The Branford Community Foundation, the leader in supporting a variety of local philanthropic needs, programs and services for 35 years, has distributed a $3,000 grant to the Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter to help support summer 2015 camp programming and scholarships.

The Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, has been helping homeless animals along the Connecticut Shoreline and vicinity since 2003. With support from the Town of Branford and pet lovers across the state and beyond, the Shelter’s mission is to protect the public, provide excellent animal care, find good homes for animal guests, promote responsible pet guardianship, work to end the overpopulation of feral cats in the community and to run a well-organized, efficient shelter with rehabilitation through education philosophy.

Among the many programs and services provided to animals and animal lovers, the Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter offers a young persons Animal Summer Camp teaching environment to respect all living creatures (animal and human) and instill a sense of importance about the environment in which we all live. Visiting speakers and experts are introduced to share insight on animal behavior, rehabilitation and environmental conservation. Camp participants interact with animal guests such as wolves, tarantulas, owls, pigs and cobras, providing opportunities to touch and learn about many types of animals that campers may never have been, or will be, exposed to.

The Branford Community Foundation grant award is designated exclusively to support Animal Camp guest speakers and provide tuition assistance scholarships to 5 Branford families.

The Branford Community Foundation benefits all residents by pooling contributions from like-minded citizens, managing these funds with professional guidance, and then carefully granting a portion of the income generated to local, nonprofit organizations. As a multipurpose permanent local charitable endowment, the Branford Community Foundation helps to build a healthy and successful community by supporting everything from basic needs and health services, to local environmental issues and education, to the arts and other programs.

Pictured: l-r: Lau ra Selvaggio Burban, Director, Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter; Brian Kleinman (holding snake), Riverside Reptiles; Melodie Lane O’Connor, Branford Community Foundation Board member; Stephanie Farber, President, Branford Community Foundation