Thursday, March 29, 2012

Bait or Abuse?


This young pup came to us as a stray. He is obviously emaciated and has numerous wounds all over his body.  If only he could tell his story.  Was he used as a 'bait' dog to teach other dogs to fight, or was he abused by his owner.  We will never know.

It took a few weeks but Leo is now ready for adoption.  He has gained weight and his fur is starting to grow back.  His wounded skin may cause the hair to grow back differently than the rest of him.  But he is very sweet despite his rough beginning in life.

Condemed and Not Fit For Humans

Recently, Officer Woltz received a call about a house that was being condemned and contained cats.  The condition of the house was so bad that we could not enter without full protective gear.  The smell of ammonia and feces was so strong that the house could not be entered without a respirator.  The elderly woman who lived in the house had been taken to the hospital and the EMT's who picked her up reported the house to the codes officers.  Two other people lived in the house as well.

There was cat feces everywhere-on the floors, furniture, counters, bathtub, and in the closets.  There was trash and debris everywhere you looked.  Laundry was piled as high as the washer machine and twice as long. 

I'm not sure how anyone was able to live in this environment.  We were able to transport three cats and four kittens to the shelter.  The adults were feral and the kittens were undernourished, sickly, and had ringworm.  We were unable to catch all of the cats despite two and a half hours of attempts.  Officer Woltz decided the best course was to set traps.

I felt so bad about the whole situation.  The fact that people and animals were in such dire conditions.  How sad.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Save the Date


Sunday, June 10 from noon until 4 PM the SPCA and Clearchannel will host the 7th annual Pet Expo.  This is a fun event for people and their dogs and the children too!  Planning is underway and we look forward to having lots of animal related vendors, delicious food, games for the kids and dogs, rescue groups, and SPCA animals for adoption.  So save the date and we hope to see you at Indian Park in Montoursville on June 10.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Service Dog Eye Exams

THOUSANDS OF SERVICE DOGS TO RECEIVE FREE SIGHT SAVING EYE EXAMS THROUGHOUT THE U.S. AND CANADA
Who:
American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists® (ACVO)
What:
The 5th Annual ACVO®/Merial® National Service Dog Eye Exam Event provides free eye exams to thousands of Service Dogs from board certified veterinary ophthalmologists.
When:           
Register online between April 1 and April 30, 2012 at www.ACVOeyeexam.org (Exams occur throughout the month of May, 2012)
Where:          
Participating veterinary ophthalmologists throughout the U.S., as well as Canada and Puerto Rico.
Why:
Guide dogs, handicapped assistance dogs, detection dogs and search and rescue dogs selflessly serve the public. So, the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO) is launching the 5th Annual ACVO®/Merial® National Service Dog Eye Exam Event.  The event is sponsored by ACVO, Merial, Ocu-GLO Rx, Canine Vision Supplement, Welch Allyn, Aventix, Eye Care for Animals to help serve these dogs who dedicate their lives to serving us.  More than 200 board certified veterinary ophthalmologists throughout the U.S., as well as Canada and Puerto Rico will provide free sight-saving eye exams to thousands of Service Dogs.  Last year the event served a record 4,000 service animals.
Qualifications:        
To qualify, dogs must be active “working animals” that were certified by a formal training program or organization or currently enrolled in a formal training program.  Other eligible service animals are welcome to participate.  Additional registration details can be found at www.ACVOeyeexam.org
Owners/agents for the dog(s) must FIRST register the animal via an online registration form beginning April 1, at www.ACVOeyeexam.org  Registration ends April 30.  Once registered online, the owner/agent will receive a registration number and can then contact a participating veterinary ophthalmologist directly to schedule an appointment, during the month of May. Appointment dates and times are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
To learn more about and register for the 5th Annual ACVO®/Merial® National Service Dog Eye Exam Event, please visit www.ACVOeyeexam.org.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Lover Boy

This dog deserves a great home.  He is one of those dogs that leans into you when you have him on a leash.  You can hug him, and give him kisses on his head.  We named him Captain, but I think of him as lover boy because he is so sweet.  He is blind in one eye from birth or injury-the veterinarian is not sure.  He looks like he could be part Dalmatian and part lab.  His paws are quite large.  He is also neutered.

Sad to say, he came from Tioga County by the dog law officer.  The reason he came from such a distance is because the group that took over the Wellsboro shelter rarely takes in strays.  It's a shame because I fear that the owner will not get this dog back if he still wants him.  How would someone know to look in another county for their dog?

