SPCA for Monterey County

Monterey's SPCA does incredible work for the community. We can't thank them enough.

Take a look at the executive director, Gary Tiscornia's, previous work with the Michigan Humane Society before his "resignation." Make sure you are comfortable with how your donation dollars are being spent.
I believe the shelter has went from a "no kill" shelter to a "kill" shelter under his direction as well.

Two weeks ago, on Sunday January 8, 2012, I was staying at the Best Western Plus Beach Resort hotel at 2600 Sand Dunes Drive in Monterey. Shortly after sunset ~ with darkness setting in, and the temperature dropping fast ~ my boyfriend pointed me in the direction of a sea bird (I later learned it was a cormorant) that was strangely ‘parked’ in the gradually incoming tide at the base of the sandy part of the beach. The bird, struggling and failing to move from its spot, appeared to be injured.
I desperately wanted to help the bird and hoped I could find a way. A quick Internet search on my cell phone pulled up the SPCA Monterey County's Emergency After Hours Wildlife Rescue phone number. The hotel front desk confirmed that this was the correct number for me to call. I was able to swiftly connect with a friendly SPCA ‘dispatcher’ who put me in touch with a woman named Jamie. With Jamie on her way to the Best Western, I decided to station myself on the beach near the bird to monitor its condition and to help Jamie find the bird in the dark. I was able to fend off a large, unleashed dog who came running.
In less than half an hour, Jamie arrived beachside with a male volunteer, a box, a flashlight and a blanket. “Awww, it’s a cormorant…” she said lovingly, as she used the blanket to gently lift the bird into the box… Jamie was warm and professional in all of her interactions with me, and, most importantly, in her treatment of the ailing bird. I was so relieved that the bird would now receive good care!
My boyfriend, who was visiting me from Argentina at the time, and who witnessed the cormorant rescue on the beach, marveled “We don’t have organizations like that where I’m from… You can’t call an emergency after hours phone number and in 20 minutes someone shows up with a box ready to rescue an animal!!!” Hearing his words, I felt doubly grateful for the existence of the SPCA Monterey County -Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation Center!
As a lifelong animal lover and advocate, I just want to say a big THANK YOU to the Wildlife Rescue team for their wonderful work! I will spread the word about the SPCA Monterey County-Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation Center in my classes at City College of San Francisco, where I serve on the faculty of the Dance Department (I teach Argentine tango). I so appreciate the excellent work the Wildlife Rescue team is doing!

These guys really care about the animals, take great pictures to help them get adopted, take the time to make fun films and great personalized descriptions of every single animal.

I started volunteering at the SPCA of Monterey County last December with the horses. I honestly can't say enough about the excellent care given to all of the animals there. My personal experience was helping care for the horses, I believe there were 33+ at the time in various stages of starvation and abuse.

I'm so thankful for the opportunity to be able to ahre in the care of these magnificent animals, I'm pleased to say, since December, at least a dozen have been adopted and the rest are all in beautiful condition, and cared for as if they were in the finest show stable.

Kudos to SPCA of Monterey County, Ca. You guys rock!!

I have adopted two animals for the SPCA for Monterey County. Each time they were very helpful and nice when I was making my selections. I wasn't rushed into taking a pet home, and when I asked about the animals, the staff knew them by name! Not only that, they knew the personality traits of the animals that were in their care. This was a very different experience for me, since in the past I have been rushed at shelters, and didn't feel very confident in my adoptions. I say that this SPCA has an amazing and caring staff.

They really do care for all animals and have great adoption drives to get them homes.

I am very grateful for your help with animals.
I'm sure the animals are too. I am a volunteer at the moment.

I have had the pleasure of volunteering at SPCA for Monterey County for over 3 years. Staff and volunteers are committed in their
goal to provide outstanding care for all animals and wildlife that
come through their facility.
This is truly a top notch organization that I am proud to be associated with.

