Woods Humane Society donations to be matched up to $25,000 in August

By Staff Report · Fri Jul 24 2026

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY — Donations to Woods Humane Society will go twice as far in August through a special matching campaign aimed at helping homeless animals in need.

The August Match Challenge, made possible through a matching donation from The Marianne and Stacy Cocks Fund, a fund of The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County, along with an anonymous donor, will match community contributions dollar-for-dollar up to $25,000.

Woods Humane Society hopes the campaign will help raise $50,000 in essential funding as the organization continues to face increasing costs and a growing number of homeless puppies and kittens requiring specialized care.

One puppy who benefited from that care is Sled, who arrived at Woods as the smallest of his litter and was later diagnosed with an enlarged heart. The condition placed him at risk of congestive heart failure within his first year of life. After undergoing life-saving open-heart surgery and a successful recovery, Sled went on to find a loving home where he now thrives alongside a matching dog sibling.

“Incredible, heart-warming successes like Sled’s are the reason we love our work at Woods,” explains Woods CEO Emily L’Heureux. “However, cases like his also cost the organization many times more than the amount budgeted for a typical dog or cat.”

The organization expects to care for more than 3,000 dogs and cats this year, providing services including food, shelter, spay and neuter procedures, vaccinations, medical treatment and adoption support.

Because of the generosity of The Marianne and Stacy Cocks Fund, a Fund of the Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County, and another anonymous donor, the community’s support this month will go twice as far as it normally would.

Donations to the August Match Challenge can be made online at WoodsHumane.org or in person at Woods Humane Society SLO, 875 Oklahoma Ave., San Luis Obispo, or Woods Humane Society North County, 2300 Ramona Road, Atascadero.