The following is from a press release:
On April 7, dozens of animal lovers, community leaders, and friends of the late animal advocate Phran Galante packed the lobby of Pet Community Center’s (PCC) new facility, The Phran Galante Center for Pet Wellness, to celebrate its dedication. PCC Board Chair Steve Cavezza, Founding CEO Natalie Corwin, current President & CEO Brandon Dyce, and donor and husband of Phran Galante, Joe Galante, led the ceremony and ribbon cutting.
“This is the beginning of a new era for Pet Community Center here in this building. The Phran Galante Center for Pet Wellness gives us countless opportunities to deepen our support here in Nashville,” said Brandon Dyce.
At 5,400 square feet, The Phran Galante Center for Pet Wellness is nearly three times the size of Pet Community Center’s former clinic in East Nashville. Once it is fully operational, the facility will allow PCC to increase its surgery capacity by another 4,000 animals a year, preventing an estimated 20,000 unwanted puppies and kittens annually.
“Ultimately, our mission is to strengthen the human-animal bond through accessible veterinary care and support services. So, our vision for The Phran Galante Center for Pet Wellness is growth and impact – to expand services, serve more pets, reach more families, and, best of all, save more lives,” said Brandon Dyce.
The nonprofit could not have opened its new facility without the support of many loyal donors, especially that of animal welfare pioneer Phran Galante and her husband, Joe Galante. In her life, Phran positively changed and saved the lives of thousands of pets in need by leading efforts to rewrite city ordinances, spearheading outreach clinics in disadvantaged neighborhoods, volunteering in the city’s municipal shelter to care for animals, and lobbying to end puppy mills and animal fighting.
“Phran couldn’t abide animal cruelty in any form,” said Joe Galante. “She was not a person who shied away from something when she really felt passionate about it, so she was totally in on making necessary changes for all pets in our community.”
In its new facility, Pet Community Center is poised to carry on Phran’s legacy and tackle animal homelessness like never before. In 2022, over 40% of all stray animals brought to Metro Animal Care and Control (MACC) came from three zip codes: 37211, 37013, and 37217. This means that PCC’s new location at 5233 Harding Place, Suite 5247, Nashville, TN 37217 sits in the heart of animal homelessness in Nashville.
