Athenspets, Inc.

Athenspets is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to helping the most vunerable animals in the Athens (GA) area and the people who love them.

Athenspets’s most important new program is assisting Athens Clarke County Animals Services (ACCAS), our local open intake municipal shelter, in participating in the GA Transport Allies transport program.

This coalition of shelter and rescues transports animals from overcrowded areas all over Georgia to rescue partners in the North, saving over 25,000 animals in the 7 years it has been in existence.

The coalition’s partners are carefully chosen to ensure the best outcome possible for the animals being sent. All are screened to ensure careful placements and the coalition’s representatives have been to all partner facilities. The animals made available for transport are behaviorally and health-screened and receive health certificates prior to leaving.

Thanks to the efforts of Athenspets volunteers and ACCAS staff members, since January 2024 ACCAS animals have been included on these transports on a weekly basis.

In 2024, these animals represented nearly 30% (819) of the live outcomes from ACCAS and we are on track to send 50% more this year (more than 1,200 cats and dogs).

Currently, each Friday 1-3 volunteers load their personal vehicles with the ACCAS animals selected for transport, driving them up to 6 hours away to that week’s Georgia meeting point.

All major participants in GA Transport Allies are expected to serve as the originating location for the transport 1-2 times each month, providing excess labor, a driver who will spend three days delivering the animals, and a temperature-controlled vehicle that can hold a minimum of 40 crates.

Two or three transport vehicles make the trip each week, depending on the number of animals selected, their sizes, and the sizes of the vehicles.

Athenspets’ continued participation in this coalition is in jeopardy because we do not have a transport van and thus are unable to pull our weight.

As a temporary measure, we have been paying for other members of GA Transport Allies to send their vans more often, but this is not a long-term solution as it unfairly increases their workload and wear and tear on their vehicles. We have been able to borrow a box truck from a local rescue group seven times, but this also is not a long-term solution as it is often being used for that group's activities or is not operational.

A van has become a critical need to be able to continue to participate in the coalition.

We know we can’t transport our way out of this crisis; our on-going programs are critical to reducing pet overproduction and the need to send animals to far away locales for placement. We need lasting change through spay and neuter: The only way to stop this heartbreaking cycle is to stop the litters from being born. But, for now, transport is a critical piece of our lifesaving efforts, to provide an outlet for the animals already born but without a home.

We are now beginning a capital campaign to support our participation in the GA Transport Allies coalition. We need an in-kind donation of a new or lightly-used Ford Transit Van or donations sufficient to purchase one (~$60,000). To the extent we received both forms of donations, we will use the excess to build out the van and to support the other expenses associated with transporting animals.

Your donation today will help cover the supplies and expenses for transport and, hopefully, our own van for transport obligations. Please help us keep tails moving north today—while we build a future where we produce no more cats and dogs than our community can provide homes for.

Every contribution, big or small, makes a real impact. Even just a few dollars can help move this mission forward and reach those who need it most. If you can’t donate right now, sharing this fundraiser is also incredibly helpful.

Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity. It means the world to us and the animals we love.

Athenspets is a 501(c)(3) organization; all donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

To donate by check, mail to Athenspets, PO Box 1022, Athens, GA 30603;

by Venmo to @Athenspets (confirm the capitalization and spelling and that it is a business account since there have been spoof accounts set up);

by CashApp to $Athenspets.