Anderson Animal Shelter to receive car in Toyota charity giveaway

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Updated: October 29, 2011 12:40AM

SOUTH ELGIN — Anderson Animal Shelter will soon have a new hybrid at the shelter — and not a cockapoo or a airedoodle, either.

Instead, the South Elgin-based animal shelter will get its very own Toyota Highlander Hybrid after winning the car recently as part of Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good program.

Toyota is showcasing five nonprofit organizations on the company’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/toyota, each day for 100 days this summer. Visitors to the page are invited to vote for the organization they feel is most deserving of a new Toyota vehicle. Anderson was one of the organizations highlighted on June 22 — and garnered the most votes to win the new car.

“They won’t tell us how many votes we had, but it showed all five organizations and who was leading,” said Director Sandy Shelby. “We were tied at 33 percent with the one we battled with all day,” a homeless shelter in Arlington, Va. “It was homeless animals versus homeless people. The animals need all the help they can get too.”

This will be the first time the shelter has had a car for its staff to use, Shelby said.

“There are a couple of things that it will be very beneficial for us for,” she said, including transporting animals to veterinarian offices. “We have a vet on staff, but sometimes (the animals) need treatment above and beyond what the clinic is able to handle. We frequently take pets back and forth to the vet. A vehicle to transport animals in is such a blessing.”

The competition began with thousands of applicants, and those were narrowed down to 500 finalists, according to the Toyota website. Anderson enlisted the support of the community, donors, volunteers and supporters to cast their votes in the Facebook contest, Shelby said.

Delivery of the new vehicle is expected soon.

In addition to transporting animals to the vet, the vehicle will come in handy for picking up donations, transporting baskets for the shelter’s annual golf event and gala, as well as picking up animals in crates when needed. The annual golf event is set for July 18 at Eagle Brook Country Club, Geneva.

The shelter also is currently promoting cat adoptions. “Kitten season” — when many stray kittens are brought in to the shelter — began a little later than usual this spring.

“Just now we are really getting hit with kittens, and we are trying to find creative ways to find them homes,” Shelby added.

So, in July, all cat adoptions are $100 — down $50 from the usual adoption cost, Shelby said.

Anderson Animal Shelter is located at 1000 S. LaFox St. (Route 31). Its phone number is 847-697-2880.