Archives: Shelter

Donkeys have been used as “beasts of burden” in Israel for the past 5000 years. Today donkeys are still used to pull carts and carry heavy loads on their backs. For as little as $25 a donkey can be purchased and put to work. When these animals are sick or injured very often no veterinary care is given since in most cases it is cheaper to buy a new donkey. Sick, injured, elderly and surplus donkeys are usually turned out and left to fend for themselves – sometimes even tied to a post without food or water and left to die. This is why Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holy Land exists. By improving the status of donkeys and promoting their welfare through education Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holly Land is helping an animal that works very hard to help people day in and day out.

The sanctuary has taken on a huge responsibility, but they do it with unwavering determination and dedication. They have made tremendous progress in improving conditions for donkeys in their area, but there are still those they do not get to in time. Those that are lost make the staff and volunteers even more determined in their efforts. When they hear stories like that of a group of children who found a stray donkey and for fun, they doused him with petrol and set fire to him. Or, when another group of teenagers decided they could make use of a stray donkey for their summer holidays. Later the same day, they either got bored or decided they had nowhere to keep the donkey so they killed him by hammering nails into his head. Other donkeys are taken to landfill sites and left out like rubbish when they have outlived their usefulness. This sanctuary is making steady progress for animal welfare in a country where very little humane education exists.

Founded in 2000 by Lucy Fensom, Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holy Land is the only organization dedicated to the welfare of working and abandoned donkeys in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Having moved from its original site in Ramla, near Jerusalem, the sanctuary and rescue center is located on farmland at Gan Yoshiyya, near the Israeli towns of Netanya and Hadera, and only five miles from the volatile Palestinian territory of Tulkarem.

In addition to the day-to-day sanctuary operations and coordination of rescue efforts, Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holly Land is working to expand education programs and veterinary outreach. The goal of the educational program is to reach out to the hearts and minds of the Israeli and Palestinian people by creating a visitors center for local children and tourists as well as an information project for local farmers. Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holy Land is working tirelessly to change peoples’ attitudes towards donkeys in order to create a better future for these magnificent creatures in Israel.

The Mason Cat Coalition is a dynamic and ever-changing group of students, faculty, staff, and alumni at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. The Coalition began rescuing abandoned campus cats in September 1994 and has now rescued nearly 1,000 cats and kittens from Mason’s campus, other campuses, and other areas of the community. The Mason Cat Coalition was founded by Joan Ziemba and Andy Showers and a cadre of approximately 45 volunteers and campus supporters.

In the beginning the mission of the Mason Cat Coalition (MCC) was to spay/neuter and place, when possible, cats left behind by students or dumped on campus by people in the surrounding community. In 1994, based on the reports of staff feeding abandoned cats near their offices and buildings, there were an estimated there were then approximately 300 cats on campus. Kittens were being born behind refrigerators in the biology lab, in the seats of the heavy equipment in the facilities yard, under bushes – cats were reported everywhere.

With a little research, the group formed a committee, established feeding stations, recruited station managers, developed a network of volunteer feeders and trappers, built weather shelters and feeding stations, and enlisted the assistance of local veterinarians.

Fourteen years and approximately 450 cats, 25 weather shelters, and 20 feeding stations later, the George Mason University campus now has a stable and aging cat colony of approximately 30 cats too cantankerous to place in homes and healthy enough to live out their lives in a peaceful and relatively safe environment. Volunteers continue to feed at the 12 feeding stations throughout campus and 8 in the surrounding community, and report any new sightings, the occasional infected cut or scratch is treated with antibiotics, and those cats old enough to mellow are placed in homes.

The mission of the Coalition has now extended into the community where Mason students also live. Here too, MCC volunteers helped build weather shelters and feeding stations located in the surrounding communities, and within a few years, several hundred more cats had been rescued.

Some recent MCC successes include:

• More than 40 cats living in the extended backyards of an elderly woman and her neighbor were rescued or spayed/neutered;
• A dozen cats were rescued from a side-road residence that backed-up to the campus;
• A townhouse development in another community where we provided weather and feeding shelters protects 62 cats and 22 kittens;
• A dumpster near a Chick-Fil-A harbors another half dozen cats;
• The neighborhoods of Mason Cat Coalition volunteers and their friends have helped an almost countless number of cats and kittens over the years.
• Reading about an American woman in Mexico helping cats and dogs on an island off the coast, one director collected the needed medications, bedding, and donations and went to Mexico to assist. This year she hopes to bring her veterinarian with her for spay/neuter assistance.

