(Note: This news release is courtesy of Petfinder.com Foundation)

Tucson, AZ--Catawba County Animal Services, Newton, has received a grant from the Petfinder.com Foundation to purchase enough vaccine to inoculate all its incoming dogs and puppies against kennel cough (infectious tracheobronchitis) for approximately one year. Kennel cough is similar to the common cold; it is a contagious virus that shelter managers would like to eradicate.

"In shelters, kennel cough can be devastating," said Elizabeth Neuschatz, executive director of the Petfinder.com Foundation. "It spreads rapidly, and treatment is costly. Shelters are often compelled by their budgets to euthanize otherwise adoptable dogs to stop the spread of the disease. The real key to stopping this scourge is prevention, and that's the aim of these vaccine grants: stopping kennel cough before it gets started."

The grants are part of the Petfinder.com Foundation's Care and Feeding program. Funding is made possible through the Foundation's partnership with the Animal Rescue Site's Click to Give program and individual donations.

"It's gratifying to be part of a program that can make such a difference for shelter dogs," said Tim Kunin, CEO of The Animal Rescue Site. "Vaccines for kennel cough have the potential to save hundreds, if not thousands of lives."

The Petfinder.com Foundation, a 501 (C3) organization, was created in 2003 to assist adoption partners through problem solving, fundraising, and providing relief in times of stress or disaster. Its mission is to ensure that no pet is euthanized for lack of a home.

The Animal Rescue Site is celebrating its seventh anniversary in July. Since 2002, daily clicks by millions of visitors on the homepage's purple button have funded more than 270.3 million bowls of food for animals in need (the site's sponsoring advertisers pay for the clicks). The Animal Rescue Site also sponsors the $100,000 Shelter+ Challenge with Petfinder.com.