Category: Feature Stories

This past spring, Marine Corporal Brady found himself falling hard for the fluffball puppy he named Marshmallow. He had no idea that COVID-19 would keep them both on their military base in the Republic of Georgia for months to come.

Finally, after months of waiting, flights started operating again. Luckily, Marshmallow was able to fly out of the Republic of Georgia on the same commercial flight as Corporal Brady. This was excellent because it meant Corporal Brady and Marshmallow could stay together until their travel date. There was only one catch – the military prohibits adopted pets from being added to service members’ tickets.

One of SPCA International’s dedicated flight volunteers, Lucas, offered to take the trip with Marshmallow. Since he was flying out in under 24 hours, Lucas was able to fly into the Republic of Georgia with a quarantine exemption.

After Lucas arrived at the airport, things started to go sideways. Lucas was asked to step into a room while his paperwork was processed. He had planned to spend one night at a hotel near the airport, but he was forgotten in the empty room at the airport for nearly 14 hours.

Meanwhile, Corporal Brady brought Marshmallow to the airport to meet up with Lucas, but Marshmallow’s crate was denied. The airport staff were requiring that animal crates have plastic screws, which the Corporal didn’t have.

Our U.S. team spent hours on the phone searching for solutions while Corporal Brady asked every airline counter for help. Finally, the Corporal had to go through customs, he was about to miss his flight. Heartbroken, he said goodbye to Marshmallow, thinking a fellow Marine would need to come get her and take her back to base.

Just as he cleared customs, Corporal Brady got a call from the SPCA International team. They had secured approval for Marshmallow’s crate. The Corporal tells us he burst into tears out of pure relief. Even though he had to travel on to finish up his deployment outside his home state, he knew Lucas would safely deliver Marshmallow to his home.

Now, Marshmallow and Corporal Brady are happily together in New York. When asked what he would tell people about SPCAI, the Corporal said, “Anything to keep this organization and selfless people going would make me happiest. I can’t thank them enough even now months later.”

Thanks to everyone in the SPCA International community who made Marshmallow’s rescue possible!

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2020 has been a year like no other. Many people have endured unprecedented hardships and my heart breaks for each and every person who has struggled this year.

I have been reflecting on what is important in life. The health and safety of my loved ones and the causes I care most about. For me, the health and safety of animals remains a priority because I know how much animals are suffering amidst the global crisis we are currently facing.

This holiday season, I ask those who can, to stand with us on Giving Tuesday. This global day of giving provides an opportunity for all to start the holiday season by supporting the causes near and dear to their hearts.

As with any humanitarian crisis, animals are suffering even more than humans right now. Globally, pets have been abandoned because of decimated family finances, dogs and cats who scavenge for food on the streets of developing countries no longer have restaurant dumpsters or tourists to depend on for a bite to eat, and abuse is rampant as desperate people take out their fear and anger on innocent animals.

On Giving Tuesday, the week after Thanksgiving, please consider giving whatever you can to help animals in need. SPCA International exists to connect animal lovers like you with the most pressing animal welfare needs around the globe.

Since March, the calls and emails have been constant. Shelters and rescue groups are on the brink of collapse. They are lacking volunteers, can’t complete international adoptions, have lost local financial support or simply can’t find the food and supplies they need to serve the influx of animals who need them. This year, your generosity will mean more than ever to the shelters and rescue groups working to keep feeding, sheltering and healing the hungry, homeless and hurt animals all around the world.

Whether you are shopping for animal lovers or furry family members, this list has something for everyone! Our SPCA International staff members have shared their favorite pet-centric gifts to make your holiday shopping a little easier. We hope you love these gifts as much as we do.

Many dogs who are labeled as “too aggressive” are simply untrained or misunderstood. That’s exactly what happened to Chachi.

Chachi and another dog were removed from near the nuclear reactor in Chernobyl because of concerns about aggression. Thankfully, our partner organization quickly realized they weren’t actually aggressive dogs. Chachi and his friend were quite loud, simply because they had never been properly socialized or trained.

