KSEE24/CBS47 host 27th ‘Founder’s Day of Caring,’ Valley Animal Center selected as beneficiary

We estimate that our Feral Cat Sanctuary houses more than 70 feral cats. Although the space was designed to be comfortable for the cats, the designated area is no longer large enough to accommodate all cats, and we haven’t had a real opportunity to make improvements due to limited resources. Recently, plans to beautify and expand it have been set in motion, and thanks to KSEE24 and CBS47, we were able to begin improving the quality of life for our ferals today.

Alongside KSEE24/CBS47 were staff members of one of our community partners, Lee’s Air, Plumbing & Heating.

Nexstar’s 27th “Founder’s Day of Caring”

In honor of Founder’s Day, many KSEE24/CBS47 employees volunteered to help lay pavers, build cat houses, and begin the process of installing two ponds. Our animal care adoption supervisor, Ruben Cantu, said today’s efforts helped us in a significant way. Without the help of more than 30 volunteers, completing these tasks would have taken our team weeks.

Landscaping the Feral Cat Sanctuary will provide our feline friends more comfort and will help lower their stress levels. Giving them a more “natural” space to roam will allow them to relax and can increase their quality of life.

“These cats deserve it,” Ruben said.

KSEE24/CBS47 chose our organization as the beneficiary of this year’s Founder’s Day, a day when Nexstar employees across the nation volunteer at a local nonprofit, according to KSEE24.

“We were super happy Valley Animal Center was chosen,” Lindsey Beasley, a KSEE24 account executive, said. “They are so gracious all the time. They always step up to help and work so hard.”

At Valley Animal Center, our vision is to be known as the leading resource for the health and well-being of companion animals, and we are fortunate that our community members believe in our mission to unite dogs and cats with loving people. We thank KSEE24/CBS47 for appreciating our dedication to the dogs and cats in our care.

“We have plenty of knowledgeable staff members who can share information about various topics,” our marketing manager, Alisia Sanchez, said. “It’s important to me and the entire team that we take every opportunity to feature our animals and talk about the services we offer. When news organizations like KSEE24 and CBS47 reach out to us for an interview or some other opportunity, I don’t like to say no.”

From left to right: Michael Burton, KSEE24 Local Sales Manager; Lindsey Beasley, KSEE24 Account Executive; Alisia Sanchez, Valley Animal Center Marketing Manager; Ruben Cantu, Valley Animal Center Animal Care Adoption Supervisor

Lindsey hopes that today’s act inspires other companies to engage in community outreach and charitable endeavors.

“We just wanted to make a difference to their day-to-day operations,” she said. “It is important to see good and do good.”

Feral Cat Sanctuary Beautification & Expansion Project

Our Feral Cat Sanctuary was founded by Art O’Brien, a local animal advocate who has cared for hundreds of homeless cats in his lifetime. The sanctuary provides a vast outdoor area for our local feral cat community, and with more than 70 residents, we have made the decision to move forward with expanding, a project we estimate will cost more than $60,000.

The expansion will take place in the vacant area on the opposite side of the sanctuary. Most funds will be allocated to installing a new chain link fence and reinforcing the fence in the current yard, and we hope our community will help donate plants, cat houses, and other features.

If you are interested in making a financial contribution, please click on the button below. For sponsorship opportunities or to learn more information, please email us at admin@valleyanimal.org.