Executive Director’s Blog

Here at SPCA International, we are thrilled that the Big Cat Public Safety Act was approved by the House of Representatives on December 3 and we look forward to tracking its progress through the Senate.

Widespread forest fires in the U.S. have caused so much destruction over the past year. In the wake of natural disasters, we always hear heartbreaking stories of evacuees struggling to find shelter with their pets, along with devastating injuries sustained by farm and wild animals. At SPCA International, we’ll do everything in our power to …

From puppies at Christmas to bunnies at Easter, and everything in between, giving pets as gifts can be a dangerous idea. Gifting pets to others can often backfire for the giver, the receiver, and most of all – the animal.

The work we do here at SPCA International acknowledges that animals do not know the borders humans have drawn on maps. Most countries have similar problems when it comes to animal welfare issues. The best way for our team to learn how to approach these issues is by observing and collaborating with the local community.

My heart is heavy as I write this tribute to an amazing woman who brought the Humane Society of St. Thomas to SPCA International as a dedicated partner. Rita forged a long-time partnership between two organizations that continues to make a difference in the lives of animals today.

Executive Director, Meredith Ayan has taken us behind the scenes of SPCA International’s recent rescue operation. This special flight from Iraq reunited soldiers with their adopted cats and dogs that had been stuck for months because of COVID-19. Learn what is next for Operation Baghdad Pups: Worldwide.

Animals Today covers all things related to animals worldwide, with an emphasis on their welfare and is a great source of information for animal lovers everywhere. Check out the podcast to hear me discuss our rescue flight, as well as additional animal news.

I think we are all in agreement that 2020 has already been quite a year. In January, I expected a year that would be much like 2019, just with a stronger ability to reach more animals in need. As always, we budgeted and planned for disaster response, but I had no idea how much of …

After months of planning it was such a relief to see our plane full of rescued dogs and cats touch down at JFK. Each animal had been rescued by a service member months earlier, before life was so drastically altered by COVID-19. The animals had made the long journey from Iraq, arriving in NYC …

With no commercial flights between Iraq and the U.S. and our kennels and foster homes in Iraq full of waiting dogs and cats, our team started to think outside the box. Our incredible Operation Baghdad Pups: Worldwide team came up with a solution – a special rescue flight just for the dogs and cats of …