The Humane Society of Ocean City has been chosen as a runner up in a national contest celebrating the work of animal shelters.
The 2015 HomeAgain Helps Shelter of the Year campaign will award the Ocean City shelter $2,500, a selection of Merck Animal Health products, a computer, an iPad and a HomeAgain microchip scanner.
The Humane Society was chosen as a finalist based on nominations from the public and a variety of criteria related to its successful work as a shelter.
Members of the public decided the winner in online voting. Top prize, including $25,000, went to the Animal Rescue League of Iowa in Des Moines.
The contest was sponsored by Home Again, a Merck company that specializes in microchip and pet recovery services, and was designed to “celebrate the vital work that animal shelters provide to pets, people and their communities.”
The contest included eight finalists. Four runners-up were named, Ocean City among them.
The no-kill shelter in Ocean City:
- Hosts a weekly spay/neuter day and a once-a-month feral cat clinic
- Offers behavioral training sessions for adopted dogs with certified dog trainers
- Manages pet therapy programs to visit schools and nursing homes
- Uses social media to promote public awareness, the benefits of microchipping, spay/neuter and disease prevention as well as communicating food recalls and weather warnings and precautions
- Rescues and rehabilitates injured wildlife
- Trains employees to assist Animal Control Officers who specialize in animal rescue and disaster relief in a community that has seen three disasters in six years, including Hurricanes Sandy and Irene.
"HomeAgain is happy to honor and celebrate the vital work animal shelters provide to pets, people and their communities," the company said in awarding the prize to Ocean City. "Work done by shelters like yours make great contributions to the health, safety and welfare of pets in local communities. Thank you for participating in the 2015 HomeAgain Helps Shelter of the Year campaign!"
