Muddy Paws Rescue’s Foster Volunteer Nationally Recognized by the Petco Foundation and BOBS from Skechers for Saving Pet Lives

National Foster Hero Celebrated During Foster a Pet Month

New York, NY (June 9, 2020) – Andre Karma, foster volunteer at Muddy Paws Rescue, has been recognized as one of 22 National Foster Heroes by the Petco Foundation and Skechers’ charity footwear collection, BOBS from Skechers in celebration of National Foster a Pet Month in June.

As a healthcare worker, Andre has continued to give back to dogs in need despite facing the devastating challenges presented by the pandemic. So far, with Muddy Paws Rescue, he has helped to directly save almost 40 lives. What makes Andre an especially dedicated foster parent is his eagerness to open up his home for mama and litters, all the while having his own resident dog and juggling a full-time job that sometimes has him working 16-hour shifts.

“We’re beyond thrilled that Andre has received this incredible recognition from Petco Foundation. He had worked tirelessly throughout the height of the pandemic for the New York community and our dogs in need. We couldn’t be more grateful for his kindness and love he has for our dogs and our lifesaving work is only possible thanks to fosters like Andre,” said Rachael Ziering, Founding Executive Director at Muddy Paws Rescue.

For stepping up and saving animal lives in New York, Andre will receive a prize pack including BOBS from Skechers shoes and their incredible lifesaving work will be honored along with their National Foster Hero peers on petcofoundation.org/foster.

“It is an honor to recognize the Local Foster Heroes who are making a difference in their communities and demonstrating the lifesaving impact of fostering pets,” said Susanne Kogut, president of the Petco Foundation. “During the response to the COVID-19 crisis, we saw a significant spike in the number of people fostering pets. Our goal is to continue this trend, inspire more people to join the pet fostering movement and make pets sheltering in foster homes, versus animal shelters, the new normal. Because, if less than 2 percent of pet-owning households in the U.S. fostered one pet a year, we could eliminate unnecessary euthanasia in animal shelters tomorrow.”

National Foster a Pet Month is part of the Petco Foundation’s Pledge to Save Pet Lives which encourages animal lovers to adopt, foster, volunteer and/or donate this summer with a goal of inspiring 1.5 million pledges to match the approximate number of pets unnecessarily euthanized in shelters each year in the U.S.

In addition to mobilizing the animal-loving public to help local animal welfare organizations save lives through the COVID-19 crisis, the Petco Foundation’s Pledge to Save Pet Lives included $1M in emergency product and cash donations to animal shelters. This commitment follows the Petco Foundation’s recent distribution of more than $13M to animal welfare organizations nationwide.

To learn more about Muddy Paws Rescue and how you can help, visit muddypawsrescue.org. For more on the Petco Foundation and to take the Pledge to Save Pet Lives, visit petcofoundation.org/pledge and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #SavePetLives.

About Muddy Paws Rescue

Muddy Paws Rescue is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that partners with open-intake shelters across the U.S to place homeless dogs into loving forever homes. Since its inception in 2016, we have saved over 4,000 lives. With a dedicated team of fosters, volunteers & animal welfare advocates, Muddy Paws Rescue strives to be New York City’s leader in responsible foster-based rescue practices.

About the Petco Foundation and BOBS from Skechers

At the Petco Foundation, we believe that every animal deserves to live its best life. Since 1999, we’ve invested more than $280 million in lifesaving work to make that happen. With our more than 4,000 animal welfare partners, we inspire and empower communities to make a difference by investing in adoption and medical care programs, spay and neuter services, pet cancer research, service and therapy animals, and numerous other lifesaving initiatives. Through our Think Adoption First program, we partner with Petco stores and animal welfare organizations across the country to increase pet adoption. So far, we’ve helped more than 6.5 million pets find their new loving families, and we’re just getting started. Visit petcofoundation.org to learn more about how you can get involved.

BOBS from Skechers’ charitable collection of footwear, apparel and accessories have improved animals’ lives. Over the past three years, Skechers has contributed more than $5.45 million to help more than one million shelter pets, including saving more than 661,000 rescued pets in the United States. To learn more about BOBS from Skechers’ commitment to making a difference and its partnership with the Petco Foundation, visit www.BOBSfromSkechers.com and follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.