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March 23, 2009

Danville SPCA now a 'no kill' animal shelter

Karen Blackledge

DANVILLE — A cat person, Amie Miller wanted a companion for a stray she took in, so she adopted a cat from the Danville Adoption Center of the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The Middleburg woman found Teddy, an 8-year-old tiger already neutered and declawed, at PetSmart near Selinsgrove, where Danville Adoption Center cats are being adopted in addition to the adoption center near Danville.

“I wanted an adult cat to get along with Elliott,” she said. “Teddy’s doing well and gets along well with Elliott,” she said. “I have always had cats. I just enjoy them. They’re great companions,” she said. “What PetSmart is doing is a wonderful thing,” she said of the adoptions there.

Besides the additional location for adoptions, there have been many changes at the privately owned, nonprofit Danville Adoption Center at 2801 Bloom Road.

The center has become a no-kill facility.

“We will not kill healthy, adoptable animals,” team leader Roxanne Greiner said.

If an animal is suffering from injuries or is sick and euthanizing is requested by an owner, then the animal will be euthanized for a fee. Euthanizing is the same as is done at a veterinary hospital with a lethal injection.

For the past six months, the Danville center hasn’t been allowing people to discard their pets unless there is space for them. People are also charged a fee to bring them there. If the shelter is full, people are placed on a waiting list.

“We are always full,” Greiner said of animals in the shelter and cages reserved for cats and dogs to be brought in. “People have to wait their turn until we adopt some out,” she said.

Lisa Rodgers, chief operations officer for the PSPCA in Philadelphia, said the Danville center is one of the larger shelters in terms of activity. In 2007, the shelter took in 3,684 animals, adopted 1,537 and euthanized 1,518. In 2008, Danville took in 2,425, adopted 941 and euthanized 1,346.

The Philadelphia headquarters became a no-kill facility in September 2007. The other four adoption centers, including Danville, followed suit later “because we had to nail down the situation with feral cats and let people know we can no longer afford to be animal control for municipalities, that they have to figure a way or a place to use as animal control,” Rodgers said. “We encourage everyone to use the trap, neuter or spay and release program. There are many cat lovers out there who can come up with a place and with vets volunteering their time,” Rodgers said.

The Danville center recently started turning away wild trapped cats.

“We no longer do animal control,” Greiner said of the center which serves seven counties including Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, Union, Columbia and parts of Luzerne and Lycoming counties.

People with wild cats have to call their boroughs or townships for help. “County dog wardens take care of stray dogs,” she said. “Some boroughs have animal control people while others haven’t. They will have to come up with a solution,” she said.

People wanting to assist colonies of wild cats can find information at alleycat.org. The Philadelphia headquarters of the SPCA works with Phillycats.org that traps, sterilizes, vaccinates and releases wild cats, said Heather Redfern there. “We have what is known as the cube where surgeries have been done since October. We have been working with Philly Cats for the past year to year and a half,” she said.

With kitten season starting soon, Greiner stressed people should make sure female cats are spayed and male cats neutered. The center sells reduced cost vouchers for $50 for a female cat and $40 for a male cat and provides a list of the veterinarians honoring those vouchers for the surgery. The SPCA has vouchers for a male dog at $65 and a female dog at $85.

“There are other organizations that help people with fixed incomes with spaying and neutering such as PA PETS,” she said. “Local vets hold spay days at reduced costs,” she said.

While the Philadelphia headquarters has a staff including veterinarians, the Danville center employs two full-time persons including Greiner and four part-time workers.

Greiner said people should try to find homes for their pets on their own and look at the SPCA as the last resort. People can place “free to good home” ads for free in area newspapers and contact friends, family members, vet hospitals and rescue groups on potential homes.

“This is part of being a responsible pet owner,” she said of the Danville center typically housing 85 to 100 animals daily.

Rodgers said the cost to feed a 40-pound dog per day is $1.20. The cost to feed a cat per day is 30 cents. “That is without factoring in the length of stay, care that has to be given, lights, heat and water,” she said.

While most are cats and dogs, they have had their share of unusual animals such as lizards, snakes, rats, mice and hamsters. The center also has ponies and horses available for adoption. They have housed pigs, goats and chickens in the barn in the past.

Probably the most unique have been a degu, a South American rodent currently in a foster home, and a Savannah Monitor Lizard, recently adopted.

The major reason people cite for bringing their pet to the SPCA is landlord issues, which Greiner said, “Make sure your landlord allows the pet before you get it.”

Next is moving. “They should find a place that allows pets when they move,” she said.

The third reason is behavioral issues. “There are many dog obedience classes held. PetSmart has trainers on hand,” she said. Area kennel clubs hold classes.

If it’s another type of behavior issue, owners should check with their vets first to make sure it isn’t related to a medical problem.

An animal may stay 5 minutes or several months before being adopted from the center.

The SPCA’s partnership with PetSmart, near Selinsgrove, has been successful with a number of SPCA cats adopted from PetSmart. A center employee is available to handle adoptions during the week and volunteers are there on weekends.

The cost to adopt a kitten, 6 months or younger, is $75 and a puppy, 6 months or younger, is $125. Older kittens and cats are $50 and dogs older than 6 months are $75. The fee includes a booster shot, deworming, microchipping, 30 days of pet care insurance, a spay/neuter voucher, a list of vets honoring the surgery, food, a collar and identification tag, pet care information and toys and other supplies if available.

When someone brings in a kitten or puppy, the cost is $5 each and $10 each for a cat or dog. A Good Home Guarantee is $50 extra.

For someone bringing in a litter of puppies or kittens, there is a charge of $75 with a free spay voucher for the mother dog or cat if the owner keeps the mother. “That way we won’t have another unwanted litter,” Greiner said.

The shelter’s want list includes window cleaner, paper towels, dish soap, bleach, toilet paper, garbage bags, old towels, sponges, light bulbs, printer paper, pens, computer ink, staples, tape, ink pads, postage stamps, calculator paper rolls, collars, leashes, dog and cat treats, cat litter, litter pans, water and food bowls, rabbit food, hay, sweet feed, guinea pig food, pet shampoo and cat and dog toys.

The shelter is always looking for volunteers and foster volunteers who are required to complete an application. If approved, volunteers attend and orientation and home inspections are conducted for potential foster homes. Currently, there are about 20 volunteers.

While the shelter only feeds cats and dogs Science Diet brand dry food, food donated by the public is donated to other groups. A reserve is kept to give to anyone who needs a short-term supply due to lack of money.

E-mail comments to kblackledge@thedanvillenews.com.

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