NEWS RELEASE  – February 11, 2009

Contact: Dana White: 972-935-0756

LOCAL ANIMAL SHELTER SEES RISE IN PET ADOPTIONS

More shelter dogs and cats are finding a permanent home in Ellis County.

A look at fourth quarter 2008 statistics for the Ellis County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ECSPCA) shows an 18-point increase in the percentage of dogs and cats being placed in homes or claimed from the ECSPCA shelter by owners or rescue groups.

The biggest increase in pet placement was seen in December 2008 when the shelter placed 40% of the animals it took in.

“This is an encouraging trend,” said Dana White, ECSPCA director. “And our numbers for January and February are looking just as good.”

The ECSPCA receives an average of 250 dogs and cats each month. The shelter takes in stray and unwanted animals from throughout the county, partly from owners who no longer wish to keep their pets, but mostly from animal control officers under a contract with the county that makes the shelter the destination for the stray and nuisance dogs they capture.

In October 2008, the shelter took in more than 300 pets and placed 66 of them. By December, the shelter took in 239 pets and placed 96, marking an unprecedented jump in the shelter’s placement statistics.

As opportunity allows, White said, the shelter staff and volunteers try to find homes for as many adoptable pets as possible through pet adoption events and community outreach programs.

“Our goal is to take our adoption rate up as close to one hundred percent as possible, but that will require the cooperation of all pets owners in the county getting their dogs and cats spayed or neutered so that there are fewer litters winding up as strays. And it requires that anyone who wants a dog or cat as a pet come and adopt one from the shelter instead of buying one from a breeder,” White said.

Of the 3,004 dogs and cats the shelter received in 2008, more than 700 of them were placed in homes, reclaimed by their owners or adopted by rescue organizations. Still, White said, there are more than 2,000 animals being euthanized at the shelter each year, a number she calls unacceptable.

“As a community, we’re discarding too many dogs and cats that could make wonderful pets if only someone would adopt them,” said White. “The problem is that there are simply too many animals and not enough homes for them in the area. But these recent figures are giving us hope that the tide is turning and that we’re making progress toward our goal of one day placing all the healthy and friendly pets we receive into permanent homes.”

The shelter makes pets available for adoption Tuesday through Friday from noon to 4 pm, and on Saturday and Sunday from 1 pm to 4 pm. The fee for adopting a pet starts at $30, an amount that White said helps the shelter maintain its operating budget.

Additionally, the shelter’s adoptable pets may be viewed online at www.EllisCountySPCA.org.

The Ellis County S.P.C.A. is a 501(c)(3) organization located at 2570 FM 878 in Waxahachie, Texas. Anyone who wishes to contact the shelter may call 972-935-0756. Donations to the shelter are tax-deductible.

Posted by:  Johnna Wallace

Early in 2008 we purchased a Mobile Adoption Trailer to expand our options to find homeless dogs and cats forever homes.

We are anticipating the need to raise approximately $10,000 to purchase a replacement vehicle (preferably a ¾ Ton Truck) capable to tow this large trailer.

Sponsors who contribute $2,500 or more will receive recognition printed on the vehicle. Please contact our Executive Director if you or your company are able to help with this valuable project.

Dana White – Executive Director
972-935-0756
dana@elliscountyspca.org

Thanks to ECSPCA volunteer, Marshall Hinsley, the Ellis County SPCA has been awarded an Advertising Grant by a major search engine company! In October, Marshall submitted the paperwork and just recently was notified that the award had been granted.

What does this mean to us? It means that many more people will have exposure to our web-site, our organization, and our goals.

How does it work? The program helps non-profits reach people who are searching for information relevant to their organization. Keyword-targeted text ads — labeled “Sponsored Links” — appear alongside or above search results. Clicking on an ad takes the searcher to the organization’s website.

What is the value? It’s hard to say because it depends on how many hits we get, but it could be a significant amount. This is dependent on many variables including how many times people search on the keywords you choose and whether searchers click on your organization’s ads. As a result, the total value of the advertising is a moving target.

Please take every opportunity to thank our volunteers, without them our organization would cease to exist.

Posted by: Johnna Wallace

Want to keep up with what’s happening at the shelter or want to find out about a specific topic? You’ve come to the right place.

Now ECSPCA has its own blog, and we’re going to use it to keep all our supporters, volunteers, adopters and everyone else posted on all the great things that are happening at the shelter.