Archives: Shelter

The Appalachian SPCA was formed by a group of committed volunteers with one specific goal in mind: to end the needless euthanasia of healthy, adoptable shelter animals.  Animals in Appalachia face an unsettling plight due to a lack of financial resources amongst many owners, little to no protective legislation or public education, and animal shelters without the resources to provide much help to their charges.  The Appalachian SPCA’s volunteers instituted immediate change in the area.  By utilizing the local media to advertise the need for foster homes and monetary donations, the board and membership base began to grow.  With the help of foster families, transporters, monetary and equipment donations, successful fundraisers, and countless hours spent with local government officials and shelter employees, the small group managed to save over 400 animals in its first year.

To date, in keeping with its commitment to saving lives, Appalachian SPCA has treated several heartworm-positive dogs, arranged for countless life saving amputations, treated puppies with Parvo and distemper, worked with other rescues to transport dogs with specific medical needs to areas with better vet care, and paid thousands of dollars in vet bills in order to save and improve lives.  They ensure that all animals in the organization’s care are spayed, neutered, up to date on immunizations, heartworm negative and current on prevention.  The group’s volunteers have found loving homes for dogs with various special needs and they take a special interest in saving elderly animals from euthanasia. 

During recent flash flooding experienced in the group’s area, Appalachian SPCA answered the call for help from owners who were displaced by the flooding.  Housing was provided for displaced animals while owners sought temporary shelter. The group also donated over 3000 lbs. of dog and cat food to flood victims and helped with transporting animals out of dangerous areas. 

In the near future, Appalachian SPCA hopes to create a low cost spay/neuter option for the rural Appalachian area, and the group also hopes to implement a trap, neuter, release program for cats. Controlling the pet population is a major focus.  Recently, the organization was happy to learn that through its efforts, the euthanasia of healthy, adoptable animals was halted entirely for two consecutive months in a high kill, rural shelter which previously was accustomed to a 60% kill rate. Success like this encourages the group to continue its positive impact and work toward ending all needless euthanasia in its area. 

SPCA International is thrilled that our Shelter of the Week grant to Appalachian SPCA will help further the goals of this brand-new, active force in the community.  We wish them further successes in their efforts to eliminate euthanasia of homeless companion animals in Appalachia.

You can donate to this organization via PayPal account on their webpage at:
http://appalachianspca.org/donations/

Web site: 
http://appalachianspca.org
OR look up Appalachian SPCA on Facebook!

The Eastern Montana Humane Society (EMHS), incorporated in 2005, is a small organization with big dreams.  Their mission is simple, if not easy: "No more home less pets."  They hope to accomplish this in the area they serve via a variety of goals, including reuniting lost pets with their owners, working to reduce and eventually eliminate the killing of healthy or treatable companion animals, adopting out homeless animals to carefully-screened homes, sponsoring low-cost sterilization and vaccination clinics, and educating the community on the curability of pet over population and the virtue and benefits of responsible pet ownership. They also work to  prevent abuse of and cruelty to animals, and teach children to be humane and responsible pet owners. 

A long-term goal which has yet to be realized is the construction of a building to house abandoned, neglected and abused companion  animals while they are treated and await adoption.  Up to this point, EMHS has cared for and re-homed hundreds of homeless dogs and cats, all without an actual shelter building.  With the completion  of the facilities, however, the organization  will have a permanent structure to provide shelter for homeless pets, to allow people to board their animals when away from home, and to  hold obedience classes and educational workshops.

Recently, EMHS became the caretakers of 24 abandoned cats discovered by the local sheriff department.  This influx has put a strain on the limited budget of this small organization.  SPCA International is happy to help in this emergency situation, and proud to honor this program for thinking big as far as how to help animals.

You can donate to this organization by sending a check to:
Eastern Montana Humane Society
P.O. Box 1286
Baker, MT 59313

Web site
www.easternmontanahumanesociety.org

Volunteers of the Purrfect Corporation, a sanctuary for companion animals since 1998, have their work cut out for them.  In economically struggling Hill County, Texas, it sometimes seems like there aren’t a lot of people who care about dogs and cats.  Sadly, puppies and kittens are abandoned with regularity, and the solution to the problem – spay and neuter of all dogs and cats – has yet to be embraced widely by pet owners, despite the availability of some low-cost and even free services in nearby areas.  Even the dogs and cats that are “owned” may have a fairly precarious life: dogs are often housed outdoors without adequate shelter, and “barn” cats attached to local farms and ranches – while they do have shelter and food – are vulnerable to predators and accidents.

Hill County has no government-run shelter, and any animals picked up by municipalities’ Animal Control are either destroyed immediately or given 3 days to be claimed, then killed.  Purrfect Corp will sometimes take in some of these animals; they also receive animals surrendered by owners who won’t or can’t care for them.