I became a volunteer 2 months ago and enjoy helping with the animals. For the last month I have been going on the hikes every Tuesday to join several volunteers in walking the dogs in the local hills of SPCA. I really enjoy it and the dog as well as I get a great workout. I like how the SPCA is organized and really is determined to help the dogs and cats find homes.

I started volunteering in November. I was impressed with the level of training for dog handling. There was a 2 hour training session and one hour on the job training with an experienced volunteer dog handler. I chose to volunteer because I believe in their no expiration date policy. No animal is too old to be a good companion! The staff are compassionate and truly love all of the creatures small and large. I look forward to the completion of the new facility.

I adopted two cats, and the SPCA nuetered my animals. They took excellent care of my animals and were extremely gentle with them. They took the appropriate time to make sure each individual animals needs were met, which was greatly appreciated. The organization, from my experience has always been a safe environment for needy animals, and is always clean, organized and the staff/volunteers are professional and helpful.

I just started volunteering a few months ago. It feels so good to meet all the dogs and come back the next time and see that they have been adopted! Seeing smiles on those kids faces is priceless!

My wife and I have worked as volunteers for the Monterey County SPCA for 8 years. We work on a one day a week basis (see below). This SPCA is extraordinarily good in its outreach to all animals (dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, deer, wildlife, and all birds). It takes special care to work for the adoption of the animals, looking after the older dogs for sometimes over six months until they are finally adopted or their behavioral patterns change from a lengthy stay. The County rescues animals damaged by drivers, night and day, and it works extensively with the local Humane Society in pursuing cases of cruelty or animal hoarding. The reception services for owners turning in animals are particularly sensitive and efficient. The Monterey SPCA is presently in a $15,000,000 restoration and updating of its facilities to continue staying ahead of demands, especially with the increase of horses abandoned by owners in these economic troubles.

SPCA of Monterey Co., is a wonderful organization! They are very prompt in acknowledging your gift - and you know where your donation is going. I also volunteer as well - and this is a great place to volunteer your time. They are very appreciative of the volunteers and know how important they are to the organization. The work they do here is wonderful, and helps animals in our community. I don't want to think what we would do without them - they take in stray and sick animals, rehabiliate them, and either put them up for adoption, or release them back to the wild. They are very respective of animals' comfort and you know that the animals come first. Please consider giving your time - or donating to the SPCA of Monterey Co. They are not part of a larger organization, so they rely on our community for support.

It has been the most rewarding experience these past 3 months volunteering at Monterey SPCA in the barn. The goal is to bring the horse(s) back to health from neglected/traumatic sitautions. The joy and blessing is witnessing "miracles" each week-- watching a starved horse gradually putting weight back on, having more energy and eyes a little brighter; or the frightened horse realizing its safe and trying to open up to trust humans again. The other ladies I volunteer with are great people. I enjoy being with them as we work toward common goal of caring for these horses whether its cleaning a stall, sweeping the barn aisle, or brushing down a horse and giving it a kind word.

For me this place has turned out to be amazing! I first heard about some of the services they provide after I received two rabbits in my home and started searching for alternative places to help lower the cost of vet bills. Some services I found to be great are that they place chips in all the animals in the shelter and they offer a cheaper cost to spay and nuture your animals. I became very interested in the organization and soon began volunteering there. Now that i'm there weekly and see how they treat each individual animal with the care and affection they need I can tell the spca of monterey has reached my original expectations. I also love their policy of not turning away any animal no matter how agressive. Rather they choose to work with the animal in order to try to help it succeed to get it to it's greatest potential for adoption.

I have been volunteering for over 5 years at the Wildlife center at mont. county SPCA. I rescue wildlife in need in the field and assist staff in caring for them at the center. I also do maintenance work such as laundry, cleaning, preparing food for the wildlife, cleaning out cages
. We also take care of exotics such as snakes and birds that have been surrendered and work to get them ready for adoption.
The staff works closely with the volunteers, which is why this is such a rewarding place to work. Volunteers feel like they are an important part of the process and are taught various skills as they want. There are also classes, time permitting, given by staff on various procedures and natural history of animals we care for.We are here to support the staff.
The volunteers form a cohesive group, bonded by our desire to help care for and rehab wildlife. A dedicated and welcoming group of people.
We also have a mentor program for new volunteers where a mentor is assigned to a specific volunteer, and we work with and train them individually for several days, longer if needed.

