Category: Feature Stories

SPCA International has been supporting Clean Futures Fund in the Chornobyl Nuclear Exclusion Zone since 2017. Our staff were honored to participate in spay and neuter events, and we are proud to have provided funding over the years to reach this special dog population. 

The dogs of Chornobyl included hundreds of semi-feral dogs who were the descendants of pets left behind during the nuclear disaster in the 80’s. With careful planning and local coordination, Clean Futures Fund brought comprehensive spay and neuter, feeding and health campaigns to the area to safely and humanely reduce the size and suffering of these dogs. 

Though work was always challenging in the Chornobyl Nuclear Exclusion Zone, the Russian invasion put the people and the dogs of Chornobyl at terrible risk. Dedicated Ukrainians have worked relentlessly to deliver food and first-aid to dogs, but Russian occupation, road blocks and ruined roads have complicated their work immensely. 

Here at SPCA International, we are thrilled to have supported this courageous group of people in continuing their work to reach the dogs and people of Chornobyl. In addition to support for the recent spay and neuter event, SPCA International sponsored a four-wheel-drive vehicle to help Clean Futures Fund reach the people and animals who need them. 

With its new vehicle, the Clean Futures Fund is able to transport food from Kyiv to Chornobyl more efficiently. They are also using the vehicle to transport people in Ukraine and provide support to the villages surrounding the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. The Clean Futures Fund plans to continue using the vehicle to provide animals with services and food in Chernobyl.

Funding for this grant came from the SPCA International’s Shelter Support Fund, through which the organization supports and partners with animal shelters and service organizations around the world to increase their impact.

Each year SPCA International staff share their favorite pet items and this might be our best list yet! With toys, beds, carriers, feeders, grooming items and more, we hope you find something for the pets and pet people on your holiday shopping list this year. 

A special SPCA International partner, The PetaBox is donating $1 to SPCAI for every one of their innovative dog and cat products sold! Some of our favorite items include this Portable Dog Water Bottle that includes its own bowl, this discrete Portable Pooper Scooper and this Self Rotating Robot Cat Toy!

A lifesaver for tired paws on long hikes or trips, there is a K9 Sport Sack for every size of pup, no matter their (and their pet parents’) lifestyle. With features like side vents, detachable storage bags and padded straps, these pet carriers are simply incredible. 

The Rolly Cannoli is a genius toy that keeps pups busy without making a mess! The special design keeps hard and soft treats (even peanut butter) from falling out. Not only is this toy fun and tidy, but it also floats and comes in multiple colors! We’re not sure who will love this toy more, pups or pup parents. 

Keeping pups busy can be a challenge, but the Wobble Wag Giggle Ball can provide hours of intrigue for curious dogs. This flexible ball is made of durable vinyl, “giggles” when moved to a new angle, and features multiple “pockets” so dogs large and small can pick it up! 

Late-night walkers and wanderers are easily seen with these Glowing Pet Collars! With a lithium-ion battery, these weather-resistant collars can be sized to fit any pet. They keep pets safe because they can be seen from 500 meters and include three different “glow modes”. 

This Automatic Pet Feeder is a sanity saver for busy pet parents who want to “set it and forget it”. Pet parents can program the feeder to dispense a specific amount of food up to ten times a day. Even better, humans can include a 10-second “meal call” recording to tell their pets it is time to eat!

For the bored or anxious pet, these Lick Mats can be a lifesaver! Designed to accommodate hard and soft foods on horizontal or vertical surfaces, the mats can keep pets busy during long days at home or stressful activities like baths. They are even dishwasher safe, which keeps clean-up easy.  

This Car Seat Cover and Hammock is 100% waterproof and durable to keep pets safe and vehicles pristine. It can be used as a traditional back seat cover, in the hatch of an SUV or it can be converted into a hammock between the front and back seats – a feature that is particularly helpful for smaller pets. 

Wisdom Panel DNA tests for cats and dogs provides valuable insight into pet ancestry, breed, traits and health risks. Tests involve a simple swab returned to the lab through pre-paid shipping and results are ready in just a couple of weeks. 

Pups are as unique as their coats, which is why Pride + Groom provides pet grooming products based on coat type! From shampoos and conditioners to products for in-between baths, pups will be soft and nice smelling for weeks!

A good sleep makes everyone happy, which is why this Calming Pet Bed is so great! High walls and super soft shag fabric keeps dogs or cats cozy and happy for restful naps and nights. They look so nice, we wish they made them for people too!

