After a community outpouring of support for a fundraiser to help Orange County Animals Services handle overcrowding, a Virginia-based agricultural company also made a big donation.

The GoFundMe reached its $10,000 goal less than a week after the Orange County Animal Services promoted it through a release. But the department received other exciting news for the care of its animals on Monday.

Southern State Cooperative, a farm supply retailer and service cooperative with a store in Carrboro, announced it is donating 7,500 pounds of pet food to Orange County Animal Services. The gift is part of the Puppy Paw Campaign held at Southern States locations, where the company matches the donations of participants. A release said Orange County Animal Services was selected because the department is a long-time customer and because of the good it does for the community.

Director of Orange County Animal Services Bob Maratto shared his gratitude, saying “We are overwhelmed by the generosity of Southern States and their customers. This donation is will be essential in helping provide suitable nutrition for the animals in our care. We are beyond grateful.”

Animal Services is experiencing overcrowding and a strain on its resources from housing nearly 80 additional dogs rescued from an animal cruelty case in late 2019. It shared the GoFundMe on January 8 in a release, saying it had entered a partnership with a Cary marketing company to help promote the fundraiser.

Monday’s release said a presentation of the donation is scheduled for Tuesday at the Orange County Animal Services’ center on Eubanks Road in Chapel Hill.

Photo via Orange County Animal Services.

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