Looking for love this Valentine's Day? So is 12-year-old Tank. Maybe you're his perfect match. (Submitted photo)

by Patrick McLaughlin,

Executive Director

NORWICH – As Huey Lewis and the News famously said, "the power of love is a curious thing."

By now, you've probably heard that the Chenango SPCA responded to a request from the Norwich Police Department last week involving a large number of companion animals living in "unsanitary conditions." A two-day, multi-shelter effort involving the Chenango SPCA, the Delaware Valley Humane Society, and the Susquehanna SPCA made it possible for these animals to move to shelters able to care for their needs, get them spayed or neutered, and find them adoptive homes where they will be safe and loved.

I'll be honest, emotions are not always my strong suit, and that goes double for love. Still, there's really no better way to put it: We accepted these animals out of love, without even knowing them. The same can be said for our partner shelters. Now that we have them here, our diligent staff is getting to know them better every day, taking care of their needs, and  showering  them with the love they deserve. Not too long from now (but still  not yet  for most of them), they'll be available for adoption, and they'll discover the love of a new family, hopefully for the rest of their lives.

On another level, we've seen an outpouring of love from our community of supporters, too! We're very grateful to have received special donations for the care of these particular animals, as well as an uptick in donations to the organization overall, so that we have the resources we need to do the work we do. That, too, is an amazing act of love. Clearly, there are a lot of people in our community who love these animals, but we know that not everyone can literally provide care for them. That takes training, a specialized facility, and a team of real professionals. That's why places like the Chenango SPCA exist--to do the work on behalf of the many, many people out there who love these animals in need.

As I've mentioned before, we're a nonprofit that receives no government funding. That means that when the Norwich Police Department calls to let us know about a heartbreaking situation like the one last week, we can only say yes by relying on the support of our donors. Neither the City of Norwich, nor Chenango County, nor New York State is going to help us cover the cost of caring for these animals.  We--and that "we" includes our donors--are on our own. Thankfully, the power of love can accomplish a lot. To modify slightly the words of Huey Lewis and the News, it might just save their lives.*

Thankfully, they're all doing well, and we have no reason to believe that their lives are literally in danger.