Treasurer McCord Reunites Francisvale Home for Smaller Animals with Nearly $35,000 in Property During Visit to Nation’s Oldest No-kill Shelter

Funds part of more than $100,000 in unclaimed property Treasury seeks to return to animal organizations

Radnor, PA – October 12, 2012 – (RealEstateRama) — The nation’s oldest “no-kill” shelter now has nearly $35,000 in additional resources to support routine and unexpected medical treatments for the animals in its care after State Treasurer Rob McCord today reunited the Francisvale Home for Smaller Animals with property that belonged to the organization, but had gone unclaimed for years.

Treasurer McCord said the Pennsylvania Treasury’s Unclaimed Property Program can be a resource for non-profits and other community organizations that operate under tight budgets. Including the property returned today, he said Treasury has more than $100,000 in unclaimed property that belongs to animal organizations and businesses.

“Animals are a source of companionship and enjoyment for so many of us, and organizations and businesses that care for these animals should have access to every dollar possible in order to support their work,” Treasurer McCord said. “This includes unclaimed property that has been turned over to the Pennsylvania Treasury. This money belongs to these organizations, and we want to get it back where it belongs — helping our four-legged friends!”

Treasurer McCord noted the property owed to animal clubs, sanctuaries, obedience/training schools, grooming facilities, hospitals, clinics, and humane societies is only a fraction of the $1.9 billion in unclaimed property Treasury is now working to return to people and businesses.

The Treasurer encouraged everyone to search Treasury’s free unclaimed property database at www.patreasury.gov or call 1-800-222-2046, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A member of Treasury’s Return Team will assist with their search and the claim process.

“Everywhere I go, I encourage people to take a moment and search our free database for their name,” Treasurer McCord said. “But I also encourage them to search for the names of their family, friends, and organizations or community groups that are important to them. We have property that belongs to people, police departments, school districts, day care centers, and other types of businesses and organizations. Plus, we annually receive new unclaimed property so be sure to search www.patreasury.gov regularly.

“We estimate a person has about a one in 10 chance of finding property in their name, and the average claim is about $1,200, so it could be well worth a few quick minutes to search our database,” said the Treasurer, who added people and organizations usually do not know they are owed property because “holders,” or entities that hold property owed to others, are not required under state law to contact the owner before remitting it to Treasury. As a result, Treasury receives millions of dollars in unclaimed property.

Generally speaking, unclaimed property is any financial asset that has been left with a business or government agency without activity or contact for at least one year. Common forms of property reported to Treasury each year include abandoned bank accounts, forgotten stocks, uncashed checks, and contents of safe deposit boxes.

Since January 2009, the McCord Treasury has collected more than $820 million in property, returned more than $377 million to rightful owners, and generated about $442 million for the state’s General Fund through the Unclaimed Property Program.

To learn more about Pennsylvania’s Unclaimed Property Program or to search for property, visit www.patreasury.gov or call 1-800-222-2046.

Media contact: Elizabeth Foose, 717-787-2991 or

Editor’s note: Listed below are animal organizations, by county, with unclaimed property listed in Treasury’s database. To find out if others have unclaimed property, please call 717-787-2991 or search for free at www.patreasury.gov.

Allegheny
North American Feline Club

Bucks
Old York Road Dog Training Club

Crawford
Jamars Dog Obedience School

Dauphin
Liberty Horse Center

Greene
Greene County Bird Dog Assn.

Lebanon
Lebanon Horsemans Club

Lehigh
Forgotten Felines

Monroe
Country Canine Obedience

Northampton
Penn Jersey Cat Club

Philadelphia
Paws Awhile Grooming

York
Foxcote Show Horses