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Richmond, VA – April 27, 2004— “We
Can With A Van”, a new campaign aimed to infuse
animal rescue communities with sponsored vans and increase
the number of animal transports to loving homes, will
be launched nationally on May 1, 2004 in Richmond, VA.
The Richmond animal rescue organization, Friends United
with the Richmond Shelter (FURS), is the first recipient
of the We Can With A Van program organized by the non-profit
organization Rational Animal. As part of the Dog Fair
and Family Fun Day in Richmond the new van donated by
the children of Fannie Grazeck Shapiro in her honor
will be on display at Richmond Park, 4660 Pouncey Tract
Road, Glen Allen, Virginia. Admission to the Dog Fair
and Family Fun Day is free and tickets for games, hay
rides, petting zoo will benefit FURS.
The We Can With A Van program facilitates donations
of new or lightly used vans or SUVs to animal rescue
organizations and identifies donations by affixing a
customized decal to all donated vehicles to honor loved
ones or recognize sponsors. “With this van donation
we can more regularly pick up dogs from the Richmond
shelter and bring them to public events exponentially
increasing their chances of being adopted,” states
FURS director Claire Pollard. “Help with transportation
can easily increase our adoptions by 50 percent.”
Originally, the We Can With A Van program was the brainchild
of Richmond natives, sisters Rheda Brandt Brager and
Elaine Ackman, as a tribute to their mother Fannie Grazeck
Shapiro, who passed away 25 years ago and who spent
much of her lifetime in Richmond helping animals in
need. “Our mother would be proud to know we’re
celebrating her life in a way that directly benefits
homeless animals.” said Ms. Brandt Brager. “We
thought this idea was an opportunity for others with
a similar passion for helping animals to do the same.”
In March 2004, the sisters brought the We Can With A
Van concept to Rational Animal, a non-profit organization
of media professionals who find creative methods of
informing the public about ways to help at-risk animals.
Rational Animal incorporated the We Can With A Van concept
into their campaign for homeless animals in New York
City for nationwide public awareness.
“The lack of transportation is a critical issue
within the animal rescue community,” says Susan
Brandt, founder of Rational Animal. “Transporting
animals is a task not all animal rescue organizations
are equipped to handle considering the volume of animals
in need. This van campaign can directly impact the number
of animals saved by providing organizations with dedicated
vehicles that can transport animals from shelters or
streets to their new homes.”
For more information about the We Can With A Van program,
call Rheda Brandt Brager at 1-866-211-8VAN. Look for
our website at WeCanWithAVan.org in the near future!
About FURS
FURS (Friends United with the Richmond Shelters) is
a non-profit, all volunteer dog adoption group focused
on finding loving homes for animals from the Richmond
shelter. For more information call Claire Pollard at
1-804-364-1944.
About Rational Animal
Rational Animal is a non-profit organization that uses
the power of media to promote the welfare of New York’s
at-risk animals. For more information contact Susan
Brandt at sbrandt@rational-animal.org
or visit www.rational-animal.org.
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