Famous Facebook Dog Inspires Community to Take Over Shelter
Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB) March 06, 2015 -- The Facebook page of Arbor, a former stray dog, has inspired the Las Vegas community to call for a new organization to operate their local shelter. Arbor was adopted a few years ago from the shelter, which is now in jeopardy of losing its municipal shelter services contract to No Kill Las Vegas, a non-profit organization founded by Arbor’s owners. (Source: Las Vegas Review Journal, http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/las-vegas/competing-agencies-contend-animal-shelter-contract 3/1/15)
Arbor’s Facebook page (@Go Vegas Dog), which has over 500,000 followers, was originally a place to demonstrate her unique talents. Her parents Jennifer and Bryce Henderson discovered early on that she had a knack for learning tricks, such as painting with a brush in her mouth. As a result, Arbor has been featured on Good Morning America, appeared in newspapers around the world, and sold her paintings for thousands of dollars at fundraising auctions. (Sources: Good Morning America, http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/gma-dog-dog-arbor-takes-jasmine-16242801, 4/20/12;)
Today, however, Arbor’s Facebook page focuses on a much more serious issue – the No Kill movement that has been transforming open-admission shelters nationwide. “There are now over 250 communities in the United States where the local shelter is saving 90% or more of the animals they take in, we know we could do the same thing here in Las Vegas,” states Bryce Henderson, President of No Kill Las Vegas. (Source: http://www.outthefrontdoor.com)
The Hendersons formed No Kill Las Vegas just over a year ago and already boasts 1,600 members. “The support we have received from the community is overwhelming, people here have been wanting change for awhile, they just didn’t feel they had a voice, but now when Arbor barks, people listen,” says Henderson. In addition to their reach on social media, No Kill Las Vegas is also using radio ads, the local media and billboards to educate and mobilize the community.
Arbor and No Kill Las Vegas have already had some success following a series of rallies and a petition drive. On February 17th, in a room packed full of No Kill Las Vegas supporters, Clark County Commissioners decided to delay a decision to renew the current provider's contract until March 17th, in order to give No Kill Las Vegas time to put in a proposal. (Source: http://animalfoundation.com/tag/8-news-now/, Decision on Animal Shelter Contract Delayed, 2/17/15)
“Arbor has been such an inspiration to us,” says Henderson. “It’s amazing the difference one dog with a Facebook page can make.”
No Kill Las Vegas can be followed by following Go Vegas Dog on Facebook and Official_NKLV on Twitter.
For further media requests, you can reach out to No Kill Las Vegas President, Bryce Henderson, at 702-830-1615.
NKLV is a nonprofit organization operating out of Las Vegas, Nevada. Their goal is to bring about a No Kill Las Vegas and save the lives of at least 90% of the homeless, healthy, adoptable animals in our community.
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Bryce Henderson, No Kill Las Vegas (NKLV), http://www.nklv.org, +1 (702)830-1615, [email protected]
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