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5. A. <br />PROCLAMATION <br />HONORING "FOR THE LOVE OF PAWS" SENIOR PET SANCTUARY <br />WHEREAS, For The Love Of Paws Senior Pet Sanctuary traces its history to Jessica Pankiewicz and her <br />husband, Ted, their mutual love of animals, and the many volunteer hours they devoted to pet rescue efforts in <br />Indian River County; and <br />WHEREAS, For The Love Of Paws was launched in June of 2014, after Jessica's sudden and tragic passing, as <br />a memorial to her dream of operating a non-profit pet rescue service; and <br />WHEREAS, the staff originally worked out of a garage, bagging and distributing pet food for the Indian River <br />County Senior Resource's Meals On Wheels Program and fostering pets when their senior owners could no longer <br />care for them until a permanent home could be found; and <br />WHEREAS, For The Love Of Paws has expanded multiple times to support their growing efforts, earning the <br />Indian River County/Vero Beach Humane Society's 2016 Joan G. Carlson Animal Protection Award and 211 <br />Community Helpline's 2019 Animal Welfare Organization of the Year Award; and <br />WHEREAS, For The Love Of Paws currently operates two fixed -location distribution centers providing pet food to <br />more than 18 food pantries; employs two mobile pet food trucks that allocate over 10,000 pounds per month of <br />free pet food to people in need; and partners with the Treasure Coast Food Bank to support the USDA Senior <br />Citizen Supplemental Food Program by delivering both "people food" and pet food to residents below the poverty <br />level; and <br />WHEREAS, For The Love Of Paws has continued to expand its positive impact within the community, recently <br />donating 30 emergency pet oxygen kits to Indian River Fire Rescue and Emergency Services when it was found <br />they lacked that equipment. <br />NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF INDIAN <br />RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA, that, since 2014, For The Love Of Paws Senior Pet Sanctuary has provided <br />compassionate and essential services to the senior citizen population of Indian River County and their pets, and <br />that the organization is a worthy manifestation of the dream of its founder, Jessica Pankiewicz. <br />Adopted this 12th day of January, 2021. BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, <br />INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA <br />Joseph E. Flescher, Chairman <br />Peter D. O'Bryan, Vice Chairman <br />Susan Adams <br />Joseph H. Earman <br />Laura Moss <br />1 <br />