The Found Animals Foundation is an LA-based non-profit devoted to saving the lives of animals and solving the problem of animal overpopulation. Founded by Dr. Gary Michelson, a billionaire entrepreneur with a lifelong love of animals, Found Animals blends compassion with innovation and business sense. The organization does everything from working with local shelters to finding homes for strays to offering multi-million dollar incentives for research on animal sterilization.
The foundation will be opening its first ever "Adopt and Shop" retail space next month, so we caught up with Aimee Gilbreath, Executive Director of Found Animals, to find out a little bit more about the foundation, its goals, and LA's newest "pet shop."
HP: What is Found Animals most committed to?
AG: Our mission at Found Animals is to minimize the number of pets killed in animal shelters. We believe that our society, in the 21st century, can do far better than killing 4 million animals each year at a cost to taxpayers of over $2 billion annually. We look for innovative, entrepreneurial approaches to solving this problem. Over the past three years we have built a world class team of business and science professionals and launched programs that include sterilization, microchipping, owner support, adoption and more. Found Animals considers Los Angeles our test market for programs with plans to export successful ideas.
HP: What is the one thing you are most proud of that Found Animals has been able to accomplish?
AG: I'm most proud of our accomplishments with the Michelson Prize and Grant program. It's our own version of the X-Prize and offers $25 million in prize money for creating a low cost non-surgical sterilant for use in cats and dogs. In addition, we are offering up to $50 million in grant funding to help researchers develop a prize winning technology. Sterilization is one of the best tools we have in our arsenal to reduce the number of unwanted pets that crowd the shelter system and overwhelm available resources. Unfortunately, current surgical spay/neuter approaches are expensive and often difficult to access for the pets and people who need them most. A "doggie Depo Provera" or "Kitty Norplant" type of product would revolutionize how we manage the pet population.
We created the program from scratch and its world class. Our Director of Scientific Research, Dr. Shirley Johnston, is world renowned in small animal reproduction and our Scientific Advisory Board is comprised of experts in many fields. Our program staff has created a fantastic grant process and we do outreach to scientists worldwide. So far we've received over 140 grant applications and a dozen projects have been approved for funding totaling over $5 million.
HP: What does Found Animals do on a daily basis?
AG: Our adoptions team is working at two locations on a daily basis plus coordinating seasonal events and promotions with 14 local shelter partners. More than 3,500 animals were adopted from LA-area shelters through our programs in 2010. Our mobile spay/neuter clinic is on the road in South Los Angeles 4 days a week offering free surgeries to low income pet owners - we've served over 2,000 animals just since our launch last fall. Our microchip team is working to create an automated system that is a better way to make sure lost pets get home, and we've donated nearly 200,000 free microchips since we started.
HP: Found Animals has described this newest venture as the "first-ever upscale retail adoption center." How does it differ from other shelters or rescues, and how does it differ from pet stores?
AG: The main idea behind the retail adoption center is to bring shelter pets to the people in a fun environment with fantastic customer service. Adopt & Shop is conveniently located in a major retail center and will feature cats, dogs, rabbits and more for adoption in a location that has an extremely bright and upbeat look and feel. All of the pets will come from our shelter partner - the Southeast Area Animal Control Authority - and be sterilized, vaccinated, microchipped and ready to go home with a new family.
Found Animals' Adopt & Shop
Where: Lakewood Center Mall, Lakewood, CA
When: Opens Tuesday, April 12, and will be open Tuesdays-Sundays 12-6pm
Grand Opening Pet Fair: Saturday, April 30th from 10am - 4pm featuring $5 pet microchips, pet information, and fun activities for the whole family.
Interested in getting involved? Check out the "Get Involved" section of the Found Animals website for more information.
Photo of Aimee Gilbreath by Gisele A. Lubsen.