News

When the recent dog-hoarding tragedy in Venice shocked our community, local agencies and residents responded immediately and heroically.

Sarasota County Animal Services efficiently removed more than 260 dogs from danger and transferred nearly all of them to nonprofit animal rescue facilities throughout the region. Staff and volunteers at those shelters provided vital care and quickly started placing dogs in welcoming foster homes.

Many in the community who couldn’t adopt a dog still wanted to help, and that’s where a Gulf Coast donor fund and our GulfCoastGives.org website come in.

The foundation had over $21,000 available in a charitable fund to support nonprofit animal-welfare organizations. The Andrew and Audrey Belomyzy Charitable Trust Fund was established when the bulk of Audrey’s estate, including her and her deceased husband’s home in Osprey, came to the foundation. Leveraging those available funds, Gulf Coast put a challenge out to the community through Gulf Coast Gives, offering to match donations to support the facilities that took in dogs.

Nearly 90 individuals, businesses, and organizations responded, with gifts ranging from $10 to more than $2,500. Then a man modestly walked through our front door with a $10,000 check, pushing us to the goal.  He and his wife—from Osprey, like the Belomyzys—are lifelong dog owners and animal lovers who simply wanted to help.

Grant checks to 15 dedicated nonprofits that took in dogs were mailed out yesterday. Thanks to many ”Gulf Coast Givers” who contributed what they could and to the foresight of the Belomyzys for endowing a fund to serve their charitable intentions forever, Gulf Coast sent over $42,000 to local animal-welfare groups trying to give those poor dogs the protection and care they deserve.