Ryan and Krissie Newman with their rescued dogs, Mopar, Harley, Digger and Socks.

Newman Foundation donates to neuter clinic

STATESVILLE, N.C. -- Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Alltel Dodge, and his wife Krissie, have pledged $400,000 through the Ryan Newman Foundation to the Humane Society of Catawba County Capital Campaign to help name the facility's regional spay/neuter clinic.

The Newmans have a close relationship with the Humane Society, which is located in Hickory, N.C.. They serve as the honorary co-chairs of the organization's capital campaign, and Krissie serves on the no-kill animal shelter's board of directors.

The Humane Society of Catawba County has raised $2.75 million of the $4 million goal for the building and endowment of a permanent no-kill animal shelter, education center, dog park and regional spay/neuter clinic. The multi-purpose facility will serve as the animal welfare hub for the region.

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"This spay/neuter clinic will benefit the whole area that is the heart of NASCAR country in our part of North Carolina,"said Ryan. "We started the Ryan Newman Foundation last year to make a difference all over the country, and we're making smaller donations to groups on a national level. Animal overpopulation is a huge problem, and Krissie and I wanted to start our national efforts to fix this problem by making a major donation to build a spay/neuter clinic that tackles the problem right at our back door. We also donated over $19,000 for Hurricane Katrina disaster relief for families with pets who have lost everything, so we're trying to help people here at home and in other parts of the country at the same time."

The Ryan Newman Foundation Spay/Neuter Clinic is part of the Humane Society of Catawba County's multi-purpose facility in Hickory. The low-cost, public spay/neuter clinic will offer affordable sterilization surgeries for families who can not otherwise afford to have their animals spayed or neutered. The clinic will also offer affordable sterilization surgeries for humane societies and other animal rescue groups who spay and neuter homeless pets prior to adoption.

"Volunteering for the board of directors of the Humane Society of Catawba County was what inspired me to start the Ryan Newman Foundation with my husband," said Krissie.

"Philanthropy starts at home, so Ryan and I thought it was important to make our first large charitable donation to the organization that is right here in our own county. The Humane Society of Catawba County is building a multi-purpose facility that is rare in most communities across the nation. This no-kill animal shelter, education center, dog park and regional spay/neuter clinic combination will serve as a model to other communities across the country.

"Ryan and I are proud to be a part of that, and we plan to share what we learn from this building process with other humane societies throughout the nation through the Ryan Newman Foundation. Millions of homeless animals are euthanized in this country each year. It's our goal to help rescue groups stop the animal overpopulation epidemic. Low-cost, public spay/neuter clinics are the solution to the problem."

For more information about the Humane Society of Catawba County's capital campaign, visit www.catawbahumane.org. For more information about the Ryan Newman Foundation, visit www.ryannewmanfoundation.org.