We are incredibly fortunate to have an SPCA that is supported so well by our community. It alllows them to do so many things to aid the animals in need both locally and from other regions when necessary. I've volunteered for about a year now and could not be more impressed with the dedication, commitment and compassion of this SPCA's staff. Every effort is made to find homes for adoptable pets and livestock and to rehabilitate injured wildlife.
My focus as a volunteer has been both as a dog handler, helping with exercising dogs with short walks and long hikes on the SPCA's extensive property. A volunteer group meets weekly for a 2 hour hike with the dogs who need more extensive exercise. Volunteers also meet for dog behavioral, socialization and training classes. I also help with a volunteer photo crew to take studio quality pictures of adoptable animals for the website and other promotional venues and assist when needed for major SPCA fundraisers such as their yearly TV telethon and Wag-n-Walk.
More volunteers are always needed and welcome for these and many other areas within the shelter. This SPCA takes in cattle, horses, fowl, reptiles, wild animals, rodents, as well as dogs and cats. Any animal in need is welcomed and the volunteers are invaluable resources to assist the staff.

People who work and volunteer at SPCA Monterey County deeply care about all animals brought into the facility. The animals receive health care, training, attention, and love by staff and volunteers. SPCAmc is a dynamic organization, filling needs of the community as needed, and they go above and beyond to educate the public and provide welfare for animals. A great place to volunteer!

The services they provide for the communities they serve are irreplaceable. They are dedicated to saving, sheltering, and helping to provide homes for hundreds of domestic animals. They also provide outstanding wildlife services, and I can personally attest to the dedication of their wildlife staff who are available to assist the public at any hour of the day or night with wildlife emergencies and concerns.

The Monterey County SPCA is a fantastic place, just off Highway 68. Most of the folks there are volunteers. We have a beautiful black tuxedo cat, "Jeudi," that we got from them. Prior to Jeudi we had gotten Macavity, an orange tabby, from the SPCA and had him for about ten years before cancer took control of him and sadly we had to have him put to sleep.
We can't say enough about what a great institution the Monterey County SPCA is.

The SPCA for Monterey County is always there and ready to help animals in need, small, medium or large, wild, exotic or domestic. I have gone into their office a couple of times with donations and the staff and volunteers alike have always been extremely friendly and professional. They all work so hard at rehabilitating and finding loving, forever homes for all animals. Our community would be lost without them!

Volunteering with the SPCA's training and behavior department for the past 3 years has given me a sense of belonging to an outstanding organization made up of caring professionals and volunteers. From the Executive Director to the person walking a shelter dog -- you can just feel the love and commitment to making each animal's life happy and fulfilling.
The SPCA offers a wide variety of training programs from obedience to agility to nose work to hiking to "real world" experiences; group and private lessons; plus any additional help with specific questions or concerns.
We've taken painfully shy dogs and helped them gain the confidence to be happy, waggy dogs. We've met wild, rowdy dogs during the first week of class, and by graduation five weeks later, turned out well behaved angels. Most of all, we've helped people learn to communicate with their dogs, and strengthening their family bond.
Everyone associated with the SPCA has their heart in their job. It's all for the animals.

The SPCA of Monterey County is one of the best organizations when it comes to helping animals. Not only have I found new family members there but I have also called them for advise and assistance on injured wildlife I have found. They are always willing to listen and help anyway they can. They work very hard to find homes for all the animals, they are regulars at farmers markets, community fairs and even some pet supply stores. I cant thank them enough for the work they do, and do so well even in economic downturns.