The MCC has also assisted at other university campuses. When one director went to the George Washington University Virginia Campus in Loudoun County, she discovered cats abandoned by the residential community surrounding the campus. The Coalition helped a network develop there and it has already spay/neutered a dozen cats and found homes for several.

The MCC has never received funding from the university and relies solely on donations. The Coalition has no paid staff and all volunteers work full-time at other jobs. They raise funding through events and drives to pay for life-saving surgeries, medical treatments, flea and tick treatments, and shelter supplies.

The Shelter of the Week grant will help to provide weather shelters in many communities, replace dilapidated feeding stations, and provide spay/neuter services and medical care.

In Canada, there is no government agency mandated to rescue or care for injured and orphaned wildlife in order for the animals to be released back into the wild. Thanks to non-profit wildlife rehabilitation shelter Cochrane Ecological Institute (CEI) orphaned or injured wildlife in Alberta is given a second chance. CEI relies entirely upon donations to provide this essential service to wildlife and the public. Since its founding in 1972, CEI has been rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing injured and orphaned wildlife. They’ve been rescuing and fostering wildlife for so long that now the original volunteers’ children are now helping out!

CEI was originally founded to breed endangered species for release back into their original, protected habitat. CEI breeds swift fox (a.k.a. Vulpes velox) which in 1972 had completely vanished from Canada. Thanks to the work of CEI and other similar organizations, the status of the swift fox was changed from “extinct” in Canada to “endangered” in Canada in 1998. After Canada’s success, CEI partnered with Blackfeet Nation of Montana to help with the first first swift fox reintroduction in the USA. The U.S. program ran until 2002 and was very successful as well.

After the success of the swift fox program, CEI began rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing everything from ducklings and owlets to moose calves and bear cubs. The CEI is unique among shelters because they are situated in the countryside with plenty of safe habitat for their recovering wildlife.

Since 1971, we have successfully treated and released thousands of animals. Rescuing injured or orphaned wild animals means that you never know what will get brought in. From a tinny baby hummingbird found by a little boy playing soccer to orphaned bear cubs whose mother was killed on the road – wildlife rescue is always exciting and different!

Each new species that comes in to CEI is built a new enclosure and CEI has to find the perfect type of milk or food they need to survive. After that comes veterinary care for any injuries and release site selection after the animal has fully recovered. CEI also conducts evaluation and post release monitoring, which they feel is essential for job well done.

CEI also trains volunteers, teaches in schools, and provides field station facilities for wildlife research. CEI relies entirely upon the financial support and generosity of their community and partnerships with other wildlife rehabilitation centers and shelters. SPCA International encourages you to support this wildlife organization directly.

If you would like to support CEI directly please mail you donations to: P.O. Box 484, Cochrane, AB, Canada T4C 1A7.

The Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley (ASWRV) is a no-kill shelter with innovative programs and superior community outreach. Founded in 1972 as Animal Hospice, ASWRV functioned as a placement network without a facility for 10 years. In 1982, it moved to its five-acre facility in Hailey, a small town in central Idaho. ASWRV typically has approximately 45 cats in residence and 43 dogs. They consume 15,000 lbs of food each year.

ASWRV’s goal is to safely house any adoptable dog or cat until a loving home can be found, regardless of whether the animal is elderly, disfigured, blind, deaf or missing a limb. The shelter helps facilitate more adoptions through their Pet Pals program. This innovative mentoring program brings in trained volunteers to work with individual animals in order to give them the extra attention and training needed to become more adoptable and to improve their quality of life.

ASWRV is also committed to reducing pet overpopulation through an active community spay/neuter program. The shelter offers monthly no cost spay/neuter clinics to pet parents in Blaine County throughout the year.

ASWRV works hard to place animals where they best fit, including service. Two community members have trained several dogs from the shelter to be scent dogs. One of those animals, Kya, is now working with local law enforcement daily as a drug sniffing K-9. Kya has been on the job of two and a half years. She is trained to scent methamphetamine, marijuana, cocaine and heroin. Thanks to ASWRV, Kya is living a fulfilling helpful life, but when she came to the shelter as a puppy, her future didn’t look so bright. As a pit bull, Kya didn’t have much hope of being adopted. It’s only thanks to this shelter’s deep commitment to exhausting all placement options that Kya is serving the community as she is today.

