Archives: Shelter

Family members of US Military stationed at the base in Okinawa, Japan, were distressed to see an overwhelming number of abandoned companion animals wandering the city.  Not only are there thousands of “strays” who are born and live their lives on the streets as in many major cities throughout the world, but there is an additional problem unique to a military base town: some military families, when they go on leave or are permanently re-stationed, leave their pets behind to fend for themselves.  At one point, over 7,800 of the 8,666 animals who went through the largest pound in the city in one year were destroyed: in other words, less than 10% of them survived.

To address this tragic situation, OAARS was formally established in 2004 as an all-volunteer organization approved by base command.  They work to rescue and care for abandoned, mistreated, or lost animals in Okinawa.  To date, the organization has helped over 1200 animals – including dogs, cats, ferrets, hamsters, and horses – find homes.  They network throughout Okinawa, both within the military base community and the Japanese community.

OAARS has also been active in trying to change the paradigm of pet ownership amongst military families at the base: they advocated for and achieved mandatory microchipping of all pets, so that owners could be held accountable for abandoning their animals.  They also support sterilization to reduce the number of unwanted litters.  It is their hope that by encouraging responsible pet ownership, the suffering of abandoned, homeless, and lonely animals will be greatly reduced.

SPCA International is proud to honor this program for its work to improve the lives of the homeless and abandoned animals of Okinawa.

You can donate to this organization by sending a check to:
OAARS Treasurer, Cindy Rennebu
Division Chaplain
UNIT 35801
FPO AP 96602

Web site
www.oaars.org

Beauty’s Haven was founded in 2006 by a person with a special connection to horses, and one horse in particular.  Theresa Batchelor was left an “incomplete quadriplegic” after a spinal tumor (she has movement but no prorprioception, or knowledge of where her limbs are and what they are experiencing).  She was advised never to ride a horse again.  However, when the chance came for Theresa to adopt a young horse, Beauty, she jumped at it.  Beauty had been abused and was wary of people, and yet Theresa patiently worked with her and gained her trust and love.  Soon Theresa was back where she longed to be – riding! Beauty learned to be ridden by voice command so as not to be confused by Theresa’s occasional limb tremors due to nerve damage.  “Beauty seems to somehow sense Theresa is ‘different’ and takes good care of her,” her friends report.

Thanks to the therapeutic and life-changing experience Theresa had with Beauty, she was inspired to start Beauty’s Haven Farm and Equine Rescue in a desire to help all needy horses, no matter whether they are young or old, or what breed they happen to be. Horses who arrive at the farm come from auctions, kill buyers, brokers, and sometimes from owners that no longer want them or can no longer care for them.  Some come from caring owners who want to ensure that their beloved horses find a good home.  Theresa and all the volunteers of Beauty’s Haven take pride and joy in watching a horse that has arrived battered and depressed recover, grow strong, and regain its pride.

Since horses have been the best therapy for Theresa – both physically and mentally – she wants to eventually establish a therapy program for people with challenges like hers.  In the meantime, Beauty’s Haven works to rehabilitate neglected and abused horses, find homes for healthy and well-adjusted ones, and push for prosecution of abuse and neglect cases.

On February 22, 2010, Beauty’s Haven experienced a tornado-type storm, which resulted in damage to fencing, flooding in the barns, and a downed power line and tree.  SPCA International rushed an Emergency Grant to Beauty’s Haven to help repair the storm damage quickly so this incredible organization can continue focusing on what the do best: caring for needy horses.

Beauty’s Haven Farm & Equine Rescue, Inc.
P.O. Box 53
Morriston, FL 32668
…or via PayPal on the web.

Web site
www.bhfer.org

Sarasota in Defense of Animals was founded in 1989 to expose animal abuse and exploitation, promote habitat protection for wild animals, encourage humane alternatives to animal experimentation, and educate the public on all these issues.  To this end, the group has organized campaigns for animal protection, conducted peaceful public demonstrations to call attention to animal exploitation, promoted a cruelty-free lifestyle by sponsoring public events, and spearheaded telephone and letter-writing campaigns.

SDA takes pride in focusing their efforts on animals that are sick, abused, and/or abandoned – in other words, animals who often “fall through the cracks” of government-run shelters and programs.  The organization works directly with county animal services to save these high-needs animals.  The ones that can be treated and rehabilitated as loving pets find permanent homes through SDA’s intensive adoption program.  Feral cats, which are often poor candidates for adoption, are cared for in a colony in which SDA provides the cats with shelter (a tree house), food, and medical care when necessary.   Additionally, farm animals are taken into SDA’s ranch facility for permanent care in the case that appropriate placements cannot be found.  SDA also administers a public feral cat trapping program under the trap/neuter/return policy.  Finally, the group networks with 42 organizations across the U. S. in placing wild & exotic animals in appropriate homes.

n January, 2010, the tough economy and low contributions were threatening Sarasota in Defense of Animals' ability to continue their monthly feral/stray cat spay & neuter clinic.  An SPCA International Emergency Grant was dispensed to help save this vital community program that helps control the feral cat communities nearby eliminating the need to euthanize these innocent creature populations.  SPCA International is proud to help SDA continue their successful and far-reaching advocacy on behalf of Florida’s animals.

