Second Chance Pet Network has submitted an application to the Pepsi Refresh Project, and has had their application approved for the first round.

Pepsi Refresh gives grants in the amount of $100,000 to every other month, for non-profit agencies, as well as smaller business.  The criteria is based on the idea submitted having a positive impact on communities in Canada.

The shelter will have their profile listed on the Pepsi Refresh website, and it is up to the public to vote on the profile to help the shelter win the cash.

With an application for $100,000, this would give the shelter the boost it needs to create a permanent residence for all the stray animals it adopts.

Although the process was not easy, the team struggled through the application process and is now on the list for a chance to receive the much-needed funds.

As of Sept 1, Second Chance Pet Network will be eligible to accept votes on their behalf to successfully win the dough.  Log on to www.refresheverything.ca to cast your vote on behalf of the struggling shelter.

Voting will close on Oct. 31 and the shelter will find out soon after if they were successful.  All you need to vote is a name and an email address.

An excerpt from the grant application reads, “The Dryden area is in great need of a shelter for homeless/abandoned animals.  The closest animal shelter is one hour away and does not have a no-kill policy.  We feel that animals shouldn’t have an expiry date, they’re living beings, not last week’s leftover supper.  The SCPN currently runs a shelter but the location is painfully inadequate for the demand that we are experiencing.  With $100,000, we would be able to purchase property and build a proper no-kill cat and dog shelter.  Our shelter would be a safe-haven for animals that have been abandoned.  It would have 14 dog kennels and 30 cat kennels to house animals until they find their forever homes.”

“What began as a small group of concerned citizens has now grown to an army of volunteers and a temporary shelter that is open 6 days a week in order to care for the overwhelming number of cats & dogs that are in desperate need of a loving home. We currently rent a small retail space that serves as our shelter and allows us to run a flea market to generate funds.”

“While it serves the purpose for right now, it does not have proper ventilation or adequate spacing for isolation rooms and cages. Also, the space is donated to us by the owner of the building, as he is unable to rent it out due to economic downturn.  If this changed and the space was in demand, we would either have to find a new home or pay full price. We would like to build a shelter with a grooming/boarding facility attached (for self-sustaining funding).”

Deliverables we strive for include 30 cat-cages and 14 dog-cages to house unwanted pets as well as low-cost spay/neuter clinics.  150 animals per year adopted to forever-homes and one permanent full-time caretaker position.