Programs: The spca serving erie county is a private humane society funded by donations. The spca provides humane care for distressed animals, including housing, placement and disposal of same. The erie county spca allows adoption of animals and has multiple satellite adoption locations. The spca accepts stray dogs, cats, and other animals. Stray animals are kept in specially-designated areas away from adoption areas to prevent spread of potential diseases, bites, and to give owners a chance to locate them at the shelter. Over 12,800 domestic and wild animals were admitted and cared for this past year with each animal being examined by both our veterinary and behavior staff for good health and temperament before being placed in the adoption programover 5,900 animals of all kinds (cats, dogs, farm animals, small pets, reptiles) adopted into new homesover 1,770 dogs went through safer behavior assessment prior to placement in the adoption program. More than 80 volunteers worked on the open paws enrichment program for our shelter dogs, and the spca hosted students from canisius college, medaille college, and niagara county community college as part of a collaborative internship between the shelter and the colleges. Over 3,080 animals received foster care preparing them for subsequent adoption, with more than 300 individuals and families participating in our foster/foster-to-adopt programspecial agents responded to over 1,400 calls for suspected animal neglect or abuse. 10 criminal arrests for neglect and cruelty were made during the year. Three animal awareness classes were presented as part of court-ordered sentencing of defendants found guilty of animal cruelty. Over 3,400 requests for assistance were responded to by spca rescue team members, who are on call 24 hours each day, seven days each week, 365 days each year. Over 1,140 sick and/or injured owned and stray domestic animals and more than 830 wild animals were rescued in erie county this year3,211 sick, injured and orphaned wildlife were treated at the spca's wildlife rehabilitation center and clinic, with over 100 different wild species cared for. There were 39 wildlife presentations throughout western new york which reached over 2,000 individuals. Over 1,300 children in 16 schools participated in the encouraging kind kids literacy program of the spca. Over 200 children participated in the summer camp program conducted at the spca. 35 children from 2 schools participated in teaching love and compassion, an innovative violence prevention program teaching 11 to 13 year old students, kindness, respect, caring, empathy, and responsibility for both human and animal life. Over 3,500 people participated in 42 community presentations and events hosted by humane educators. Over 250 children participated in our annual humane poster and creative writing contest4,018 dogs, cats, and rabbits were spayed or neutered at the spca's surgical units, and over 6,500 surgical and medical treatments were performed by the shelter's medical team; additionally 81 major surgeries and 474 dentals were performed on spca animals, and 559 animals were treated for infectious diseases in the isolation unit. 1,783 volunteers donated over 49,600 hours in volunteer service time to the spca. 171 hospital, nursing and group home facilities received "paws for love" visits by spca volunteers and their pets, and 155 7th -12th grade students completed 1,917 community service hours, 10 u. S. Military veterans were enrolled in our paws & patriots program working with dogs in the shelter that are in need of special attention163 farm animals and fowl were admitted to the educational farm and barn as cruelty cases, strays, and surrenders, and 99 farm animals were placed for adoption during the year.
