Astros Lance McCullers Jr. takes mound for pets in need at Harris County Animal Shelter
Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. is apparently a great teammate on and off the field.
This year, his charity, the Lance McCullers Jr. Foundation, and the Harris County Animal Shelter have joined forces up to put out a public service announcement. The goal of the message is simple: to inform the public of what they can do to be part of the solution for shelter pets throughout the greater Houston area.
The Harris County Animal Shelter has a difficult time with overcrowding. Sometimes, as many as 60 animals a day are either surrendered by their owners or enter the shelter as stray.
In the PSA, McCullers, an adamant advocate for shelter animals, makes a compelling plea for people to help solve the issue.
"Thousands of animals, like my dog Finn, enter Harris County Animal Shelter each year through no fault of their own," said McCullers. "We can all do something to help and I encourage the community to adopt or foster to be part of the lifesaving solution for these animals."
McCuller's foundation, a non-profit organization established by the pitcher and his family, "... aims to invest, bring awareness, and create programs aimed at advocates for stray and homeless animals across the Houston area and the rest of the country," according to the announcement.
The Harris County Animal Shelter, a division of Harris County Public Health, provides animal adoption and veterinary care for homeless pets, a pet wellness clinic for the public, zoonotic disease surveillance, responsible pet ownership education and animal control services to Harris County pet owners.
And the organization offered McCullers effusive praise.
"We applaud Lance for leveraging his prominence with his genuine desire to make a positive impact for shelter animals in our community," Dr. Michael White, Director, Harris County Animal Shelter, said in a release.
"We are deeply grateful to the Lance McCullers Jr. Foundation for their continued support and for making a meaningful impact for pets in need."
Peter Dawson is a digital reporter in Houston.