You can donate to this organization by sending a check to:
Sarasota in Defense of Animals
P.O. Box 15653
Sarasota, FL 34277-1653
…or via the Web site below.

Web site
http://sdasarasota.com/

Each year, Alabama animal shelters euthanize over 150,000 unwanted dogs and cats. Over 75% of these are healthy adoptable animals desperately waiting out their days in a cage hoping to find a loving home. While the shelters are overpopulated, so are the streets in many of the communities.

Recently, we were alerted to a particularly severe and fast-growing situation happening in a small town in the Walker County, known as Parrish. Hundreds of dogs were found roaming in the streets in various states of starvation, debilitated health and obvious critical injuries. Unfortunately, lower income communities cannot always afford to care for their animals, let alone get them spayed or neutered. Typically, once a situation as such becomes out of control, an absence of compassion to the perpetual begging for food and overall suffering becomes a way of life. Overwhelmed authorities have been trying to solve the problem by inhumane killings and fines for feeding the neglected strays.

The fate of these animals was the incentive for the creation of the Alabama Spay/Neuter. Alabama Spay/Neuter’s Board of Directors felt that opening a facility that provided high quality; high-volume, low-cost spay/neutering was the only sustainable way to end the overpopulation of dogs and cats in Central Alabama.

The facility serves 13 counties and houses four surgery suites with a capacity to do well over 100 high-quality spay/neuter surgeries per day by licensed veterinarians. Moreover, they provide free transportation to and from specific pick-up points on a regularly scheduled basis.

The clinic is also at the forefront of spay/neuter programs targeting free-roaming and feral cats, as well as T-N-R (trap, neuter and release) training.

We quickly got in touch with a representative from Alabama Spay/Neuter who was more than excited to receive our help with a grant through our Shelter Programs in order to help spay and neuter the animals of Walker County. They still need your help, until the population can get under control, animals continue to suffer needlessly and painfully, please consider supporting their tireless work.

The Alabama Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners declined on October 10th, 2012 to approve a rule that would have limited nonprofit groups’ access to veterinarians and veterinary services and thereby cease operations. We are very pleased to hear the outcome and thank all those who supported their efforts.

www.alspay.org

www.facebook.com/alspayneuter

Great Lakes Bengal Rescue is an entirely volunteer-run organization committed to protecting the welfare of Bengal cats in the Great Lakes region. These unique cats, which were originally bred between the Asian leopard cat and the common house cat, have become a great family pet. Unfortunately, many people do not do research before purchasing a Bengal cat and quickly find that it may not be a good fit for their home.

Bengal cats are very high energy and have been known to act out if it does not receive adequate attention. These medium-to-large cats have been known to jump to the top of an entertainment unit with one leap, fish for a snack in the fish tank (they are not fazed by water), and vocalize very loudly – especially the males. Many families that purchase or adopt a Bengal cat do not realize the level of commitment these beautiful cats need and surrender them when they become too much to handle. Great Lakes Bengal Rescue’s dedicated foster volunteers, comprised of over 25 households, take in the unwanted cats until a stable, loving home can be found.

In addition to rescuing and finding suitable homes for the cats in its care, Great Lakes Bengal Rescue is educating the region on these magnificent animals and the care of all felines. It is devoted to educating the public in hopes that more Bengal cats find their forever home and fewer get surrendered.

SPCA International is proud to honor Great Lakes Bengal Rescue. This remarkable organization which serves Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin, is taking significant steps every day to save the Bengal cats in the region. If you would like to learn more about Great Lakes Bengal Rescue, we encourage you to visit its Web site, www.Greatlakesbengalrescue.com.