Chachi’s companion quickly found a forever home, but Chachi started struggling after his buddy left. An incredible group, Mission K9, agreed to bring Chachi to their facility and work with him.

The dedicated people at Mission K9 learned that Chachi feels most comfortable when he has another dog with him. The team quickly introduced Chachi to Tess, a pup that had nearly completed certification for bomb-detection but was too friendly to go into that line of work.

We shared Chachi and Tess’s story with the SPCA International community when they were ready for forever homes. We were all thrilled when a wonderful retired Massachusetts military couple stepped up to become their forever family.

Today, Chachi and Tess are well adjusted in their new home. Chachi is protective of Tess and his human family, but he isn’t aggressive. His new pet parents think he must be part shepherd because he often herds kids and keeps an eye on them while they play. When he isn’t working to keep his family members safe, Chachi is a big couch potato who loves snuggles.

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If you are considering adopting a dog, please keep Chachi in mind. There are many resources available to help dogs learn to trust humans and live happily with a family. A dog passed over by others could be just who you need in your life.

Thanks to many generous individuals, Courage is on the mend. Truly one of the most heartbreaking cases we have seen, somebody had cut his tongue out and he was struggling to eat and drink. The scars covering his body tell a story of dogfighting, a cruel and criminal practice.

With the support of friends near and far, Courage is receiving the best care and training possible so he can live a normal life. He has learned to eat and drink, and he absolutely loves people. Courage has an incredible spirit and here at SPCA International, we are excited to continue watching his journey.

Many other dogs like Courage are healing from the trauma of dogfighting. Each one has their own physical and emotional scars, but they are not beyond saving. Even though rescue groups depend on donations and volunteer labor, they continue to rescue dogfighting victims. Kind and caring people tend to wounds, build trust and help these dogs experience love for the first time in their lives.  

Each year, SPCA International dedicates special grants to animal welfare groups rescuing dogs from the fighting ring. Every donation makes this important work possible and helps bring our world closer to the end of this horrendous practice. Please, make a donation today to stand up against dogfighting.

On behalf of all the dogs who will have hope restored to their lives, thank you.

SPCA International is proud to announce our new partnership with Blueberry Pet; a brand created for pet lovers by pet lovers. Blueberry Pet offers pet accessories featuring charming designs that celebrate the partnership between animals and humans. Thanks to their love of furry friends across the globe, Blueberry Pet is dedicated to giving back a portion of their profits to the animal care community.

SPCAI and Blueberry Pet recently teamed up to create the Compassion set, featuring a specially designed pattern with a brightly colored sun, leaves, and the word “Compassion.” The set includes a bandana, a classic scrunchie and a bow scrunchie, letting you team up with your pet to spread compassion everywhere.

In an effort to bring the global community together, the set showcases the word compassion in 12 different languages including: English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Tibetan, and Malay.

The design, partly inspired by the global pandemic, aims to spread the message that homeless animals around the world deserve love and a better life. In that spirit, Blueberry Pet is donating a portion of proceeds from every Compassion set sold to SPCA International.

Together we share the same vision; to improve the welfare of street animals, educate the public on the importance of adoption, and to ultimately end animal cruelty. Simply put we could not do the work we do —day in, day out to help animals across the world — without your support! We appreciate your compassion for animals.

The Tiger King phenomenon has brought the plight of big cats in captivity to the forefront of many people’s minds, but it is hard to know how to help. Even as the Big Cat Public Safety act makes its way through the legislative process, there are a few things that private citizens can do to contribute.

Don’t visit roadside zoos – Roadside zoos of any type have little oversight and though many are well-intentioned, they often don’t adhere to the highest standards in animal care. By spending our dollars elsewhere, animal welfare conscious consumers can help reduce the demand for these types of animal encounters.

Follow the rules at national and state parks – “Don’t feed the animals” and “stay in your vehicle” signs are there for a reason. Each year people and animals are hurt because people get too close to wild animals. If you are visiting animals in their natural habitat, follow the guidance of authorities to keep your animal encounters safe.

