Transforming animal care: how a $1.5M donation is helping SNIP Collier

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We are seeing the first major changes from a donation from Tom Golisano.

SNIP Collier was given $1,500,000 by the Golisano Foundation, the highest receiver in Collier County.

SNIP is getting to work quickly; WINK News reporter Valentina LaFranca showed us the renovations being made.

Tom Kepp, the President and founder of SNIP Collier, said, “To get validated by the Golisano Foundation was huge.”

Without air conditioning or the proper facilities, SNIP Collier’s current kennel is not functional, which makes the non-profit’s mission of ending the suffering and neglect of dogs and cats in our community more challenging.

Kepp said, “Hopefully, we can break ground in January on the remodeling of this building.”

Jenny Thomas, a building consultant, said, “This is going to allow him to have a place other than his garage to take these animals that he’s saving.”

According to Kepp, this will be connected to the future clinic or animal rescue medical facility.

Right now, SNIP uses its mobile unit.

Thomas said SNIP and Kepp deserve this money.

“He is the guy that when you hear about a puppy or a cat suffering in pain, hit by a car, dumped, any number of things, and we all see it on our social media feeds, or hear a story. He’s the guy that jumps in his car any time of day, and he’s out there crawling under fences, through the woods, going through bushes, and he’s saving them,” Thomas explained.

Kepp also imagines a future hurricane shelter for the animals on this property.

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