Thousand Palms, CA – June 3, 2022: On the heels of a seven-hundred and fifty thousand dollar ($750,000) donation from the Richard Brooke Foundation, Animal Samaritans has been gifted one million seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($1,750,000) from local animal lover Cade L. Morrow.
“This generous gift was cultivated over six months between Mr. Morrow and Animal Samaritans,” notes Animal Samaritans’ CEO Tom Snyder. “From the start, Cade was determined to help the most vulnerable pets in our community, with a focus on abused and abandoned dogs and cats.”
Mr. Morrow’s gift is designated for both the expansion of Animal Samaritans’ veterinary clinic in Thousand Palms, and for the establishment of The Cade L. Morrow Animal Care Fund.
One million two-hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($1,250,000) will support the expansion and remodel of Animal Samaritans’ veterinary clinic in Thousand Palms. The construction will include a dedicated animal treatment space, urgent care canine recovery room, a dedicated room for pet oncology services, doctors’ offices, and two additional pet exam rooms.
The expansion of Animal Samaritans’ Thousand Palms veterinary clinic is part of the organization’s larger capital campaign to bring a new Pet Adoption & Humane Education Center to the Coachella Valley. The new Center will be built on Animal Samaritans’ Pet Land Place property, directly adjacent to their veterinary clinic.
The remaining five-hundred thousand dollar ($500,000) donation from Mr. Morrow is secured through his estate plans and, once received, will be allocated to establish The Cade L. Morrow Animal Care Fund as an endowment.
Additionally, Mr. Morrow has given ten thousand dollars ($10,000) to establish his animal care fund before his passing. Money from The Cade L. Morrow Animal Care Fund underwrites the cost of medical care for abused and abandoned animals.
In many cases, a major injury or illness becomes a death sentence for homeless dogs and cats without outside funds to cover their medical expenses. A smaller percentage of the fund will also be used to help lower income pet owners pay for their pet’s medical care.
Cade credits the love he felt for his pets and the joy they brought him as a primary reason for supporting Animal Samaritans. Most recently, he shared his life with three amazing dogs and his small cat.
Baber was an AKC certified beagle. He rescued Ruffer, a bearded collie, as a puppy after discovering him starving in a city park. Nolan, his beloved yellow Labrador retriever, was another homeless animal someone had abandoned. Cade’s cat Squeaks, whose meow sounded more like a squeak, was a feral cat that he took in and committed to for life.
“It has brought me an inner happiness to know that I will be a factor in improving and expanding the Veterinary Clinic,” says Cade, “and I will (in some small way) have an impact on saving animal lives through the Care Fund.”
When he was working, Mr. Morrow had a long and impactful career as an attorney with the U.S. government, where he specialized in national health-related programs. He also championed for rights and programs benefiting the LGTBQ community. An avid hiker and outdoors enthusiast, Cade also supported environmental causes, and was responsible for the reforesting of California wilderness areas once devasted by forest fires.
“Cade’s gift and animal care fund is a blessing,” notes Snyder, “especially for the dogs and cats we encounter through our Animal Rescue program.”
Donations to build and strengthen the Cade L. Morrow Animal Care Fund can be made on Animal Samaritans’ website, or by designating mail-in or in-person donations to the Cade L. Morrow Animal Care Fund.
Animal Samaritans SPCA., a 501 (c) non-profit organization, started in 1978 and brought the first free Humane Education program and first low-cost spay & neuter clinic to the Desert. As the Coachella Valley’s most comprehensive animal welfare organization, they strive to one day eliminate the needless suffering and abuse of homeless and unwanted animals. Programs and services in place to save the lives of healthy and treatable animals include prevention through humane education, affordable spay and neuter, vaccinations, and other veterinary care, animal sheltering, animal rescue, pet fostering and pet adoptions. In addition, volunteers from their Animal Companion Therapy program visit special needs classrooms, nursing homes, and local hospitals. www.animalsamaritans.org
