York SPCA Earns First in PA Honor

York County SPCA to Expand Spay/Neuter Capabilities
Partnership with the Humane Alliance is the First in Pennsylvania

York, PA – The York County SPCA on Saturday, Aug. 10, will introduce a new and expanded spay/neuter clinic with food and festivities from noon-2 p.m. that include face painting, local vendors and tours of the facility. If you’ve been looking for a reason to stop by, this would be the weekend. Join us as the York facility celebrates a cool success on a hot summer’s day. Selected for a highly acclaimed mentorship program with the Humane Alliance, the York County SPCA is the first program in the state of Pennsylvania invited to participate.

Under the Humane Alliance program – a group that has successfully launched 100 prototypes nationwide and whose programs have led to a substantial reduction in euthanasia where adopted and which also was recognized as the 2011 top non-profit by Philanthropedia – there’s a dual emphasis on increasing pet adoptions as well as reducing the birth of unwanted animals that later face euthanasia.  

Melissa Smith, executive director of the York County SPCA, says the expansion will allow the facility to perform three times more surgeries as well as make spay/neutering services both more affordable and more easily accessible to central Pennsylvania and regional pet owners.

“I know that one day we will reach our dream of drastically decreasing the number of unwanted animals and the need for euthanasia,” says Smith. “I have always been extremely proud to be a part of the York County SPCA. But now more than ever, I am filled with pride over the vision and dedication that has brought us to this pivotal point in our history.”

The York County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) site - founded in 1926 and located at 3159 Susquehanna Trail North - has long been dedicated both to rescuing and adopting out homeless pets as well as reducing the number of animals euthanized in shelters.

The York County SPCA spay/neuter clinic will ultimately allow almost 18,000 spay/neuter surgeries annually, up from the current 5,000.

The expansion of the spay/neuter clinic is especially timely as Pennsylvania leads the nation in the number of rabid cats born in the wild and is second in the number of rabies cases. Nearly two-thirds of all animals taken in are cats and three quarters of those are strays. 

In June 2006, the York County SPCA opened a 17,000-square-foot facility designed to rescue unwanted pets – and reached capacity within just two weeks. The facility currently processes nearly 7,000 incoming animals each year, at a cost of approximately $215 per animal or $1.5 million total.

Spay/neutering is viewed as a more economical and humane solution to animal overpopulation.

Since opening its doors in 1994, the Humane Alliance has surgically sterilized more than 265,000 animals in Western North Carolina as well as replicated its model nationwide through a hands-on strategic training program that addresses the urgent need for a skilled and well organized mentor to help guide other humane organizations in the financially self-sustaining operation of high-volume, high quality spay/neuter clinics. 

Nationwide, these clinics now perform spay/neuter surgeries on more 400,000 animals annually. In addition to its 75% reduction in euthanasia, there has been a corresponding drop in the need for animal intakes.

In order to qualify for the Humane Alliance mentoring program, a human population of at least 250,000 must reside within a 60-mile radius and a sufficient need must exist as evidenced by a lack of similar high volume spay/neuter facilities within a 2-hour drive. In York County, the population exceeds 435,000 and several million reside within the 60-mile radius. The closest affiliated clinics are in Washington, DC and Newark, DE.

 

The York County SPCA plants to initially utilize one full-time veterinarian and corresponding team of technicians and staff dedicated exclusively to spay/neuter efforts, operating approximately five days a week for 50 weeks a year. At a minimum of 35 surgeries per day, initial surgery volume is projected to be 8,750. Over time, a second spay/neuter team will double capacity to almost 18,000 surgeries annually.

“The experience of the Humane Alliance in Asheville, NC and similar partner facilities has shown a notable improvement in the animal overpopulation and a corresponding reduction in animal control costs,” notes Smith, “including significant enhancements to broader public health and safety.  Comparable benefits could be expected in York County as well. Unique opportunities to make a meaningful difference in the community do not present themselves often. The planets are now aligned to implement and execute a comprehensive solution to the animal overpopulation challenge and simultaneously ensure that the YCSPCA continues to be the same force for community good for future generations as it has been in the past for nearly 90 years.”

The York County SPCA is independent, 90% donor funded, and has no affiliation with the American SPCA nor receives any funding from other national humane organizations. Its mission is to find permanent, loving homes for displaced and stray animals, to help control animal population growth, investigate and prosecute cruelty to animal offenders, and to educate the public about animal wellness and safety. For more information, visit its website or Facebook page.