Washington, DC – Today, the Humane Society for Shelter Pets (HSSP) is excited to announce its new Assistance Grants Program, which allows local pet shelters across America to reduce overhead costs and concentrate their resources on the homeless pets that need their attention most. Through the program, HSSP will provide eligible non-profit shelters with fundraising ads, credit card processing, and website design and hosting – all free of charge.

More than 800 shelters, rescues, and humane societies have joined HSSP’s cause since its November 2011 launch, voicing their support for the organization’s advocacy and outreach to educate Americans on the importance of donating locally to their communities’ pet shelters.

“The Humane Society for Shelter Pets believes it is extremely important for shelter professionals to concentrate their resources on the hands-on care of pets, not the added stresses that come with running a well-functioning operation,” said Diana Culp, Director of HSSP. “It’s unconscionable that some organizations, like the well-funded Humane Society of the United States, actually require local shelters to pay for services with so many shelters struggling just to stay open.”

Every year, it’s estimated that millions of orphaned and unwanted animals are euthanized to relieve overcrowded conditions in local animal shelters. America’s ongoing economic downturn continues to squeeze pet shelters’ already meager operating budgets at a time when more cash-strapped Americans are choosing to surrender or abandon their pets. Shelters are also feeling the pinch in part because of the widespread misconception that donations given to national groups, such as the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), filter down to local pet shelters. In reality, just 1 percent of HSUS’s $126 million budget is given to needy hands-on pet shelters, despite HSUS’s reliance on featuring dogs and cats in a majority of its fundraising advertising.

“HSSP is proud to provide these grant programs,” said Culp, who previously served as Director of Education for the Humane Society of the United States. “They’ll allow local humane organizations to use their donations toward their intended and best use: helping pets find their forever homes.”