ASWRV is much more than an impound facility and adoption center. They have established many programs which help the community in a variety of ways. They offer community education programs, dog licensing and record keeping, the Hikin’ Buddies program, a lost and found network, and training and behavior support.

ASWRV is truly making a significant impact in their area and improving life for countless members of their community through all their unique programs. SPCA International is proud to honor this committed team of staff and volunteers.

All of the animals pictured here are up for adoption. For more information or to apply to give these cuties a permanent home please visit www.animalshelterwrv.org.

The CenTex Humane Society operates the Second Chance Animal Shelter, located in Killeen, Texas. This no-kill shelter is home to over 200 animals. In recent months the shelter has seen an increase in animals being surrendered due to economic stress and home foreclosures. It has also been alarming to see an increase in domestic violence cases which often result in a household animal being hurt or abandoned.

Located close to Ft. Hood, the CenTex Humane Society sees a lot of animals surrendered by soldiers being deployed or relocated. The CenTex Humane Society tries to place as many of these animals as possible, but there are not always enough permanent homes to go around.

CenTex is working hard every day to improve the lives of animals in the community they serve. They run weekly off-site adoption booths at local stores to give the animal lovers in their community extra opportunities to fall in love with some of their needy residents.

In 2008, the organization was able to adopt just over 1,600 animals, a number they hope to surpass in 2009. SPCA International is looking forward to the organization achieving this goal, in part due to the help of our Shelter of the Week program.

The CenTex Humane Society posts this special quote from German philosopher Immanual Kant to inspire their visitors, volunteers and staff – “We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.” SPCA International hopes it will encourage you as well and spur you to get involved and support shelters in their never-ending quest to save the all animals of the world.

Home for Life is an extraordinary animal sanctuary located in Star Prairie, WI. Home for Life (HFL) understands that a typical family home is not appropriate for every animal. Those who are old, or who have disabilities, health or temperament problems may do better in another setting. HFL has created a sanctuary that meets the needs of these very special animals. The HFL animals enjoy a quality life, where they can be themselves, run and play, and be loved and cherished for as long as they live.

Home for Life hopes to take their prototype sanctuary facility in Star Prairie, Wisconsin, and use it as a model to help establish Home for Life sanctuaries all around the country.

Currently, the sanctuary is a permanent home to about 95 dogs and 125 cats, 25 of whom have feline leukemia. The sanctuary is also home to one 20 year old pony, one sulcata tortoise, about 10 rabbits, and 10 parrots. The panoramic prairie setting in Star Prairie provides commodious accommodations, featuring indoor/outdoor enclosures for both dogs and cats.

One of the Home for Life residents is a dog named Tiger. Tiger, a young mixed-breed male, was starved as a puppy and consequently developed severe deformity in his hindquarters causing severe pain and compromising his movement. Thanks to HFL's Emergency Medical Care Fund, surgery to ease his pain was made possible.

The doctors recommended that each leg be realigned all the way from hip to toe because of the extreme deformity. Great dog that he is, Tiger went through his surgeries and recuperation in the intensive care unit like a champ – the doctors commented that he was an excellent patient.

Tiger has now begun water therapy at K9 Hydrotherapy in St. Louis Park, where therapists work wonders with him in the warm pool and on the underwater treadmill. He’s well on his way to a good recovery.

Another the Home for Life resident is a cat named Pierre (orange cat pictured to the right). Pierre came to Home For Life on foot, all by himself, in the dead of Winter during sub-zero weather. His nose was frost bitten, and he was extremely thin. He was so desperate that he was trying to get into HFL's dog building, in spite of the barking from all of our canine residents!

We quickly directed Pierre to a more appropriate space in our catteries and began to nurse him back to health. But as a feral, he was resistant to human attention in the beginning. As time went on and he observed the other cats enjoying human company, he came around and is today quite friendly. He has recently begun asking visitors for individual attention and will slide up against a leg when his appetite beckons.

Under normal circumstances in shelters all across the world, both Pierre and Tiger would have been euthanized. Home for Life really gives their residents a special chance to live a long happy life. Please visit Home for Life’s web site to learn more: www.homeforlife.org 

Adult cats are often over looked in shelters, the cute playful kittens are usually chosen first, leaving the adult cats to an almost certain death. Throw in a cat that requires additional treatment and care and that cat has almost no chance of ever being adopted. Most shelters will euthanize a cat if it is deemed unadoptable based on health, temperament and space restraints. In 2005, Blind Cat Rescue and Sanctuary in Saint Pauls, North Carolina opened their doors to blind cats from all over the country, giving them a deserving second chance at life.

