Today is spay day; an effort to bring attention to the need for spaying and neutering of companion animals. The good news is that the message has been given and the public has paid attention. It is rewarding to have people come to us for help to have their animals spayed or neutered.
The Lycoming County SPCA practices spay day every day. We make sure our shelter animals are spayed or neutered. We provide financial assistance to have animals spayed and neutered. And, we work to raise funds to spay and neuter.
So keep up the good work and spread the word. Prevent pet overpopulation- Spay or Neuter your pets!
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Monday, February 25, 2013
Feral Dogs
Imagine my surprise when the regional director of Dog Law asked me if our shelter would be willing to accept feral dogs! I had so many questions run through my head and this is what I learned from him.
A farmer in another county saw that his cattle were being tormented by dogs coming from nearby woods. So, rather than lose valuable cattle, he began feeding the dogs. Over a period of time, the dogs multiplied and became more problematic. Then the dog law became involved. The farmer did not want to sign the dogs over to dog law because he feared for their fate. Instead, he got licenses for five of the dogs.
I'm not sure about time frames in this situation, but soon the five dogs multiplied into 30 dogs. Now there is a bigger problem. Are they dogs or are they wildlife? Are they safe to be around? What would a pack of 30 dogs do to farm animals? So many questions and so few answers.
Another shelter has accepted some of the dogs. I did see a picture of one and it looks like a blue heeler. I wonder if the shelter is successful in keeping the 'feral' dogs. Are they adoptable? Have they mated with true wildlife? Can you trust them in a family? Can you trust them with other animals? So many questions.
So right now, my answer to the feral dog question is no. I don't want to accept any feral dogs. There are too many challenges in sheltering already, I don't need to add more to our plate. Never the less, it is a very interesting conundrum.
A farmer in another county saw that his cattle were being tormented by dogs coming from nearby woods. So, rather than lose valuable cattle, he began feeding the dogs. Over a period of time, the dogs multiplied and became more problematic. Then the dog law became involved. The farmer did not want to sign the dogs over to dog law because he feared for their fate. Instead, he got licenses for five of the dogs.
I'm not sure about time frames in this situation, but soon the five dogs multiplied into 30 dogs. Now there is a bigger problem. Are they dogs or are they wildlife? Are they safe to be around? What would a pack of 30 dogs do to farm animals? So many questions and so few answers.
Another shelter has accepted some of the dogs. I did see a picture of one and it looks like a blue heeler. I wonder if the shelter is successful in keeping the 'feral' dogs. Are they adoptable? Have they mated with true wildlife? Can you trust them in a family? Can you trust them with other animals? So many questions.
So right now, my answer to the feral dog question is no. I don't want to accept any feral dogs. There are too many challenges in sheltering already, I don't need to add more to our plate. Never the less, it is a very interesting conundrum.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Pardon Our Mess
The floor of our dog intake room is pictured above. We moved our intake area to our conference room. (Inconvenient) The contractors needed to open the drain so that they could add more drains for the new rooms.
Sometime in March we will break ground for our new addition. The dog intake room will resume its place in our procedures. The room beyond the dog intake will be a future space for spaying and neutering.
We will also add a large multipurpose room. Our plans for this room include dog training and behavior modification, temperament testing, and recovery area for animals after surgery.
The third room will house additional space for incoming cats. Our plan is to have the cats evaluated, inoculated, spayed or neutered, then placed in the public room for adoption.
So watch our progress as we expand our building. We are excited that we will improve our services even if we have some temporary inconveniences.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
A Beautiful Donation
What a kind and generous thing to do. We are grateful for Barb's efforts to help our little girl get adopted. She has been at the shelter since June!
Monday, February 11, 2013
Good News
Remember the year Y2K? We were so alarmed that there would be a total meltdown due to the year change. It seems like such a long time ago. But I am having my very own Y2K. I've had some technology snafus but I think I'm back on track.
Can you believe that the dog on the right is the same dog on the left? Trust me, it is Chewbacca with her new owner. Chewey is doing wonderful in her new home with Mom, Dad, and two 2-legged little humans. The family loves Chewey and she loves them. She was at the shelter for a visit and it was obvious that she is very happy and healthy.
We want all of our animals to find happy and healthy homes. And I believe that last year was an exceptional year. We only received 3,920 animals! That might sound like a lot to you but 2012 is the first year that we had less than 4,000 animals in our shelter in over a decade. As we push for more and more spaying and neutering we begin to see some results!
Can you believe that the dog on the right is the same dog on the left? Trust me, it is Chewbacca with her new owner. Chewey is doing wonderful in her new home with Mom, Dad, and two 2-legged little humans. The family loves Chewey and she loves them. She was at the shelter for a visit and it was obvious that she is very happy and healthy.
We want all of our animals to find happy and healthy homes. And I believe that last year was an exceptional year. We only received 3,920 animals! That might sound like a lot to you but 2012 is the first year that we had less than 4,000 animals in our shelter in over a decade. As we push for more and more spaying and neutering we begin to see some results!
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Who's Your Favorite
Help vote to make the Lycoming County SPCA your favorite:
Then vote for "Sparks relaxes with a glass of wine" by Victoria Stryker. Thanks!
Visit http://www.theanimalrescuesite.comand click to give food (no cost to you), then click the button for the Shelter+ Challenge to vote. (found on the right hand column). Then vote for the Lycoming County SPCA. We are in Williamsport, PA, USA.
Spread the word through Facebook,
Twitter, Pinterest and more and help us win cash prizes.
This voting round began on January 7, 2013 and ends at
midnight (PT) on April 28, 2013.
Visit http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com
and click to give food, then click the button for the Shelter+ Challenge to
vote.
Then vote for "Sparks relaxes with a glass of wine" by Victoria Stryker. Thanks!
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Longtimer of the Month
She had a litter of puppies on May 16, 2012. Her owner was not feeding her enough, and the food she was getting was of low quality. To add to her woes, she was full of fleas and internal parasites. Her five puppies were also thin. Her puppies were so hungry that, at four weeks of age, they hungrily ate moist puppy food. It took many weeks for Sincere to recover from her starved state. Despite the fact that her puppies were pit bulls, they were quickly adopted. Not so for Sincere. Her breed and activity level have kept her from being adopted.
She holds a special place in my heart because I am the person who picked her up from her neglectful situation. I am hoping that someone will read her story and know that this dog needs a second chance at a good home.
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