Chenango County SPCA looking for homes for nearly 200 animals
The SPCA will be holding a fundraising event on August 7 at Hidden Springs Brewhouse, called Paws and Pints. The event will run from 1 to 7 p.m., and feature a ‘show off your pet’ pet show, live music, games, food trucks, and more. (Photo by Dustin Genter of 5th Dimension Photography)
NORWICH — The Chenango County SPCA facility is currently over capacity, with 180 cats and eight dogs in their care. Executive Director Annette Clarke said the facility can comofortably accomodate 120 cats and 17 dogs.
“Right now we’re not taking in any owned cats, because we are maxed out on cats. Our facility can hold comfortably about 120, and we have 180,” said Clarke. “Dog cages are very limited, we have room for 17.”
The SPCA has just wrapped up an adoption special with the Bissell Foundation, but is gearing up to begin a new program called More Homes for Cats and Kittens, according to Clarke.
"Right now we have a program called More Homes for Cats and Kittens. And we have a donor who has given us a substantial amount of money, and it's to pay for the adoption fees for cats or kittens," Clarke explained. "The cost will be 25 dollars and the donor will pay the rest. So it will help with the spay/neuter. Bissell ends today, and then as soon as that's done then we'll start promoting the More Homes for Cats and Kittens."
Clarke said the reason they ended up with so many animals is because as a no-kill shelter they are required by law to accept stray animals.
"So it's a no-kill shelter. By law, we are required to take stray animals. That's our mission, is to take the strays in. Owned animals, you have a cat you want to give up and you want to bring to us, we can make the choice," said Clarke.
She also said the SPCA gets many of their cats as pregnant mothers or young kittens, as cats can produce a litter of kittens up to three times in one year.
"That's where we get a lot of our cats, is they come in as mother cats who are pregnant, or kittens. A couple of weeks ago we got in 22 kittens over a period of like three days. So that's why we have so many," she said.
Clarke stressed the importance of spaying and neutering your pets, as one un-spayed female cat can lead to 20,000 cats in only four years. The SPCA has a spay and neuter program that will assist low-income households with the cost of fixing their animals.
"We do have a spay/neuter program that will help people and help the public with the cost of spay/neuter, and it’s called SNOOP, which stands for Spay/Neuter Opportunity Outreach for Pets. You need to apply, and to get SNOOP funding you either need to be on public assistance or low-income," said Clarke.
The SPCA also offers a pet food pantry, a flea treatment program, and several fundraising events every year. In August, they will be holding a Paws and Pints fundraiser at Hidden Springs Brewhouse.
"It's called Paws and Pints, and it's at Hidden Springs Brewhouse in Norwich. It's August 7, I believe it's a Saturday. And there'll be music, we're hoping to have a 'show off your pet' pet show," said Clarke. "Families time is kind of from 1 to 4 [p.m.], and then after from 4 to 7 [p.m.], we'll have a band. It's not that kids and families can't stay, they can, but there will be beer served then, and hard cider and wine as well as the usual. We will have some food trucks there."
The event will be free admission, but the organization will be asking for voluntary donations at the door, to assist with the $370,000 annual cost of running the facility. There will also be SPCA T-shirts for sale as a way to raise money.
"It is sponsored by Oliver’s Campers, which we’d like to mention, and Hidden Springs Brewhouse, because they are also donating besides donating the facility there, they’ve donated to us towards the event," said Clarke.
For those wishing to help, Clarke says to spay and neuter your pets. Beyond that, she said the SPCA is always accepting monetary donations, as well as cleaning supplies and pet food.
"Spay and neuter their pets, first of all. Certainly monetary donations are always, always good. But aside from that, we also need Pine Sol, bleach, and paper towels are our main needs that we ask for help with. Dog and cat food we will certainly accept it, it gets donated back to the public. That’s what does our Pet Food Pantry," she said.
Clarke also said she wants people to know that the staff at the facility truly do care about the animals, and have their best interest at heart.
"We all here love animals. We take good care of them. People don't understand that our staff plays with the animals. They not only clean up after them, they cuddle with them. Sometimes we'll have animals running in here, to give them time out of a cage. That we do everything we can to find them a good home. That's really what's important to us, getting them their forever home," Clarke explained.