Purrfect Corp’s founder tells of fielding phone calls from kids desperate to save their pet’s life: their father has threatened to shoot the dog or drown the cat because it has become a financial burden to care for, or they just don’t want to be bothered anymore.  Other times, whole litters of young animals have been simply dumped on a street corner or a back lot to fend for themselves.  Sometimes when they are found they are too ill and emaciated to be saved.

The dedicated members of Purrfect Corp know they’re up against entrenched mindsets placing a low value on companion animals, but they don’t let that stop them.  Neither does their extremely modest funding.  The director of the organization has turned her own property into an indoor/outdoor sanctuary, complete with an enclosed shelter with porch and pet doors, special fencing to keep the cats contained, a water mister for the summer, a heat lamp for the winter, and other creative solutions for a small shelter space.  Currently, 74 cats and 2 dogs call this sanctuary home.

SPCA International applauds Purrfect Corporation for their great dedication to animals.  We are pleased that the Shelter of the Week award will help the organization with a list of projects, including eye surgery for one of the current feline patients, spay and neuter of some of the 11 kittens just taken in, and the purchase of two automatic water dispensers for the shelter.

You can donate to this organization by sending a check to:
Purrfect Corporation
133 Waterview Dr.
Whitney, TX 76692

Web site(s)
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/TX414.html
http://purrfectcorpanimalsanctuary.org/cgi-bin/blog

The Clark County Humane Association is an independent, non-profit, no kill animal shelter serving Clark County, Indiana and the surrounding area.  Officially in existence since 1958 (but in fact for a few decades before that), it has a proven track record of finding loving homes for the animals in its care.

The current director has been involved with the organization for 20 years.  Until about 8 years ago, the Humane Association existed as a foster network; the foster families housed and cared for the homeless pets as the volunteers worked to find permanent homes.  In 2002, the dedicated team of volunteers finally had enough funds to purchase and fix up a house on a half acre of land.  This is how the organization came by its unusual shelter facility: a large ranch-style house.  The side porch and two upstairs bedrooms are the designated “cat rooms,” where the feline guests live uncaged and in remarkable harmony.  The kitchen and dining area were roughly converted into an area for the small dogs, again uncaged.  There is a “big dog” room as well, in dire need of repair after several rambunctious canines have done their worst with the linoleum, walls, etc.  This is the room that SPCAI’s Shelter of the Week grant will help to renovate.

The Humane Association currently cares for 70-80 cats, many of which were left anonymously on the doorstep of the shelter house.  The house is also temporarily home to about 12 dogs (the maximum permitted by county regulations).

SPCA International is proud to honor this program for its long-standing commitment to the animals of Clark County and its environs.

You can donate to this organization by sending a check to:
Humane Association of Clark County
2702 Middle Road
Jeffersonville, IN 47130

Web site
www.hacconline.org

Russell Refuge, Inc. provides temporary shelter to Jack Russell Terriers in the northeastern United States who are no longer wanted or have been placed in public shelters.  The volunteers of this refuge work tirelessly to help rescue, rehabilitate and find loving homes for these wonderful dogs.

SPCA International is happy to help the efforts of the Russell Refuge with a Shelter of the Week Grant enabling them to continue their life saving work.

The dedicated volunteers at Russell refuge understand and allow these little dogs time to heal, learn and play. With their help many dogs have taken that important step into the world of being loved by people who adopted them for their spirit and character, and for the desire to give these kind souls a chance to trust and live again. Below are just a few of the faces of those lucky dogs who have found their forever home!

To learn more, adopt or to donate to the Russell Refuge please visit their website at:
http://www.russellrefuge.org/

Created in 2003, but officially founded in 2007, Adote um Gatinho (AuG) is a 100% volunteer group that has the goal of caring and finding homes for abandoned cats that live in Sao Paulo, the biggest city in Brazil. The organization’s name means “Adopt a Kitten” in Portuguese, and yet they rescue cats without regard for their age, health status, or adoptability.

Thanks to the efforts of AuG, over 3,000 cats have been rescued from the streets and are happily living with caring owners. All the cats rescued by the organization are spayed/neutered, vaccinated and await adoption in the organization’s shelter or foster homes.  AuG also provides spay and neuter of hundreds of homeless cats that, due to the organization’s limited resources, are not yet supported with full foster care.  Furthermore, the organization is involved in public education regarding the importance of sterilization and how to report animal abuse.

The organization has a vibrant web presence that contributes to their educational efforts as well as their success in placing cats for adoption.  The website has photos of all cats available for adoption with a description of their history and temperament. There is a blog telling the inside story of AuG and the daily activities, and a FAQ section about cat care.

SPCA International is proud to honor this program for its important work to improve the lives of street cats in Sao Paulo.  The Shelter of the Week grant is specially “earmarked” for the care of Bobó, a young paraplegic cat.  Bobó was the victim of abuse and spent several weeks on the street, unable to walk, before Adote um Gatinho heard about him.  After spinal surgery and a procedure to fix his blocked urethra, he is doing much better; his prospects for a full and healthy life – including regaining his ability to walk – are very good once he receives the medications and physical therapy he needs.

