Last night I saw something on Facebook: an SPCA in a southern state (Pennsylvania Lancaster County SPCA) is closing its doors in mid August, (2017). Any animals that are not adopted by their deadline will be euthanized. I was COMPLETELY INCENSED!!! My thoughts went something like this... With all the money they get, all those donations, WHY are they closing and why will they be euthanizing the unadopted? WHY? WHY?? WHY??? Were they just there to PROFIT off of the horrible situations of innocent animals and when there was no profit to be made, close up shop, without a care, taking away lives? Let me tell you, I was going to get to the bottom of this!
Today, I spoke with a woman involved with the local SPCA. I asked questions designed to figure out what was going on. She had no idea what I had read the night before or what I was thinking. And what she shared COMPLETELY SHOCKED ME! I feel like I, and people like me, are being mislead! The truth is, we just didn't know the truth. Now that I know, I'm going to try and shine some light on this to help the local SPCAs get the help that they so desperately need.
We have all seen the commercials. Sad faces of dogs and cats in cages. Sad, weepy sounding background music from a famous recording artist. Little animals shaking, looking like they are crying. All designed to tug at our heart-strings and make us open up our wallets and send them money. I'm talking, of course, about the ASPCA. How many times have you donated to them? Now how many times have you donated to your LOCAL SPCA shelter? If you think the answer is the same, your answer might be wrong. If you believe that your donations to the place with all those commercials is being used by your local SPCA shelter, you might be as shocked as we were to learn that there is NO affiliation between the ASPCA and local SPCA shelters! Most people believe this is a nationwide network and their money is gong to be used/disbursed locally. It is NOT!
Where does that money go? It goes EXACTLY where you are sending your donation check. (hint: unless you live in NY, it's not going to your state!) If you are intending your money to be used in that state, that's wonderful. Animals are in need all throughout the world. But if you want to help the animals in your own community, send your donation check elsewhere (locally).
I have to wonder how many people in the area of the local SPCA shelter I read about last night thought they were donating to that shelter by donating to the ASPCA? How much longer could this shelter have stayed open, helping animals in its local community? Instead, the dogs in its care have an execution deadline, their only chance of not being killed is being adopted BEFORE the shelter's deadline. DID YOU KNOW? that almost all shelters/rescues (especially no- kill shelters) are operating at a DEFICIT! The "adoption fees" are actually well below the costs associated with each of those animals- food, healthcare, staff/caregivers, the overhead of the shelter. Those "fees' do help, but they are really about 1/4 to 1/3 of the costs associated with EACH PET. Saving lives is EXPENSIVE! And these facilities NEED OUR HELP!
If you want to adopt a dog from the (closing) Pennsylvania Lancaster County SPCA, please contact them (asap) through their contact info here~ https://www.lancasterspca.org
If you want to make a difference in the lives of animals in our/your local community, please donate DIRECTLY to a local organization. Here in Lakeland go here~ https://www.spcaflorida.org and click on the "donate" button. If you cannot donate money, what can you donate? Check with your local shelter to see what they need. Food? Blankets? Towels? Toys? How about your TIME- as a volunteer? Lastly, please share this article. The more people know the truth, the more we can help where help is needed most.