"We do a lot of good for this community by taking care of these animals the way we take care of them," she added. "There's a lot of compassion here."
For more information on the Chenango County SPCA and their upcoming events, visit their website at www.chenangospca.org.
“Right now we’re not taking in any owned cats, because we are maxed out on cats. Our facility can hold comfortably about 120, and we have 180,” said Clarke. “Dog cages are very limited, we have room for 17.”
The SPCA has just wrapped up an adoption special with the Bissell Foundation, but is gearing up to begin a new program called More Homes for Cats and Kittens, according to Clarke.
"Right now we have a program called More Homes for Cats and Kittens. And we have a donor who has given us a substantial amount of money, and it's to pay for the adoption fees for cats or kittens," Clarke explained. "The cost will be 25 dollars and the donor will pay the rest. So it will help with the spay/neuter. Bissell ends today, and then as soon as that's done then we'll start promoting the More Homes for Cats and Kittens."
Clarke said the reason they ended up with so many animals is because as a no-kill shelter they are required by law to accept stray animals.
"So it's a no-kill shelter. By law, we are required to take stray animals. That's our mission, is to take the strays in. Owned animals, you have a cat you want to give up and you want to bring to us, we can make the choice," said Clarke.
She also said the SPCA gets many of their cats as pregnant mothers or young kittens, as cats can produce a litter of kittens up to three times in one year.
"That's where we get a lot of our cats, is they come in as mother cats who are pregnant, or kittens. A couple of weeks ago we got in 22 kittens over a period of like three days. So that's why we have so many," she said.
Clarke stressed the importance of spaying and neutering your pets, as one un-spayed female cat can lead to 20,000 cats in only four years. The SPCA has a spay and neuter program that will assist low-income households with the cost of fixing their animals.
"We do have a spay/neuter program that will help people and help the public with the cost of spay/neuter, and it’s called SNOOP, which stands for Spay/Neuter Opportunity Outreach for Pets. You need to apply, and to get SNOOP funding you either need to be on public assistance or low-income," said Clarke.
The SPCA also offers a pet food pantry, a flea treatment program, and several fundraising events every year. In August, they will be holding a Paws and Pints fundraiser at Hidden Springs Brewhouse.
"It's called Paws and Pints, and it's at Hidden Springs Brewhouse in Norwich. It's August 7, I believe it's a Saturday. And there'll be music, we're hoping to have a 'show off your pet' pet show," said Clarke. "Families time is kind of from 1 to 4 [p.m.], and then after from 4 to 7 [p.m.], we'll have a band. It's not that kids and families can't stay, they can, but there will be beer served then, and hard cider and wine as well as the usual. We will have some food trucks there."
The event will be free admission, but the organization will be asking for voluntary donations at the door, to assist with the $370,000 annual cost of running the facility. There will also be SPCA T-shirts for sale as a way to raise money.
"It is sponsored by Oliver’s Campers, which we’d like to mention, and Hidden Springs Brewhouse, because they are also donating besides donating the facility there, they’ve donated to us towards the event," said Clarke.
For those wishing to help, Clarke says to spay and neuter your pets. Beyond that, she said the SPCA is always accepting monetary donations, as well as cleaning supplies and pet food.
"Spay and neuter their pets, first of all. Certainly monetary donations are always, always good. But aside from that, we also need Pine Sol, bleach, and paper towels are our main needs that we ask for help with. Dog and cat food we will certainly accept it, it gets donated back to the public. That’s what does our Pet Food Pantry," she said.
Clarke also said she wants people to know that the staff at the facility truly do care about the animals, and have their best interest at heart.
"We all here love animals. We take good care of them. People don't understand that our staff plays with the animals. They not only clean up after them, they cuddle with them. Sometimes we'll have animals running in here, to give them time out of a cage. That we do everything we can to find them a good home. That's really what's important to us, getting them their forever home," Clarke explained.
"We do a lot of good for this community by taking care of these animals the way we take care of them," she added. "There's a lot of compassion here."
For more information on the Chenango County SPCA and their upcoming events, visit their website at www.chenangospca.org.
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