shelter system in the U.S. each year, and only a fraction of them find homes. If more animals are spayed and neutered then pet homelessness and euthanasia rates will diminish. 

Homeward Pet’s Low-Cost Public Spay & Neuter Program is dedicated to serving pets and their families in our community. We are an aid for seniors living on fixed-income, young families whose resources are stretched and individuals living with disabilities who may depend on government programs to supplement their earnings. When Homeward Pet provides essential programs to our neighbors, we create a safer and healthier community for all pets.

Homeward Pet has spayed and neutered 135 community cats and dogs so far this year, and our goal is to perform $5 spay and neuter surgeries for as many as 600 cats over the next three years, all thanks to our grant from the Ann M. Hart Foundation. Homeward Pet is thrilled to partner with Ann in serving fragile populations, and we are excited to see how the program will continue to grow.

If you or someone you know is interested in taking advantage of Homeward Pet’s Low-Cost Spay & Neuter Program, then please click here to learn more.

We encourage you to share this program with others, and to educate your network of family and friends about the importance of spaying and neutering pets.

Thank you to Ann and the Ann M. Hart Foundation for changing lives every day.