Ryan and Krissie Newman with their rescued dogs, Mopar, Harley, Digger and Socks. Credit: Karen Will Rogers

Newman Foundation plans pet rescue trip

Statesville, NC -- The Ryan Newman Foundation is joining forces with Project HALO, a national animal rescue organization from Charlotte, NC, to plan a rescue trip to Gulfport, MS to deliver animal supplies and rescue pets at the end of the month.

Nextel Cup driver of the No. 12 ALLTEL Dodge Ryan Newman explains, "It's so sad to think about the families who lost everything they own to Hurricane Katrina, and now they're living out of their cars just trying to hang on to the pets that they love. My wife, Krissie, and our foundation director, Rosalie De Fini, are planning to take truckloads of food and supplies down to Gulfport and bring back dogs and cats. If I were in that situation, I would do everything I could to keep my animals. This rescue mission to Gulfport is the least we can do to help those families with pets."

Krissie Newman says, "We want to do everything we can to help the families with animals and the homeless pets who are victims of Hurricane Katrina. The Ryan Newman Foundation is donating $4,000 to the Humane Society of the United States Disaster Relief Fund. Ryan donated autographed items to the Greg Biffle Foundation for their Racing for Victims of Katrina eBay auction. Penske Racing is donating pet food and supplies to Project HALO, and Alltel donated $57,000 to the American Red Cross. Tom Johnson Camping Center is loaning us the use of an RV for our pet rescue trip. We can use all the help we can get from NASCAR fans and pet lovers to raise money for our rescue mission to Gulfport to save the animals. It's going to be a group effort."

On September 26, the Ryan Newman Foundation will deliver truckloads of Purina pet food, water, animal care supplies and veterinary supplies to the Humane Society of Southern Mississippi in Gulfport. Krissie Newman and Rosalie De Fini will be joined by Michelle Croom of Ryan Newman Motorsports, De Fini's husband, Joe Ley and Sandy Simerlien, horse trainer for Kim Burton. After delivering supplies, they will volunteer to rescue animals and then will return to Project HALO in Charlotte, North Carolina at the end of the month with dogs and cats that were relinquished by victims of Hurricane Katrina who could not care for their pets.

De Fini explains, "I am so proud of the animal welfare organizations that have joined forces in Gulfport to help the families with pets in the community. The humane society's facility was destroyed, and they are operating out of a concrete building on the property of their future facility. Despite the devastation in the area, the humane society and local animal control have come together with VMAT, Project HALO and now the Ryan Newman Foundation to distribute pet food and water to families with pets and to care for homeless animals that were stranded after Hurricane Katrina."

Nestle Purina Pet Food company will be donating a tractor trailer load of Purina pet food to the Ryan Newman Foundation to assist the four-legged victims of Hurricane Katrina. The foundation will deliver the food to Gulfport, MS and help distribute it to homeless animals and families with pets.

The Ryan Newman Foundation is seeking monetary and in-kind donations to fund their pet rescue mission. The plan of action for the mission will be posted on the foundation's website, along with ways to help. For a project timeline and list of needed supplies, as well as to make a donation, visit www.ryannewmanfoundation.org.