HUNTINGTON One By One Animal Advocates, a small local organization that works to find homes for animals in the community and reduce euthanasia rates at area shelters, has been nominated to win $10,000 from Freshpets Fresh Start program, but it needs votes to get it across the finish line.

The Fresh Start program, which was started in 2018 to provide support for overlooked cats and dogs that are often deemed unadoptable, was moved from September to April to meet the growing financial needs of shelters during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fresh Start has awarded more than $100,000 in contributions in the past two years, according to a news release.

This year, Fresh Start will award five $10,000 grants to shelters across five regions in the U.S., and will recognize two runner-up organizations in each region with $2,000 each.

Ashley Morrison, foster coordinator for One By One, said she found out about the contest through social media.

I have been with One By One Animal Advocates for a little over eight years, she said in an email to The Herald-Dispatch. We serve the entire Tri-State area, pulling from all local shelters, also taking in owner surrenders, medical cases and strays. We provide vetting and match them with our reputable rescue partners. Last year alone, we sent out 4,500 homeless animals out of the Tri-State area to their forever homes.

One By One, based in Huntington, works toward its goal by finding reputable rescues that can accept local animals. It also, through donations, has conducted local TNR (trap, neuter and return) efforts to vet and sterilize feral cat colonies in the region. In addition to reducing future feral cat populations, organizers say TNR helps to both prevent the spread of diseases like feline AIDS and feline leukemia, which also benefits domestic cats, and it makes the communities the cats live in better.

With COVID-19, like many places, our normal annual fundraisers have been canceled or postponed indefinitely, which is why winning this contest will mean so much more, Morrison said. The funds will be used to cover our medical expenses, vaccinations, pull fees from shelters, transportation costs and also toward our goal of having our own transport van.

The group currently rents vans several times a week to complete its animal transports.

Voting is open to the public now through Sunday, May 17, and users can vote once per day. Winners will be announced on National Dog Rescue Day, which is Wednesday, May 20.

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Local animal advocacy group needs votes to win $10K in funding - Huntington Herald Dispatch