The SPCA of MC is an overwhlemingly organized and professional non profit. They have caring and knowledgable staff. They are abundantly available and present at almost all community events. They provide education and quick receipts to donors. I have the utmost trust that our donations are put to the very best use 100% of the time. We could not recommend them any more highly and urge all we know to adopt from the shelter!

Have been to many SPCA facilities over the years and this one stands out for its overall excellence. I've owned and operated a rescue kennel, done wildlife rehabilitation, and currently do volunteer K9 SAR. This SPCA serves this area very well with compassion, honesty, integrity and diligence. If I ever had to give up one of my animals (which I consider family members) this is the only organization I would turn to in all of the Central Coast or in Northern California.

My husband and I adopted our latest family member a little gray kitten we named Penny back in August of 2010. The atmosphere inside the shelter was very warm and welcoming. When and if we decide to adopt again, the SPCA will be the first place we go.

Great organization, would recommend anyone to adopt a pet or donate to this program.

I have been a volunteer for over 3 years, and has become one of the more rewarding things that I engage in. The staff are the nicest people I know. They are knowledgeable, professional and above all, caring. My pet family all comes from the spca of monterey county, and i'm proud to a part of the organization.

The SPCAMC gave me and my family a great experience when we have had to spay and neuter our pets and also when we had to find a new home for one of them. We are so blessed to have such a great SPCA center with workers who really care. The facebook page specifically for the animals in SPCAMC is a great way to find new homes and tell everyone when someone is adopted.

Quite a few years ago I had a pair of love birds, Peaches and Herb, in my apartment with my 2 cats. Fortunately, my cats seemed to ignore them for the most part, so they lived in harmony. I made every attempt to ensure the cage was secured and out of the way of the cats access. One day I came home and somehow, the birds had gotten out of the cage and were walking around the apartment exploring! I am so thankful my cats are well-fed, as that could have been a disaster. So, much to my dismay, I felt it was for Peaches and Herb's best safety interest to find a cat-free home. I was able to surrender my love birds knowing they would be taken care of until a loving home could be found for them. While it was very upsetting to have to surrender Peaches and Herb, it was comforting to know they would be taken care of until they found a loving home.

The SPCA of Monterey is absolutely vital to our community and the animals with which we share it with. The volunteers are completely selfless and in my opinion, totally HEROES!!!!

I have had the great privilege to volunteer on Thursday mornings at the SPCA Wildlife Center. I have been so impressed, each week, by the wonderful, dedicated, competent, and compassionate staff there. To watch them in action is very impressive. They care so much about the animals, and they work together, so cooperatively, while assessing and caring for their injured and orphaned critters. They are an amazing group of young people and do so much for the wildlife of Monterey County!

As a volunteer for the last three years at the SPCA for Monterey County Wildlife Center, I have been amazed at the dedication of the staff and volunteers. While we care for many different wild animals, birds are the largest part of the mission. During

The SPCA of Monterey County Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation Center is the only one of it's kind encompassing all of Monterey County and providing rescue services 24/7. I joined the center as a volunteer wildlife assistant over 2 years ago during baby bird season. I have watched the center become a well-managed well-oiled machine! The small staff along with a few dozen volunteers, successfully and professionally care for all of the injured or orphaned wildlife in the large county with the goal of releasing them back into the wild. The volunteers are trained through workshops to assist the staff in all aspects of care. Many of the volunteers have been around a long time. The staff and volunteers together culminate in an amazing team working together in smooth operation of the animal hospital style environment. The typical animals that are cared for are baby and adult birds, pelicans & other seabirds, squirrels, ducks, red-tailed hawks, raccoons, possum, rabbits, geese, etc.; less typical include fox, coyote, & bobcat. Many of the animals that are rescued as strays or surrendered by people unable to further care for them are exotic animals that provide for the opportunity to learn how to care for something new. I have personally had the opportunity to care for and research specific animals that come into our care, such as hedge hogs, iguana, chinchillas, turtles, tortoises, sugar gliders, rabbits, and a wide variety of parrots, cockatiels, budgies, & parakeets. It is gratifying to know that I am making a difference by helping a wild animal gain strength and health to again live in the wild. It is also satisfying to care for abandoned exotic animals by providing the care they need and making them feel important through the care that they receive until a new home can be found for them. Not all injured wildlife can be saved, but knowing that the SPCA Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation Center can humanely end an animal's suffering is a great comfort to me. I am happy to be a part of this organization.