Be conscious of chance animal encounters – With many people staying home amidst COVID-19, more animals are venturing into parks and other public spaces. If you see a wild animal while you are out enjoying nature, give them plenty of space. The less we interact with them, the longer they are likely to stay!

Access wildlife cameras – There are some great free wildlife cameras offered by conservation and animal welfare groups. A quick google search will turn up cameras that can take you around the world from the comfort of your home! There is truly something for everyone with different cameras focusing on sea creatures, birds and mammals.

Last month, SPCA International celebrated the milestone of 2,000 Operation Military Pets grants awarded! This is so exciting because each of those grants represents a family that remained whole amidst a move to their next assignment.

We hear time and time again from military families about how important this program is. They tell us the high costs of pet shipping put them in a terribly difficult situation. Many families face a bill of thousands of dollars to bring their furry family members to their next duty station. They often consider running up credit cards, but others simply can’t and have to consider rehoming their pets.

One military family moving from Hawaii to the East Coast recently considered fostering their beloved yellow Labs until they could afford thousands of dollars in shipping costs. They were moving sooner than expected and were stretched financially from the high cost of living in Hawaii.

Their Labs, Thor and Loki, aren’t related by blood, but they act just like brothers. The family adopted Thor through a rescue group when he was a year old and later rescued Loki as a pup from a family who couldn’t keep him because their baby had severe allergies.

After five years with Thor and two years with Loki, they were determined to keep the Labs with their family. This is what they told us in their application, “They are our children’s companions, tagging along with them from room to room, sleeping with them at night. They are such loving boys and we would be devastated to ever separate from them. I won’t allow that to happen. I’ll find a way.”

COVID-19 flight reductions and summer heat embargoes increased shipping costs for these two boys who already had limited flight options because of their crate sizes. Thankfully, they have now made it to their new home with their loving family.

Through Operation Military Pets, SPCA International will continue to lessen the burden on military families who already sacrifice so much for our country.  Thank you to everyone who has donated to SPCA International’s programs in support of soldiers and their pets. You can learn more about Operation Military Pets here.

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With the 2,000^th grant awarded for military pet transport, SPCA International is honored to continue supporting troops through the Operation Military Pets program.

Operation Military Pets helps soldiers transport their pets to new duty stations in the U.S. and abroad. Unfortunately, the military doesn’t pay for pet relocation and families are burdened with the high cost of pet shipping. Overseas destinations can be extremely expensive, sometimes costing thousands of dollars per animal. SPCA International is proud to ease this financial burden for our soldiers. Here are some photos and messages from just a few of the soldiers we have supported recently.

Thank you very much for the assistance throughout this process. I have received the grant and it is very appreciated. Moving from overseas back home during COVID proved to be much harder and more expensive than anything we have dealt with before. This money is a huge help and we are very grateful for it, thank you again. The dogs made the trip with no issues and are loving their new home here in Rhode Island thanks to your assistance. – Captain Wertz U.S. Army

SPCA International helped me cover some of the cost of shipping my Beagle/Pug mix from Guam to Virginia. From the beginning of the application, to phase 2 and when I was finally approved of funds, the staff at SPCA were extremely polite, kind and understanding of my personal situation. They kept me informed of my status and made me feel important with regards to shipping my dog. […] Me and my dog are forever grateful for their help. – Lieutenant Junior Grade Ewings, U.S. Navy

I am an active duty servicemember, and hurting financially, since I have to transport my dog from overseas back to United States due to military orders. This organization reviewed my situation and helped me cover some of the cost associated with pet transport (not funded by military). They are a lifesaver! Helping military families ease financial burden, and in keeping their furbabies. Thank you SPCA! – Petty officer second class Go, U.S. Navy

We are forever grateful for your organization and we couldn’t have asked for a better experience! You all helped us from going into major debt getting our boys from the United States to the UK, especially after the flight prices doubled due to the pandemic. […] Thank you so much for all you do!! – Staff Sergeant Cole, U.S. Army