The Doggy Bathroom is a gamechanger for the way pups potty. Designed like a litter box for dogs, the Doggy Bathroom provides horizontal and vertical surfaces with liquid absorption and odor masking. This product is great for pups that spend many hours at home or don’t like venturing into bad weather. 

This Cat Tunnel Bed does double duty as a cozy bed and a fun tunnel! Cats will be content to lounge in the bed and play in the double entrance tunnel. It even comes with a hanging toy to keep kitties occupied. 

Great for busy kitties, this two-pack of Silvervine Stick Chew Toys includes one Catnip Ball Toy and one Bell Toy. Constructed of handwoven silvervine sticks, cats’ teeth are cleaned as they play. These all-natural chew toys are sure to keep cats busy for hours. 

The Hartz Just For Cats® Peek and Play™ Cat Toy requires no assembly, which makes it a perfect holiday gift. With several windows, toys and a detachable scratcher, cats can have fun and maintain healthy nails. 

 Thank you to everyone who helped make Operation KTMO a success! With your support we reached over 170 animals in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba with essential veterinary care. Our special nonprofit coalition brought together Operation Git-Meow, Caribbean Spay and Neuter and Army Veterinary resources on base during a five-day event designed to improve conditions for animals and keep the Guantanamo Bay community safe from rabies and other animal-borne illnesses. We were thrilled to be received warmly by everyone on base and the volunteers were amazing! We look forward to future collaboration on this important project!

Thank you to everyone who stepped up to support essential veterinary care for animals in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba! 

A long-trusted military partner, SPCA International is thrilled to be part of a nonprofit coalition to improve the lives of animals and people in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. 

SPCAI is partnering with Operation Git-Meow, Caribbean Spay and Neuter and Army Veterinary resources on base to provide essential veterinary care and sterilizations during a 5-day event in November with the goal of treating 400 animals!

This event will improve conditions for animals and keep the Guantanamo Bay community safe from rabies and other animal-borne illnesses. The base is the size of a small town, covering over 45 square miles with over 6,000 military members, contractors, civilian employees and family members.

This initiative is critically important because rabies is a serious public health issue in Cuba that puts free-roaming animals and the pets of our military members at risk. Ensuring animals are free of disease will also ensure the human population on base stays safe.

Following a rabies outbreak earlier this year in the Nyamagana District of Tanzania, people were extremely interested in getting their dogs vaccinated for rabies. Unfortunately, many families simply can’t afford to bring their animals to the vet or pay for vaccinations. That’s where Lake Zone Animal Welfare stepped in with a solution.

This September, in honor of World Rabies Day (the 28^th), Lake Zone Animal Welfare held community events and went door to door to vaccinate dogs against rabies. Along the way, the five-person volunteer veterinary team provided education about animal welfare and care to ensure dogs are healthy and safe. 

This series of events complements Lake Zone Animal Welfare’s year-round strategy of promoting respect and compassion for animals through humane education programs in primary schools, providing access to veterinary services for impoverished families and hosting spay/neuter campaigns. 

SPCA International is proud to support this strong grass-roots organization. We are thrilled to contribute to the health and safety of people and animals in the Nyamagana District. We look forward to all Lake Zone Animal Welfare continues to accomplish on behalf of the communities they serve.

World Rabies Day calls attention to a harsh reality. Over 50,000 people die from rabies every year. Heartbreakingly, many who die are children from impoverished communities in developing countries. 

Thankfully, rabies vaccines provide a solution. That’s why SPCA International is providing targeted grants to five partner organizations in Africa and Asia that are holding World Rabies Day events this month. Though they work to vaccinate animals and educate communities all year long, this day is particularly important for bringing attention to rabies vaccines. 

In much of the developing world, many dogs are not vaccinated, which means they can contract and spread rabies to humans. This puts people and dogs at risk of death. It also stigmatizes dogs which means they suffer from unnecessary neglect and cruelty. 

SPCA International is proud to support the rabies vaccination efforts of Stray Animal Foundation of India, Tanzania Animals Protection Organization, TAHUCHA, Lake Zone Animal Welfare and Tanzania Animal Welfare Society this World Rabies Day. 

By making rabies and other vaccines available alongside rabies education to at-risk communities, their efforts will save lives and improve conditions for dogs and people.

Thanks to a generous outpouring of support from the SPCA International community, Spikey and the other animals in the care of LAPS (Lucky Animal Protection Shelter) are safe!