Pennsylvania shelters are in crisis.  Many are closing for lack of funds or because they are limited by 'no kill' policies.  So what does that mean for an open admission shelter like ours?  We are getting more and more calls from people living in surrounding counties asking us to take in their pets or strays.  I have a problem with this.  I don't think it's fair that shelters have the luxury of calling themselves 'no kill' and turn away animals that they don't want-especially in their own county.  I also worry about strays being transported from their home county.  What if the owner wants them back?

On the other hand, we have the benefit of having a wonderful dog for adoption. 


Monday, March 19, 2012

Oh Fudge!

Our newest vehicle has been in an accident.  No on was injured but this really puts a dent in our transportation.  (Pun intended) 

Why would someone, who was stopped at a red light, make a left hand turn on green without looking?  He turned left into our vehicle while I had the right of way to go straight on the green light. 

He readily admitted that it was his fault but it doesn't help us transport the animals.  Not to mention the frustration of adding more to my work load while I try to find a rental, deal with insurance, etc. 

Oh fudge!

Friday, March 16, 2012

Anonymous Cowards

From time to time the SPCA receives letters signed 'Anonymous'.  These letters are bound for the circular file.  These 'animal lovers' tell us everything we are doing wrong when in fact they have incorrect information.  I find it cowardly that these complainers will not sign their letters so that we could have a discussion about what was done and what restrictions we have based on Pennsylvania laws.  So don't be a coward.  If you have concerns address them face on.  We can even make suggestions how anonymous can help improve animal welfare. 

Monday, March 12, 2012

Princess Stubby Tail

A lot can be gleaned from a name.  In this case, it is all about the tale of the tail. 
On February 17, the SPCA received a call about an injured cat.  When we arrived on the scene, we found this beautiful cat with the end of her tail all bloody.  We aren't sure if her tail was run over by a car or was caught in something.

She was brought back to the shelter and given first aid.  Despite her injury and the fact that her wound had to be cleaned and dressed, she remained a sweet, gentle cat.  After a course of antibiotics and wound treatment, her tail has healed. 

It's hard to believe that no one has claimed her.  She is front declawed and has an excellent temperament.  She has the unique distinction of having a shortened tail!

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Art Contest

The Lycoming County SPCA is holding an art contest for its tenth annual walk for the animals logo.   The rules for submission are as follows:
1.      Artwork should be approximately 11 inches wide by 13 inches high.
2.      Artwork must be submitted in color and must be signed by the artist.  Only three colors will be used for the 2012 Paws for a Cause! graphic. Remember that the artwork will be used on  
T-shirts and brochures.  The smaller size of the brochures can lose some fine detail.
3.      Artwork may be hand drawn or computer generated but must be submitted on heavy stock paper. Computer generated artwork is preferred.  If the artwork is computer generated, a copy of the art on disk must also be submitted.
4.      You must include the following text in the artwork: Lycoming County SPCA, Paws for a Cause! Walk for the Animals, September 15, 2012.  (Please include the exclamation point.)
5.      Keep in mind that this is an animal related event with registration held at Susquehanna State Park which is a river front park with a Riverboat and boat launch.  The walk is three miles from the park, to the shelter, and back again.  New this year, we will attempt to join hands from the registration point to the shelter as we make a human chain of support.
6.      Deadline for submission is March 28, 2012 at 4 PM, delivered to the Lycoming County SPCA at 2805 Reach Road.  Questions may be directed to Vickie Stryker at 570-322-4646.
7.      The Paws for a Cause Committee will judge the Artwork submitted with a decision on March 30, 2012.  The winning artwork becomes the property of the Lycoming County SPCA. 
The winning artist will receive a $50 cash prize, a copy of the brochure, poster, and T-shirt created with their artwork.  They will have their name on the artwork that will be reproduced on approximately 800 brochures, 200 posters, and 100 T-shirts.  And finally, you will receive a big thank you in the Lycoming County SPCA newsletter!


Friday, March 9, 2012

St. Catrick's Day

I'm sure you never heard of this delightful holiday before.  This is an attempt to empty our kennels and make room as new cats and kittens start straying in.  So in honor of this new holiday, we are offering adult cat adoptions for a donation of choice on Saturday, March 17. 

Every adopted cat has its initial shots, flea treatment, microchip and registration, and spaying or neutering.  What a deal. 

Pass the word that the SPCA wants to empty its cat kennel!