One more week of reduced adoption fees at Chenango SPCA
The Chenango SPCA currently has 128 cats in their care looking for their forever homes. Now through July 31, adoption fees are discounted to just $50 for dogs and $25 for cats as part of the Bissell Pet Foundation Empty the Shelters event. (Photo by Sarah Genter)
CHENANGO COUNTY — The Chenango SPCA is participating in the Bissell Empty the Shelters program, which provides discounted adoption rates for cats and dogs.
The program began on July 6 and runs through July 31. The Bissell Pet Foundation donates a portion of adoption fees to increase adoption rates at shelters across the country. Now through the end of the month, adoption fees at the Chenango SPCA are $50 for dogs and just $25 for cats.
The shelter currently has 128 cats and 20 dogs looking for their forever homes.
Chenango SPCA Executive Director Patrick McLaughlin said there are several reasons to adopt from a shelter, with the primary reason being "you are genuinely providing a safer and better life to an animal that really needs it."
"Sometimes maybe there’s the perception that shelter animals are going to come with the animal equivalent, I guess, of emotional baggage. I understand that," he added. "But what we call emotional baggage, or just the animal having a personal history, to me is one of the things that means this individual animal already has a story, and that story may have been sad up to now. Wouldn't it be great to be the person who gives them a happy ending?"
To adopt a pet from the SPCA, individuals must first fill out an adoption application, available at ChenangoSPCA.org or at the shelter, located at 6160 County Road 32 in Norwich. The application includes questions on personal contact information, details on current pets, veterinarian contact, references, and more.
Once an application is approved, adopters can visit the shelter to meet adoptable animals and choose their new family member.
During the Bissell Empty the Shelters event, adopters will also be asked to fill out a form that is submitted to the Bissell Pet Foundation when the event concludes. McLaughlin said the forms are used as verification of adoption numbers during the program.
"Every time somebody adopts as part of the program we have them fill out this form, and then at the end of the event period, which in this case is the end of the month, we scan them all in and send them as the verification that our numbers are what we said they were," he explained. The verification allows the Bissell Pet Foundation to provide reimbursement of adoption fees to the shelter.
The Bissell Pet Foundation began the Empty the Shelters event in 2016, and since then the program has grown to include 687 participating partners, assisted with 158,070 adoptions, and impacted the lives of 352,820 pets.
Empty the Shelters events are held quarterly, and the Chenango SPCA has participated since the program's inception in 2016. Reduced adoption fees help to increase adoption rates, which is especially helpful between April and October, when animal intakes at the SPCA triple, according to McLaughlin.
Increased adoptions also mean more animals are finding loving, forever homes, and more strays are able to be taken in by the shelter for a second chance.
Those who would like to support the Chenango SPCA but are unable to adopt an animal have several ways to help. The shelter is always accepting monetary donations, as well as donations of supplies such as paper towels, bleach, laundry detergent, cat and dog toys, and more. To donate or view a complete list of needed items, visit ChenangoSPCA.org/donate.
"That’s always a big help because the cost of having these animals here is pretty substantial and the materials that we go through are pretty substantial as well," said McLaughlin.
Fostering shelter animals is also an option. While fostering only provides a temporary home for the animals, McLaughlin said it is still beneficial for them to have one-on-one care and attention.
"The worry about exposure to infectious disease, especially for young kittens, or just having difficulty behaviorally adjusting to the life of the shelter which is not ideal. We do what we can but we know that living in a shelter isn’t really what any companion animal needs," McLaughlin said.
"Being surrounded by the number of other animals is very stressful for the ones that are here, and so sometimes they kind of build up a disposition of fear, which is difficult for us to overcome in the shelter. And even if they’ve been here for a number of months moving them from the shelter to the home that’s a difficult thing for them to move on from," he continued. "I don’t think that veterinary psychology is to the point yet where we could diagnose it, but it’s pretty similar to PTSD."
To learn more about fostering opportunities or apply to be a foster family, visit ChenangoSPCA.org/get-involved.
The SPCA is always looking for volunteers as well. There are a wide range of roles available for volunteers, from dog walking to cleaning to helping out at fundraisers.
"Most of the volunteers that we get are people that want to be hands on with the animals. While we have those opportunities, we also have office and event opportunities as well," said McLaughlin. "Really anybody with any skill could be used as a volunteer."
Lastly, McLaughlin said individuals can help support the shelter simply by spreading the word about what they do.
"One thing I think we could definitely always use more of is, we could use more friends in the community. More people knowing about us and what we do, and how they might choose to help is kind of up to them," he said. "[Anyone who] knows somebody who doesn't’ really know much about the SPCA, it would be great if they would just tell them. You know, hey, we have this organization in our community, here’s what they do, isn't that great?"
More information on the Chenango SPCA can be found at ChenangoSPCA.org and the Chenango SPCA Facebook page.
For more information on the Bissell Pet Foundation and Empty the Shelters, visit BissellPetFoundation.org.
