Heart of Niagara Animal Rescue applies for 'Holiday Wishes' grant from 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show,' Petco

Heart of Niagara Animal Rescue Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization, has applied for a grant offered by "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and her natural pet food company, Halo; Purely for Pets; and the Petco Foundation. The "Holiday Wishes" grant campaign is designed to make holiday wishes come true for deserving animal-welfare groups.

Deadline for submission was Nov. 22. Winners will be announced in December. "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" encouraged qualified animal-welfare groups to submit details, including stories, photos and videos featuring their best animal success stories for a chance to win up to a $100,000 Petco Foundation grant, which would help toward saving more lives this holiday season. Second- and third-place winners will earn $50,000 and $25,000, respectively, with grants from $5,000 to $10,000 going to 10 runner-up organizations.

If Heart of Niagara is chosen, grant monies would go toward the purchase of a building to enable the group to save even more animals and place them in forever homes. Heart of Niagara has adopted out more than 100 animals - more than twice its annual projection of 50 - since April. The group is growing as it works to save the lives of homeless, abandoned and discarded companion animals.

HON animals featured in the grant submission were rescued from high-kill shelters in the south, puppy mill discards scheduled to be euthanized, animals that were discarded from puppy mills and nursed back to life from near death, and an animal that was surrendered by its family for a better life after it was viciously attacked by another dog (it now survives with one eye). All five animals are now living happy and well-adjusted lives in their forever homes thanks to the work of HON directors, fosters and a network of 60-plus volunteers.

The public is encouraged to view the HON's submissions on YouTube and share them to help create awareness both locally and nationally. The links are as follows:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SzWSOwqlGs for Molly,
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uyxEycV-R8 for Shelby,
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cwqf6m3PFE0 for Faith,
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylBRW7XIGFA for Dusty, and
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsP-1B-vTpo for Gracie.

Visit HON at www.heartofniagara.org.