Shop to Stop Pet Overpopulation at ReTails: A Thrift Shop Supporting AnimalKind®

Animal-lovers and thrift shoppers unite for grand opening of ReTails; ongoing proceeds subsidize THE $20 FIX spay/neuter program for low-income pet owners

Raleigh, N.C. - March 31, 2005 - Those of us who love both animals and shopping now have the perfect destination at ReTails: A Thrift Shop Supporting AnimalKind®, which recently celebrated its grand opening. AnimalKind is an eight year-old non-profit that subsidizes pet spay/neuter through its program THE $20 FIX, designed to serve low-income families who live in the central region of North Carolina. All proceeds from ReTails Thrift Shop support THE $20 FIX financial assistance program, enabling these families to spay/neuter their pets for $20 or less.

"ReTails Thrift Shop enables the entire community to help eliminate the euthanasia of adoptable animals here in the region," said Joan Williams Ott, ReTails' visionary and founder/president of AnimalKind. "We receive no government funding and have relied on donations, limited foundation grants and sales of our greeting cards to subsidize every spay/neuter surgery to this point."

During the first 10 months of AnimalKind's THE $20 FIX program, more than 1,000 pets belonging to low-income families have been spayed or neutered by generous veterinary partners in 20 locations across central North Carolina, including: Apex, Carrboro, Durham, Fuquay Varina, Garner, Hillsborough, Knightdale, Mebane, Raleigh, Wake Forest and Zebulon.

THE $20 FIX was launched to address the fact that as many as 75 percent of incoming animals are euthanized in some local shelters - most of these pets come from low-income neighborhoods where spay/neuter costs are prohibitive.

AnimalKind learned this first-hand following its three-year public education campaign to promote spay/neuter. Virtually all of the callers responding to the organization's posters and advertisements said they wanted to spay/neuter their pets but could not afford the surgery, even if they used the discounted programs available at the time.

"Response to ReTails has been tremendous," said Ott. "We want it to be a true community resource, where people make a difference for animals by volunteering in the shop, donating second-hand household items and having fun thrift shopping."

Open Thursday through Sunday, ReTails displays more than 2,000 sq. ft. of previously loved treasures that are restocked daily. Tax-deductible donations of furniture, household wares and clothing items are needed, as are volunteers to work in the shop.

About AnimalKind
AnimalKind's mission is to eliminate the euthanasia of adoptable animals and its focus is solely on prevention. The group's spay/neuter awareness campaign includes posters on display at humane societies, veterinary offices, pet supply stores and other animal-friendly locations throughout the Research Triangle region. Animal lovers are encouraged to shop and donate used items to ReTails Thrift Shop to help stop pet overpopulation and save animals. All proceeds support THE $20 FIX, a volunteer-run program that enables low-income pet owners to spay or neuter their pets for $20 or less. Please visit us online at www.animalkind.org, e-mail: ReTails@animalkind.org, or call (919) 872-0019.

ReTails: A Thrift Shop Supporting AnimalKind®
Store Address: 1608 North Market Drive, Raleigh, NC 27609
Store Phone: (919) 872-0019
ReTails General Manager: Paula Brown

# # #

Contact:
Scott Misner
(919) 412-3886
smisner@misnercorp.com