When the founder of Heartland Spay & Neuter Fund learned that preventing unwanted litters was the single most effective way to curb the suffering of homeless companion animals, she decided to take immediate action.  With a tiny volunteer staff, Heartland has funded spay & neuter surgery and other necessary veterinary procedures for over 100 animals, mostly cats, in its short history.  By responding to newspaper “Free to a Good Home” ads for puppies and kittens, Heartland Spay & Neuter Fund engages caregivers in conversations about responsible pet parenting and offers them low-cost spay and neuter resources.  Heartland Spay & Neuter Fund also works with farm cat populations and local homeless animals.  Through their foster care network and adoption efforts they are getting animals off the streets and into loving homes.  SPCA International is proud to honor this hardworking local organization that is making a difference each and every day.

http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NE96.html

Broadway Barks was founded in 1999 by Bernadette Peters with her friend Mary Tyler Moore and others, who wanted to do “something for the animals” by raising awareness and helping to find homes for shelter pets.  Today, Broadway Barks continues its good works with an annual adoption event affiliated with over 26 rescues and animal welfare organizations.  To date, Broadway Barks has helped to place numerous pets in loving homes with the help of volunteers and celebrities alike.

As Broadway Barks looks forward to the future, their goal is to continue the path already established and to focus more attention on education for responsible pet ownership, the importance of spay/neutering and pet identification.

SPCA International is thrilled to name Broadway Barks as a recipient of a Shelter of the Week Grant to help them continue their wonderful efforts.

Donations can be made via check or on-line via the Picasso Veterinary Fund for the Mayor’s Alliance.

Checks should be made payable to :
The Mayor’s Alliance/Broadway Barks (A general fund for all the shelters) or
The Picasso Veterinary Fund ( A separate fund for animals needing special medical attention)
And mailed to:
Mayor’s Alliance/ Picasso Veterinary Fund
244 Fifth Avenue, Suite R290
NY, NY 10001

Donations can also be made online at:
http://www.picassoveterinaryfund.org/donate.php

Website
http://www.broadwaybarks.com/

Since 1987, Cocker Spaniel Rescue of New England has saved hundreds of Cocker Spaniels and matched them with loving families to take them to their forever homes.  Each dog is matched with a home that suits their individual personality, and applicants are very carefully screened during the adoption process. In 1997 CSRNE established the “Joey Fund” in memory of a very special dog who had been abandoned by his owners. Joey was found wandering the streets of Somerville, MA on New Years Eve in 1996 by a good Samaritan who contacted CSRNE, who came to Joey’s aid. They discovered a large malignant tumor on his underbelly, a sure sign of long term neglect. Joey lived a very happy carefree life until he succumbed to the cancer in July 2000. CSRNE now uses the Joey fund for dogs that come into their care with expensive medical conditions, so that no dog will suffer for lack of funds.

SPCA International is proud to name Cocker Spaniel Rescue of New England as a recipient our Shelter of the Week grant award. We commend the work they are doing to rescue and find loving homes for this very special breed.

You can donate money or wish list items to this organization via credit card or PayPal on their website:
http://csrne.com/donate/

Donate via mail:

Cocker Spaniel Rescue of New England
PO Box 162
Greenfield, NH 03047

Web site: http://csrne.com/

The mission of Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre is to educate the public on the plight of wildlife worldwide.  Over 40,000 visitors to the Centre each year are reached with a message about the sensitivity of the local ecosystem, and how it is collapsing due to poaching, development, and other human activities.  The Centre provides a home for around 150 orphaned, poisoned, and hurt animals that, because of their injuries, can never be returned to their natural environment; these resident animals are an important part of the educational mission of the Centre.  The Centre’s skilled staff has also established breeding facilities for wildlife in danger of extinction, and work hand in hand with organizations focused entirely on conservation.

In any given year, Moholoholo may come in contact with a few hundred individual animals.  In one recent month, for example, the staff treated 18 Guinea Fowls and one Bateluer that had been poisoned (all were successfully treated and released); one Spotted Hyena that had been badly mauled and one Brown Hyena that had been snared (both treated and released); one baby White Rhino still nursing, whose mother had been killed (now residing at the Centre); two Whalberg Eagles with broken wings due to powerlines (treated and released after 2 months); and one Harrier Hawk that had sustained a head injury (treated and released).

SPCA International is proud to honor this program for its unceasing efforts to protect African wildlife.  We are excited that the Shelter of the Week grant will be used to fund badly-needed renovation of the raptor enclosure at the Centre.

Web site
http://www.moholoholo.co.za/

Peninsula Humane Foundation, located in Hampton, VA, has done some amazing things for the animals within their community and the communities around them. Since they opened their doors they have been responsible placing hundreds of animals in new loving homes; raised awareness and monetary funds for struggling local shelters; logged in over 4,500 volunteer hours; and have provided small animal organizations with the tools they need to develop their online fundraising and adoption centers.

Organizations like Peninsula Humane Foundation rarely receive the recognition that they deserve, because of this and due to their amazing work to save animals, SPCA International would like to recognize Peninsula Humane Foundation as a recipient of our Shelter of the Week grant.

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

Peninsula Humane Foundation
121 Grandview Drive
Hampton, VA 23664

Web site
www.Peninsulahumane.org