You can donate to this organization securely via PayPal at the following link:
http://adoteumgatinho.uol.com.br/SPCAI/paypal.html

Web site
www.adoteumgatinho.org.br

Little Gayle, the miracle survivor of an over 10 mile trip in the engine of a moving car, was lucky that her meows for help were heard when the car stopped; she was also lucky that the distraught driver was aware of AdvoCATs, Inc., having just adopted two cats from the group.  When the driver called, AdvoCATs was happy to come in to pick up the lucky kitten, but they didn’t stop there.  A dedicated volunteer spent several nights with a humane trap, rounding up all of Gayle’s siblings from the area where she had managed to creep into the car’s engine.  They even found the mother, whose identity became clear due to the remarkable resemblance to Gayle.

AdvoCATs Inc. has been fostering and rehoming felines in and around the nation’s capital for over 10 years.  Like many of the organizations supported by SPCA International, AdvoCATs does amazing work with very little money.  The organization finds new homes (carefully vetted to make sure they’ll meet the furry adoptee’s needs) for cats from a variety of hard-luck situations.  AdvoCATs saves cats from area shelters, from owners who no long can or wish to care for them, and from some managed colonies of “stray” or semi-feral cats.

SPCA International is delighted that our Shelter of the Week grant will help this worthy group of volunteers pay for the spay and neuter surgeries for Gayle and her family, and continue their life-saving work bringing cats a second chance at finding their forever home.

You can donate to this organization by sending a check to:

AdvoCATs Inc.
P.O. Box 17258
Arlington, VA 22216

…or securely via their website at: http://www.advocats-inc.org/donate.htm

Web site
http://www.advocats-inc.org

Alaska Dog & Puppy Rescue (ADPR) was formed in 2003 to help address companion animal overpopulation in the Mat-Su Valley in south-central Alaska and several communities in “bush” Alaska. The dogs and puppies taken in are saved from certain death at overburdened shelters in the area. Thanks to its hundreds of dedicated and compassionate volunteers, ADPR has continued to grow and is now rescuing and placing over 1000 dogs a year. All the dogs are spayed or neutered, current on vaccinations and are kept in foster care until the right forever home is found for them.

While rescuing dogs, educating the public on responsible pet ownership and the importance of spaying and neutering, and being advocates for dogs in the Wasilla community and beyond, ADPR also strives to be an asset to the human community.  The biggest long-term goal of the organization is to start a No-Kill Sanctuary in the Mat-Su Valley.

SPCA International is proud to honor Alaska Dog & Puppy Rescue for its successful record in finding new homes for thousands of rescued Alaskan dogs.

You can donate to this organization by sending a check to:
Alaska Dog & Puppy Rescue
P.O. Box 87688
Wasilla, AK 99687

Web site
http://www.adoptafriend.net/akdogrescue.html 

The government of Mexico lacks a mechanism either to treat the thousands of starving and sick street animals roaming the city of Tijuana or to provide veterinary care to the pets of the poor. To address this gap, the Humane Society of Tijuana (HSTJ) had to get creative. Lacking funds for a private shelter, it found an alternative. While HSTJ volunteers still do one-on-one street rescues, the organization has also devised another type of rescue, the Street Clinic. They realized a lot of abandoned street animals could enjoy a markedly improved quality of life through simple medical treatments; this care would improve their looks and demeanor enough for them to be accepted by neighborhoods and/or individuals who would then care for them in an ongoing way.  In this model, people in the poorest neighborhoods are encouraged to bring their pets for free or very low cost basic treatments (de-worming and mange, tick, and flea treatment). They are encouraged to bring the street animals along too. After being treated and no longer suffering from diarrhea, mange, ticks and eye infections, these street animals look and feel 100% better and are often adopted by individuals or by a group of people on the block where they were roaming. Instead of a miserable existence on the streets, sick, starving, frightened, and in pain, these animals now are given food, clean water, and a place to sleep; they are often even brought to HSTJ’s monthly free spay and neuter clinics which is an ideal outcome as the cycle of overpopulation is slowed.  Thanks to some very simple interventions, they now have a chance at a decent life.  You can see some of their amazing recoveries by looking at the before and after photos below.

In addition to the Street Clinics, Friends of HSTJ educates the public about general health and sanitation, particularly in regards to living in proximity to animals.  They also instruct pet owners in poor neighborhoods on proper care and feeding of their animals.

Finally, the organization promotes humane legislation and is working to eliminate the electrocution method of killing at state-run pounds in Mexico.

SPCA International is proud to honor this program for its innovative and successful efforts to improve the lives of street animals and pets in Tijuana.   

You can donate to this organization by sending a check to:
Friends of the Humane Society of Tijuana
641 E. San Ysidro Blvd. #B3-431
San Diego, CA 92173

Web site
www.friendsofhstj.org