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Animal Services & Partners Earn Florida Public Relations Awards
May 9, 2005 PRESS RELEASE MEDIA CONTACT: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Lee County Animal Services and Partner Agencies Earn Florida Public Relations Awards Fort Myers, Florida (May 9, 2005)-Lee County Animal Services, Affordable Spay/Neuter of Lee County, Inc., the Lee County Sheriff's Office, and Companion Dog Training Center were recognized by the Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA) at the annual Image Awards Ceremony May 5th for two innovative programs conducted this past year. The Image Awards competition is conducted annually by the Southwest Chapter of FPRA to recognize outstanding public relations programs in Florida and to encourage and promote the development of public relations professionalism in the state. Lee County Animal Services partnered with Affordable Spay/Neuter of Lee County, Inc. earning an Image Award in the Public Service Category for the S.N.A.P. (Spay/Neuter Assistance for Pets) Program. The program not only saved thousands of animals' lives by reducing pet overpopulation in low-income areas but, delivered the message on the importance of spaying and neutering pets nearly 2,000,000 times to Lee County residents. Animal Services, the Lee County Sheriff's Office, and Companion Dog Training Center were recognized with an Award of Distinction in the Institutional Category for the Lee County Cell Dogs Program. Through the partnership un-adoptable dogs are matched with prison inmates to be obedience trained. The ongoing program continues to place dogs into new homes and provide inmates with job skills and self-esteem. Both of the programs earned additional Judges Awards for achieving maximum results while using a minimum amount of money. The S.N.A.P. Program and Cell Dogs Program also will be entered in the annual FPRA State Conference Golden Image Awards to be held August 9th in St. Petersburg. The Image Awards have become a standard of public relations excellence in the State of Florida. Winners demonstrate the very best examples of innovation, planning and design. The awards competition includes four divisions of categories. Entries must incorporate sound public relations research and planning and meet the highest standard of production, execution and evaluation of results and budget. Lee County Animal Services provides animal control services throughout Lee County and operates an animal shelter to house stray and abandoned domestic animals. It also administers low-cost spay/neuter programs, animal cruelty investigation, education, rabies control, and bite case management programs. The shelter is located off Six Mile Cypress Parkway next to the Lee County Sheriff's Office. |