The entirely volunteer based organization cares for, fosters and rehabilitates cats that have been certified, by a veterinarian, as being blind. Most cats that come to Blind Cat Rescue and Sanctuary have less than 20% sight, but are treated just like any cat with 100% vision.

With the exception of not having a desire to escape through an open door or the curiosity of knowing what is on the other side of the wall, a blind cat does everything a typical non-visually impaired cat does. They groom themselves, play with toys, climb trees, jump on furniture, find their food and water dishes and use the litter box. Blind cats usually will take longer to complete their routines and perform them in unconventional ways but they will generally find ways to accomplish most tasks on their own.

Blind Cat Rescue and Sanctuary has found that consistency will make the life of a blind cat much easier. Making sure that the litter box and food and water dishes remain in the same place is very important. Other than that, a blind cat can usually manage navigating the rest of a house on its own. Blind cats will point their whiskers out so their whiskers will brush against an object first before they bump into it. Like humans, blind cats learn to use their other senses to maneuver, such as touch, hearing and smell. A house with different surfaces makes it easy for a blind cat to know where they are.

Blind Cat Rescue and Sanctuary urges all cat owners to have their cat looked at by a veterinarian annually or if they show any sign of illness. A cat can become blind from illness, especially eye infections from upper respiratory infections, hyperthyroid, diabetes and high blood pressure. If your cat is sneezing, coughing and their eyes have a discharge, take them to the vet immediately.

Blind Cat Rescue and Sanctuary was selected as SPCA International’s Shelter of the Week because of all the wonderful work they put into saving blind cats. SPCA International also awarded them a financial grant to help them continue their vital work.

Blind cats may not be able to see, but they are not blind to love. They are wonderful companions as long as you have the time that is needed to give them the care they deserve. SPCA International encourages you to learn more about Blind Cat Rescue and Sanctuary and how to sponsor, foster or adopt one of their awaiting cats. Please visit their website atwww.blindcatrescue.com.

Dog Town Canine Rescue is located near Carson City, Nevada. This haven for “recycled” dogs is out where there is an over abundance of sand and bitterbrush, where everything has thorns or stings, the wind blows nearly every day and the sun beats down without mercy. It’s not the kind of place most people would choose to call home, but for the 30 dogs that make it to this shelter in the middle of the desert it is truly an oasis.

When the property was purchased it was in horrible condition. The former owners used it as a garbage dump and there was a huge mess to contend with. A few exceptional and dedicated volunteers took on the enormous challenge of turning around what looked like a hopeless piece of property. After all the garbage was hauled away there were seemingly endless tasks to be completed such as fence building, burring dig wire, hanging gates and building shelter enclosures. In January 2008, the Dog Town shelter began taking in abused and neglected dogs.

The all volunteer organization tells people considering adopting one of their dogs that if they are looking for a canine companion who won't bark, jump, dig, chew, shed hair, has perfect manners and is 100% housebroken, they should visit the stuffed animal aisle at their local toy store. The dogs rescued by Dog Town are not perfect. But that’s understandable when you consider what they have been through. Many of the dogs rescued by Dog Town have been shot, hit by cars, injured or severely neglected by humans.

It can take a great deal of patience and compassion in order for these dogs to heal mentally and physically. The volunteers at Dog Town have what it takes to make miracles happen for dogs that most people would turn their back on. The organization’s successes are starting to add up and those who have adopted a dog from Dog Town are being rewarded with companionship that offers unconditional love and gratitude. Prior to having a shelter, Dog Town placed dogs in their network of foster homes. Over three years, they have found forever homes for about 600 dogs.

One of the dogs lucky enough to be cared for by Dog Town was found in a rural part of Churchill County. He was extremely weak, dehydrated and close to death when the volunteers rescued him. Around his neck was a heavy, metal spring trap large enough to capture a bear. It appeared the dog had been in this predicament for some time, causing a nasty abscess to develop. The volunteers tried to free the dog, but they could not pry the trap open by hand. They ended up having to use bolt cutters. You can see him in the picture above before the volunteers were able to free him from the metal trap.