It hasn’t been easy for them. Since the initial evacuation, which left dogs stranded on the roofs of their kennels during a long and scary night, the animals have been moved three times to safer locations. All along, your support provided food, veterinary care and attention for these pups. 

As they wait for the water to recede from the shelter, our partners at LAPS are exhaustedly continuing their work. Every person has been working overtime to care for the animals, even as many of their own homes are underwater. 

Despite all the trauma of the situation, we are excited to share that Spikey is available for adoption. Please contact LAPS directly if you have space in your heart and home for this sweet boy with special needs. 

The animals’ needs are being met now thanks to your support. In the coming weeks, LAPS will face yet another challenge as they begin to rebuild their shelter and make it safe and welcoming for the animals once again. Several walls caved in, and with standing water in the shelter, the full damage has yet to be seen. Please consider an additional disaster relief donation.

Peggy and 19 other pups have finally been reunited with the military service members who adopted them while serving overseas. These dogs’ journeys were delayed by CDC rules that restricted the import of animals from over 100 countries for a year. 

Though the CDC has recently eased the restrictions, SPCA International had implemented creative procedures to reunite pups with their soldiers. Dogs from the restricted countries were being flown to Canada for a six-month quarantine period before being cleared to travel to the U.S. and their waiting families. This process was complicated and costly. 

We are thrilled to share that 20 pups have now made it from Canada to their service members in the U.S. Peggy is just one of them, but her reunion with Marine John Kurulgan warms our hearts. 

John had adopted Peggy during a deployment in the Republic of Georgia. She was just a tiny pup and he looked forward to making her part of his family with his fiancée in the U.S. Heartbreakingly, John’s fiancée never got the chance to meet Peggy. While Peggy was stuck in limbo, John’s fiancée was killed in a car accident. 

John says that amidst the tragedy, one of the only things he had to look forward to was his reunion with Peggy. Now, a year after they parted, Peggy is home with John and his other pups on Staten Island. 

SPCA International’s Operation Baghdad Pups: Worldwide also rescued Peggy’s siblings and mom for John’s fellow Marines and they are looking forward to getting the pups together for a reunion sometime soon.

As the only animal welfare group in the war-affected northern region of the country, Big Fix Uganda is indeed making a big impact. SPCA International is proud to support their multi-faceted approach to community-based animal welfare. Big Fix Uganda provides community education, veterinary services for animals and a companion animal program for people traumatized by war.  

Community Education:

Through a combination of school presentations, community events, radio show participation and community murals, Big Fix Uganda is changing attitudes and behavior toward animals. The concept of dog care and training is new to many families, so education is a key component of improving conditions for animals in this area. 

Veterinary Services:

Because war has left this area with few economic resources, community members typically can’t afford veterinary care for their dogs and cats. Through bi-weekly field clinics, Big Fix Uganda is treating an average of 185 animals every two weeks for free. They provide rabies vaccination, de-worming, treatment of wounds/injuries and sterilization services.  

Comfort Dog Project:

Big Fix Uganda places rescued and rehabilitated dogs with war trauma survivors as part of a psycho-social rehabilitation program. The guardians make a lifetime commitment to care for their dogs and they attend weekly training sessions. Upon graduation, the dog-guardian teams become project ambassadors – visiting villages and schools to support the educational component of Big Fix Uganda’s strategy. 

We are thrilled to announce that SPCA International is teaming up with Xbox to celebrate Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy now available with PC Game Pass. Xbox will be hosting a live playthrough of the game, while Cosmo the Spacedog’s biggest fan, a handsome Labrador Retriever named Milo watches along in his space suit! You don’t want to miss this!

During the livestream, Milo will be eating, playing and just being an all-around adorable pup in his costume. SPCA International will be featured prominently during the stream, and viewers will have the option to donate directly to SPCAI on Twitch via Tiltify. 

Tune in to the Xbox Twitch channel on July 20th at 3pm PDT to join our cosmic adventure and raise money for SPCA International.

But wait there’s more! Don’t miss your chance to win your very own cassette player modeled after Star-Lord’s cassette player from Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Starting today you can enter #TheGalaxyHasGuardians sweepstakes to win this 80s classic, otherwise known as a Portable Bipedal Frequency Streamer!

For your chance to hold the Portable Bipedal Frequency Streamer in your hand, just follow @SPCAINT on Twitter and then follow the instructions posted.