Animal Shelters Offer Hope

Every year in the United States, countless animals are subjected to homelessness, malnourishment, and abuse. Animal shelters often provide a beacon of hope to pets in the face of these difficulties.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or the SPCA, is one of the many animal shelters across the country offering pets a brighter future.

Although the majority of animals taken in by the SPCA consist of cats and dogs, the shelter rarely turns any pet away. Birds, rabbits, and guinea pigs are also frequently looking for loving homes.

So far this year, the Sharonville and Colerain locations are adopting out an average of 110 animals per week. The adoption fee for dogs is currently $20, while cats may be taken home for $10.

This payment includes the animal being spayed or neutered, microchipped, and licensed. All shots are additionally provided with the exception of the rabies vaccine.

With a continuous flow of pets coming into the shelter, volunteers are just as crucial to the animals' wellbeing as prospective owners.
Because staff members focus on feeding and cleaning animals, they are left with little time to provide individual attention and care.

There is a wide variety of tasks prospective volunteers can fulfill.
All prospective volunteers are required to attend a three-hour orientation consisting of a hands-on training course and a tour of the facility.

Individuals are asked to complete a volunteer profile to be handed in on their orientation date. This form is available at http://www.spcacincinnati.org/pdfs/SPCA_CincinnVolunteer.pdf.
All local orientations are held at the Sharonville location; those looking to work at the Colerain center must meet at the alternative location following the initial meeting.

Individuals may volunteer to participate in the following shift opportunities: dog and cat socialization, greeter, development, mobile adoption unit, Companion Animal Access Program, and humane education. Information regarding these areas is discussed during volunteer orientations.

Individuals interested in assisting the shelter who are under the age of 18 are not excluded; teenagers between the ages of 15 and 17 may also volunteer, but are required to be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Currently, there are a total of 850 volunteers between the Sharonville and Colerain locations. 600-700 of these individuals are active participants, meaning that they volunteer their time at least once a month.

In the face of horrific obstacles, animal shelters such as the SPCA are providing animals with a second chance of living a happy and healthy life.

To schedule an orientation, contact development coordinator Kelly Burke at kburke@spcacincinnati.org. For more information, visit http://www.spcacincinnati.org.