SPCa Wildlife Center is a wonderful place helping a wide variety of wildlife - baby birds, pelicans, raccoons to name a few.

The staff is very professional yet very caring. The volunteers are well trained. The new facility enables the staff to carte for more wildlife. It is a wonderful place to volunteer and I look forward to the hours that I spend there each week.

The dedicated professional staff at this new state of the art Wildlife Center, attend to the medical needs of injured and or newborn wildlife. Every day the staff goes beyond the call of duty to provide whatever individual care is needed.

The wildlife center at the Monterey County SPCA is staffed by very compassionate employees. They are on-call 24/7 365 days a year to rescue injured birds and animals. Thus far this year they have worked on 95+ pelicans that have then been transported to a level of higher care. On numerous occasions they have traveled for hours to salvage birds of prey and now that it is baby bird season the staff and volunteers are inundated with baby birds.

I have been a volunteer for over 2 years at this facility. I am always amazed at how professional, and friendly the staff are. These men and women are always eager to be helpful to the public, and compassionate for the wildlife.

As a volunteer at the wildlife center I have the opportunity to see first hand how hard the team(s) at the SPCA for Monterey County work to provide optimal care for a wide variety of animals and also to educate and reach out to the local community. No animal is too insignificant, for example I recently was asked to pick up an injured pigeon from a busy tourist area for possible rehabilitation. We also are now in baby bird season, volunteers and staff are arranged so that for 12 hours per day they can be fed and cleaned every 1/2 hour. The staff answer any call with no hesitation, recently a bobcat was hit by a car and they prepared safety measures but never once hesitated about going to pick him up and attempting to save this beautiful animal. I can't say enough about the staff, they are all trained biologists and continue to educate themselves. I have learned a great deal while working with them. In closing i don't see how this area could humanely exist without the SPCA for Monterey County and I have only touched on the wildlife component of what they do.

I love the SPCA of Monterey Cty. I am a volunteer at the Wildlife Center and each week I get the honor of caring and feeding the various Wildlife that comes in for help. The SPCA of Monterey Cty. also is home and respite for countless cats, kittens, dogs, puppies and even barnyard animals who have be lost or abused. I can't say enough about this wonderful shelter.

I volunteer weekly in the SPCA wild life shelter. The wildlife shelter takes in sick or injured wildlife and exotic pets that have been rescued or turned in. I find the professional staff to be very dedicated to providing the best care possible for the animals in the shelter. Each new animal is given a through examination and a treatment plan is prepared. Each animal is observed several times a day to check its condition. The Staff quickly responds to reports of sick or injured animals, driving all over the county to rescue animals or to transport animals to other shelters. The Staff expends considerable energy to ensure that exotic pets are placed in an appropriate home environment. Those who wish to adopt a pet must demonstrate their knowledge about proper care and treatment of the pet and their understanding of what will be evolved in caring for the pet. I don't believe that I have ever seen an adopted pet returned. The volunteer staff is an incredibly dedicated hard working group. Cleaning cages of animal poop and vomit, washing dirty laundry, preparing meals that include dead mice and fish parts (yummy!) is not for everyone, but it is necessary to ensure the health of the animals. The volunteers attack these tasks with enthusiast and commitment. And keep returning every week. My shift partner has been a volunteer for 7 years! Overall, I believe that the wildlife center has been very successful in rehabilitating animals for their return to the wild and in providing humane care for those that can not be release.