Eustace and Winnie the Pooch are available now at the Chenango SPCA. (Submitted photos)

by Sophia Root,

Commerce Chenango

NORWICH - This week, Commerce Chenango would like to highlight the Chenango County SPCA, a non-for-profit shelter and welfare organization assisting the needs of companion animals and their owners.

Standing for Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Chenango SPCA was incorporated in Norwich in 1907, and has operated there for 116 years. Annually, the shelter takes in more than 700 pets.

The Chenango SPCA maintains a close relationship with the local community by hosting fundraising events, encouraging fostering, and providing volunteer opportunities. Fostering is a crucial component of the shelter. Getting animals out of the shelter, away from the dozens, even hundreds of others, is sometimes necessary.

The public can get involved by volunteering to walk dogs, or by participating in Book Buddies. This is a program where people can come in and read to the cats at the shelter, promoting their personal literacy and socialization for the cats. There are two free libraries in the Chenango SPCA, as well as a retail section selling pet needs and SPCA merchandise.

Executive Director of the Chenango SPCA Patrick McLaughlin took over his role in February. Since then, the center has been able to celebrate many milestones.

They celebrated the 10-year work anniversary of their shelter Manager Kathy Wyder and have been able to get the volume of animals in their care down to 75, much less than the high of 165 they experienced this summer. The shelter hopes to see this number continue to drop as donations rise. In October, they were able to complete 100 adoptions in one month, which is a new record. McLaughlin attributes the success to the help of Zapone Subaru and the Subaru Loves Pets program.

Another reason why adoptions are more frequent is because the adoption process has been streamlined, according to McLaughlin. “The adoption process is now faster and easier than ever. We now look at information to better match the pet to the person. For example, if we have a Great Dane that loves to run around outside for 8 hours a day, we aren’t going to send him to a studio apartment”.

At the end of April, New Berlin police received a tip that there were almost 60 dogs living in unsuitable conditions, and the Chenango County SPCA was alerted to this. With the help from local shelters in Sidney, Cooperstown, Herkimer and Cortland, the Chenango SPCA was able to send all the dogs to safe adoptive homes. This rescue was uplifting because the dogs found reliable owners and many local shelters and communities were able to collaborate and help solve this crisis.

As a non-for-profit organization, the Chenango SPCA does not profit from adoption fees and survives on donations. In fact: “95% of our financial support comes from the people of Chenango County. Community members like to donate even after they have stopped adopting, which we appreciate,” said McLaughlin. There are 12 employees, all of whom are part time aside from McLaughlin.

Going into 2024, the Chenango SPCA faces some major transitions. They must adapt their programs and staffing in the wake of the Companion Animal Care Standards Act. This is the first time New York State has implemented regulations and standards on animal playtime, care, and treatment. McLaughlin said, “Before now, it was the wild west. As long as the animals had a roof, food, and water, it was all good.”. Now, the Chenango SPCA must adapt to a near hospital environment. Renovations are on the horizon as they must expand their capacity and re-focus services in compliance with the state inspection, expected at the end of 2025.

They are open from 12:00pm-4:30pm on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, and are open from 12:00pm-7:00pm on Tuesdays. To learn more about the Chenango SPCA, visit their website at chenangospca.org or visit their Facebook at Chenango SPCA.