The program began on July 6 and runs through July 31. The Bissell Pet Foundation donates a portion of adoption fees to increase adoption rates at shelters across the country. Now through the end of the month, adoption fees at the Chenango SPCA are $50 for dogs and just $25 for cats.
The shelter currently has 128 cats and 20 dogs looking for their forever homes.
Chenango SPCA Executive Director Patrick McLaughlin said there are several reasons to adopt from a shelter, with the primary reason being "you are genuinely providing a safer and better life to an animal that really needs it."
"Sometimes maybe there’s the perception that shelter animals are going to come with the animal equivalent, I guess, of emotional baggage. I understand that," he added. "But what we call emotional baggage, or just the animal having a personal history, to me is one of the things that means this individual animal already has a story, and that story may have been sad up to now. Wouldn't it be great to be the person who gives them a happy ending?"
To adopt a pet from the SPCA, individuals must first fill out an adoption application, available at ChenangoSPCA.org or at the shelter, located at 6160 County Road 32 in Norwich. The application includes questions on personal contact information, details on current pets, veterinarian contact, references, and more.
Once an application is approved, adopters can visit the shelter to meet adoptable animals and choose their new family member.
During the Bissell Empty the Shelters event, adopters will also be asked to fill out a form that is submitted to the Bissell Pet Foundation when the event concludes. McLaughlin said the forms are used as verification of adoption numbers during the program.
"Every time somebody adopts as part of the program we have them fill out this form, and then at the end of the event period, which in this case is the end of the month, we scan them all in and send them as the verification that our numbers are what we said they were," he explained. The verification allows the Bissell Pet Foundation to provide reimbursement of adoption fees to the shelter.
The Bissell Pet Foundation began the Empty the Shelters event in 2016, and since then the program has grown to include 687 participating partners, assisted with 158,070 adoptions, and impacted the lives of 352,820 pets.
Empty the Shelters events are held quarterly, and the Chenango SPCA has participated since the program's inception in 2016. Reduced adoption fees help to increase adoption rates, which is especially helpful between April and October, when animal intakes at the SPCA triple, according to McLaughlin.
Increased adoptions also mean more animals are finding loving, forever homes, and more strays are able to be taken in by the shelter for a second chance.
Those who would like to support the Chenango SPCA but are unable to adopt an animal have several ways to help. The shelter is always accepting monetary donations, as well as donations of supplies such as paper towels, bleach, laundry detergent, cat and dog toys, and more. To donate or view a complete list of needed items, visit ChenangoSPCA.org/donate.
"That’s always a big help because the cost of having these animals here is pretty substantial and the materials that we go through are pretty substantial as well," said McLaughlin.
Fostering shelter animals is also an option. While fostering only provides a temporary home for the animals, McLaughlin said it is still beneficial for them to have one-on-one care and attention.
"The worry about exposure to infectious disease, especially for young kittens, or just having difficulty behaviorally adjusting to the life of the shelter which is not ideal. We do what we can but we know that living in a shelter isn’t really what any companion animal needs," McLaughlin said.
"Being surrounded by the number of other animals is very stressful for the ones that are here, and so sometimes they kind of build up a disposition of fear, which is difficult for us to overcome in the shelter. And even if they’ve been here for a number of months moving them from the shelter to the home that’s a difficult thing for them to move on from," he continued. "I don’t think that veterinary psychology is to the point yet where we could diagnose it, but it’s pretty similar to PTSD."
To learn more about fostering opportunities or apply to be a foster family, visit ChenangoSPCA.org/get-involved.
The SPCA is always looking for volunteers as well. There are a wide range of roles available for volunteers, from dog walking to cleaning to helping out at fundraisers.
"Most of the volunteers that we get are people that want to be hands on with the animals. While we have those opportunities, we also have office and event opportunities as well," said McLaughlin. "Really anybody with any skill could be used as a volunteer."
Lastly, McLaughlin said individuals can help support the shelter simply by spreading the word about what they do.
"One thing I think we could definitely always use more of is, we could use more friends in the community. More people knowing about us and what we do, and how they might choose to help is kind of up to them," he said. "[Anyone who] knows somebody who doesn't’ really know much about the SPCA, it would be great if they would just tell them. You know, hey, we have this organization in our community, here’s what they do, isn't that great?"
More information on the Chenango SPCA can be found at ChenangoSPCA.org and the Chenango SPCA Facebook page.
For more information on the Bissell Pet Foundation and Empty the Shelters, visit BissellPetFoundation.org.
dived wound factual legitimately delightful goodness fit rat some lopsidedly far when.
Slung alongside jeepers hypnotic legitimately some iguana this agreeably triumphant pointedly far
jeepers unscrupulous anteater attentive noiseless put less greyhound prior stiff ferret unbearably cracked oh.
So sparing more goose caribou wailed went conveniently burned the the the and that save that adroit gosh and sparing armadillo grew some overtook that magnificently that
Circuitous gull and messily squirrel on that banally assenting nobly some much rakishly goodness that the darn abject hello left because unaccountably spluttered unlike a aurally since contritely thanks