Trap, as the dog has come to be known, has made progress since coming to Dog Town in March 2008. His physical injuries have healed and he looks like a new dog. He still has quite a few emotional issues though, despite the volunteer’s tireless efforts. Trap was a feral dog and more than likely never sought out the company of humans. However, he now accepts an occasional pat on the head and he seems to be getting more comfortable with people being nearby. Trap will still require many more months of rehabilitation before he’s ready to be adopted and he is welcome to stay at the Dog Town shelter or in one of their foster homes until that time comes.

If it were not for Dog Town, dogs like Trap would have nowhere to go. Most facilities would immediately euthanize a dog like Trap, supported by the argument that he may never be adopted. The volunteers at Dog Town are not willing to give up on the dogs who require extra care and time. That is what makes this organization one of the exceptional ones.

The attitude of the Dog Town volunteers is, “It's all about the dogs! We have fun with our dogs, we cry over them, we rejoice when they find a forever home and we're forever trying to come up with ways to make their world a better place.”

The Lawrence County Humane Society in Louisa, Kentucky was established on December 4, 1990. In 1994, the primarily volunteer run organization was able to expand from a foster care network to opening the only animal care facility in their community. Most of the animals in the shelter have been abandoned or found roaming the streets. Many of them have suffered serious injuries, are sick or have not received proper preventative veterinary care. By taking these animals in and giving them proper care and attention the Lawrence Country Humane Society is saving lives and providing an invaluable service to the community.

Volunteers are one of this organization’s greatest assets. Their involvement has been significant in assisting with one of the organization’s newest programs, Animal Transports for Long Distance Adoptions. The visibility adoptable animals receive through internet placement resources has increased adoption rates from areas outside their immediate community. Many of the animals have found new homes in the New England states. Once an animal has been approved to be adopted the organization’s volunteers assist with the logistics and transportation of the animals to their new home.

Volunteers are also readily available to speak to school, civic, community, or religious groups upon request. These free presentations include information about responsible animal care, dog bite prevention and the benefits of spaying or neutering a pet.

For 14 years the humane society has also administered an effective Spay and Neuter Assistance Program. This program, along with the option of keeping animals in foster homes until a suitable permanent home can be found, has lead to a decrease in the organization’s euthanasia rate of adoptable dogs and cats from 60% to 0%.

It is the organization’s practice that animals will not be euthanized solely because of space limitations or because they have been in the shelter beyond a specified period of time. Every effort is made to accommodate animals when they arrive and when this is not feasible, foster homes are utilized. This has resulted in less over-crowding at the shelter. It is not uncommon for the staff or volunteers to take these animals home and provide foster care themselves until the dogs and cats are returned to the shelter, or adopted. While in foster care, animals with behaviour issues are given one-on-one training.

Wishing to provide the most comfortable environment possible for the animals, the organization is in the process of establishing a separate building on their property which will become the home for their cats and kittens. In this building the felines will be afforded the space and freedom to live cage free while in at the shelter. Space will be allocated to include a kitten playroom, space for sick animals to recuperate, a potential adopter visiting room, and plenty of room for the cats and kittens to play, socialize, eat and sleep. This new environment will result in healthier, happier animals thereby increasing their adoptability. While it is the organization’s hope that all of the cats and kittens who live in this new facility will find a forever home with a loving family, this new cat sanctuary will replicate the closest thing to a forever home for as long as they are residents at the Lawrence County Humane Society.

It is the feeling of the Lawrence County Humane Society staff and volunteers, that you can tell a lot about a community by how it treats its animals. This organization is definitely setting the highest standard possible.

Animazul has been working since 2002 to combat the problem of overpopulation among street dogs in Lima, Peru.  This is accomplished mainly through sterilization programs.  The organization is also committed to public education regarding the problem of the suffering of dogs living in the street.  In addition, Animazul maintains a sanctuary currently housing 70 former street dogs, where the dogs enjoy proper nutrition and shelter and are assured of a home for as long as it takes to find a kind person to adopt them permanently.  The final aspect of Animazul’s work is finding “forever homes” for the dogs it takes in.

SPCA International is proud to honor this program for its commitment to the stray dogs of Peru and glad that this emergency grant will help keep the shelter open to continue its lifesaving work.

Animazul 

Update January, 2011:
I wish you the best for the new year, !!… like you said in your letter

"This time of year we tend to remember who our family and friends are"

You and the SPCA were the only friends  who helped our shelter in the worst moment, and I will never forget that!!!..a millions of thanks, thanks for existing and for being part of the SPCA and make so many miracles for animals!!!