The UCSPCA is Not part
of the ASPCA. Donations made to the ASPCA do not go to the
Ulster County SPCA.
A Message from the Executive Director
What If We Closed Our Doors?
For over one hundred years, the UCSPCA has rescued homeless animals, conducted humane law investigations, championed spay/neuter efforts and led the field in all matters ascribed to an active community shelter. Our strong commitment to the animals under our care remains intact, yet there is no denying the difficult challenges experienced by all shelters as a result of the economy’s downward spiral. Go online and Google the words “animal shelter closing” and you will find that dozens of shelter across the nation are permanently shutting their doors. What would happen if the UCSPCA did the same, or found it necessary to cut vital programs such as cruelty investigations? It could happen.
Since January, 2008, the UCSPCA successfully sterilized over 2,500 animals at our shelter, including over 500 stray and feral cats through our low cost spay/neuter program. This is a vital service to our community since a single stray cat and her litter may produce hundreds of offspring over a one year period. Try to imagine the elimination of this highly successful program and the fallout due to a lack of funding.
In the same period, the UCSPCA accepted 800 homeless and needy animals into our shelter, and adopted 650 animals to good homes. What would happen to these animals if the UCSPCA could not maintain an adoption program? Imagine no Humane Law Division for Ulster County, and no justice for the animals who suffer at the hands of their cruel abusers.
The threat of closure is real. The costs associated with maintaining and operating a professional animal shelter are staggering. Every animal that comes into our shelter is tested for heartworm, Lyme disease, feline diseases and treated for everything from fleas to surgery. Staffing, capital expenses, feeding bills and utility bills all add up to create the greatest challenge we’ve ever faced. Additionally, this shelter is in the unenviable position of being the only regional SPCA that is not funded in part by county government. Many people find this fact to be shocking, and rightfully so.
In order to keep our doors open and our programs funded, we really need your support.
As an efficiently managed organization, we use our resources to rescue animals and to reach those in need of help. Please consider what our community would be like without the UCSPCA. This is not a false alarm; we are in desperate need of support so that we may continue to save lives and enforce animal cruelty laws. The future of this organization is truly in your hands.
Thank you so very much for considering these cold facts, and for all of your present and future support.
Sincerely,
Brian Shapiro
Executive Director
Ulster County SPCA
Board of Directors
Cindy Caporale, President; Nora Nelson, Vice President; Carol Tabasko, Treasurer; Sue Kivel, Secretary; Mary Brice; Louise Cutler; Janet Deblitz; Mary Mabile; Betty Zeeb.
Your generous tax deductable donation will save lives...
...and enable us to strictly enforce animal cruelty laws. Thank you so much for supporting the UCSPCA!
"Kindness and compassion toward all living things is the mark of a civilized society."
—Cesar Chavez
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