By: Claire Roberson, Communications Director
(The animals featured in this blog’s photos are past puppies & kittens, whose lives have already been saved through adoption!)
After just a few, but joyful months off from last year’s Kitten/Puppy Season, the SPCA Albrecht Center will soon be back in the throes of the springtime influx of kittens & puppies, and we need your help to get ahead of this yearly issue.
The 2022 Kitten/Puppy Season is almost here and will be overcrowding your local animal shelters like the SPCA Albrecht Center in Aiken, SC. The shelter has already seen litters of kittens & puppies being brought to our facility – these numbers will only increase in the coming months. Last year, the SPCA Albrecht Center cared for approximately 744 cats and 457 dogs, a total of 1,201. Of this total, 493 of these animals were under the age of 5 months old – 41% of our total intakes.
As you can imagine, these young animals require much more hands on care and increased veterinary care to ensure they make it to the adoption floor and into the arms of their forever homes. Many of these litters are motherless, which means staff and fosters offer around-the-clock care and feedings. Last year, over 130 animals were fostered – almost all of which were prenatal, motherless animals. This increased care means we need increased support to make sure all these babies receive the utmost care and attention they need.
Luckily, there are many ways to get involved during this time of year!
Making space in our shelter is crucial. The past few years during spring & summer, the SPCA Albrecht Center has been critically overcrowded by the influx of animals. Though our organization is a no kill shelter, overcrowding spells disaster with limited resources, staff power and room to save all the animals that need help. The best way to assist during this time is to adopt from your local shelter – freeing up space and giving hope to another animal in need!
Currently, the SPCA Albrecht Center is offering $25 adult cat adoption fees (normally $75) and $75 kitten adoption fees (normally $125). Dog adoption fees range from $75-$150 depending on the age, breed, and size. The contribution you pay includes a spay & neuter surgery, up-to-date, age-appropriate vaccines, and a microchip to ensure a happy, healthy life. Or, if the animal came to the SPCA already vet-ready, your contribution will save the life of an incoming animal needing extensive care as the majority of our animals need. Follow us on Facebook (@SPCAAlbrechtCenter) for an upcoming, exciting adoption event announcement!
The shelter asks adopters to please take the time to visit with their older cats that may seem more scared in the shelter setting. During this time of year, these cats are wildly overlooked because of their playful kitten neighbors, but are just as much, if not more, in need of a loving home quickly as they are more aware of the stresses of shelter life.
Donating is also a lifesaving way to assist during this time of year. Supplies for foster families, veterinary care and everyday supplies to care for the animals at the SPCA Albrecht Center are vital. Monetary contributions can be made online at LetLoveLive.org/How-To-Help/Donate/. Here, supporters will also find a wish list of items that are always needed, as well as a link to our Chewy & Amazon wish lists, where supporters can purchase needed supplies and have them shipped directly to the shelter. All donations are tax deductible.
The shelter will also be enrolling new foster families. Interested foster parents must be over 18 years of age and have extra room in their home (separate from other pets). Current pet(s) must be current with their vaccinations and must be spayed or neutered. They also must have permission from all adult members of the household, and from any landlord or apartment manager if they rent their home. The foster application can be found online: LetLoveLive.org/How-To-Help/Foster/.
Do you have an unaltered companion? The only way to battle this yearly issue is to spay & neuter our pets, reducing the number of homeless litters flooding your local shelters. The SPCA Albrecht Center’s Veterinary Care Center offers affordable vet care, including spay/neuter vouchers to qualifying families. All it takes is a phone call to schedule your appointment: (803) 648-6864. For more information about the spay/neuter program or vouchers, please visit: SPCAVetCare.org/spayneuter.
The SPCA Albrecht Center is located at 1589 Whiskey Road in Aiken and is open Monday – Saturday from 11am to 4:30pm. Thank you for all the ways you have helped save a life of a homeless or neglected animal in our area – you are the true heroes that make our lifesaving work possible!
Claire Roberson has been with the SPCA Albrecht Center as the Communications Director for over five years, working in marketing, grant writing & media correspondence. She attended College of Charleston, where she graduated with a degree in Nonprofit Business & interned with Charleston Animal Society, the leader in the No-Kill South Carolina initiative. She is proud to be working for her hometown’s only nonprofit, no kill animal shelter. Outside of work, Claire enjoys the arts, snuggling with her cat Anakin and pursuing ways to make the world a better place.
The SPCA Albrecht Center for Animal Welfare is a private, nonprofit, no kill animal shelter in Aiken, SC. The SPCA also operates a local Thrift Store (“Where Shopping Saves Lives”), a public, affordable Veterinary Care Center & a Dog Park. It is our mission to improve the lives of companion animals by rehoming abused, abandoned, and neglected pets while fighting for their well-being through vigorous legislative efforts, humane education, and by offering affordable veterinary care for all.
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