SPCA International

A favorite of Red Room authors Jane Ganahl, Cara Black, Trina Robbins, Vincent Louis Carrella, Laxmi Hiremath, Patti Lawson, Mary Lynn Archibald, Skyla Dawn Cameron, Elizabeth McKenzie, John Kelin, Deborah Wolfe, Jerry Blair, Deborah Wolfe, and Clive Barker.SPCA Intl

Year founded: 2006 (The first society dedicated to preventing animal cruelty was organized in England in 1824.)

Executive Director: JD Winston

Mission: The mission of SPCA Internationalis to raise awareness of the abuse of animals on a global level, to teach and foster good pet-parenting practices, and to promote spay and neuter programs around the world with the goal of eradicating the need to euthanize healthy and adoptable companion animals.

Accomplishments:

  • Donates $1,000 each to different shelters as part of its Shelter of the Week program
  • Facilitates many hundreds of pet adoptions every year, and profiles many of these success stories per year on its website
  • Posts dozens of articles per year on its site about pet insurance, wellness, care, and behavior
  • Recognizes best in pet care services by giving dozens of Best of the Best prizes on its site.

Profile: Today, there are SPCAs all over the world and in each U.S. state. SPCA International accomplishes its mission through internal and outreach programs, and by supporting shelters that are already working to achieve these goals.

Some of the programs in place to achieve this mission are:

  • Foster Home Volunteers. Every day, shelters receive animals that-because of a lack of space, special needs, or the potential of contagious disease-can't be kept. If they can't find a temporary home for these animals, the only option is euthanasia. This program provides shelters with contact information for potential foster families. It lessens the daily burden on shelters and saves countless lives.
  • Disaster Readiness Volunteers. In cases of natural and human-made disasters, this program serves as a contact database, allowing shelters near disaster areas to contact and dispatch volunteers efficiently. SPCA International conducts three-day, intensive training camps throughout the country to train volunteers for disaster response.
  • Veterinary Student Exchange. SPCA International also call this "Vets Without Borders." Each summer, the SPCA sponsors young veterinary students from industrialized nations to volunteer their time and energy in Third World countries and assist in animal control services, spay and neuter programs, and educating the public about responsible pet ownership.

To volunteer, make a donation, or otherwise become more involved, please go to SPCA International's website.

–Huntington W. Sharp, Editor, Homepage & Special Projects, Red Room

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