January 19, 2017

Contact:
Sharon Fletcher, Director of Marketing & Communications
925.310.5458
fletcher@maddiesfund.org

PLEASANTON, CA -- (January 19, 2017) - Maddie's Fund®, a national family foundation established by Dave and Cheryl Duffield to revolutionize the status and well-being of companion animals, has made a $2 Million investment in Adopt-a-Pet.com to help expand its technology and bolster public interest and involvement in pet adoption and fostering.

Adopt-a-Pet.com is North America's largest nonprofit pet adoption website and is the search engine platform for the Shelter Pet Project, a national advertising campaign dedicated to making shelter pet adoption a national conversation. This investment will allow Adopt-a-Pet.com to make advancements to its current technology that include optimizations in searching for a specific type of pet, and provide real-time updates to ensure pet availability. It will also offer actionable data to better understand all types of adopters and volunteers, and help improve customer service for both adopters and shelter organizations.

"Technology has revolutionized the way we connect adopters, volunteers and foster care givers with shelter and rescue organizations. Adopt-a-Pet.com is a leader in making connections happen, and this investment will grow their capabilities faster," said Lars Rabbe, Chief Information Officer at Maddie's Fund. "Most importantly, the advancements will help to find all the dogs and cats of America loving homes, and help make adoption the first choice when choosing a pet."

"Thanks to Maddie, this investment will allow us to innovate in ways that until this time were just not possible," said David Meyer, co-founder and CEO of Adopt-a-Pet.com. "We are honored to play a significant role in elevating shelter pets' visibility and helping people find their match."


About Maddie's Fund

Maddie's Fund® is a family foundation established in 1994 by Dave and Cheryl Duffield and is the fulfillment of a promise to their inspirational dog, Maddie. She provided them much joy from 1987 – 1997 and continues to inspire them today.

The Foundation has awarded over $275.7 million in grants toward increased community lifesaving, pioneering shelter medicine education and establishing foster care as a standard across the U.S.

Maddie's Fund proudly offers the industry a national voice, important funding opportunities for bold ideas, learning resources and access to collaborate and share innovative solutions. The Foundation invests its resources in a commitment to keeping pets and people together, creating a safety net of care for animals in need and operating within a culture of inclusiveness and humility. #ThanksToMaddie.