{"id":15953,"date":"2013-05-15T08:00:01","date_gmt":"2013-05-15T12:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=15953"},"modified":"2013-05-15T08:19:25","modified_gmt":"2013-05-15T12:19:25","slug":"new-initiatives-helping-rescues-turn-into-pets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=15953","title":{"rendered":"New initiatives aim to turn rescues into cherished pets"},"content":{"rendered":"

Adoption is Chester County SPCA\u2019s goal; until then, add Mozart and spritz of vanilla<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h1>\n
\n

By Kathleen Brady Shea<\/strong><\/span>,\u00a0Managing Editor, The Times<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Michele<\/a>

Michele Amendola (left), kennel coordinator at the Chester County SPCA, and Carin Ford, a board member, show off a Doberman pinscher puppy that they hope will be a short-time guest at the facility.<\/p><\/div>\n

The Doberman pinscher puppies yelped gleefully when a visitor opened the door to their pen; within seconds they enveloped the Chester County SPCA staffer, jockeying for position to grab the attention they anticipated.<\/p>\n

Kennel coordinator Michele Amendola didn\u2019t disappoint, picking up the enthusiastic tail-waggers one by one. \u201cThey won\u2019t be here long,\u201d she predicted while receiving copious nuzzles.<\/p>\n

Quick adoptions remain one of the highlights of working at the agency, which has had an unarguably drama-filled year \u2013 from the completion of a much-needed expansion to the remarkable recovery of a pit bull terrier left for dead in a roadside ravine to a contract with Delaware County to house its rescues.<\/p>\n

Several staff members sat down for a recent interview to discuss some exciting changes \u2013 such as aromatherapy for dogs \u2013 and \u00a0to dispel some common misconceptions about the agency.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Toys,<\/a>

Toys, a comfy box, food, and water help keep these kittens waiting for a permanent home content.<\/p><\/div>\n

One of the most prevalent, said Rich Britton, who handles community relations for the Chester County SPCA, involves funding. \u201cA lot of people think we\u2019re affiliated with a national group, and we\u2019re not: We\u2019re an independent nonprofit,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cPeople also think we get government funding, which also isn\u2019t true.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Chester County SPCA has contracts with some municipalities \u2013 Delaware County, for example \u2013 and gets fees for services. The rest of the agency\u2019s operating budget \u2013 a much-needed infusion to cover the expense of caring for the animals \u2013 comes from private donations and fund-raisers such as the recent Walk for Paws and the upcoming Forget-Me-Not Gala, he said.<\/p>\n

Britton explained that the Chester County SPCA is an open access shelter, which means that no animals are turned away. The goal is to find them permanent homes, a process that ranges from a few days to more than a year. \u201cThere\u2019s no time limit,\u201d he said. \u201cOur main objective is to get them placed; we keep them as long as it takes.\u201d Euthanasia occurs only as a last resort \u2013 when an animal becomes too sick or is too injured to recover, he said.<\/p>\n

Even with the expanded facility, which includes training runs for the dogs, and a dedicated core of volunteers, some animals need more attention than the agency can provide. Amendola said the Chester County SPCA has a growing list of volunteer rescue organizations, some local and some as distant as southern Tennessee, all of which are vetted.<\/p>\n

Some animals may return after an extended period of rehab, \u00a0some may be placed by the other group, and others may \u00a0 remain with that group, she said. \u201cWe\u2019re constantly looking to partner with rescue organizations,\u201d Amendola said, adding that recommendations are welcomed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are also always looking for foster families,\u201d added Carin Ford, a board member. \u201cDespite our wonderful staff and volunteers, this isn\u2019t the best place to recuperate.\u201d She said people willing to work with animals on a temporary basis to make them more adoptable are a valuable part of the agency\u2019s operation.<\/p>\n

For those animals who don\u2019t need extensive care and attention, the agency looks for new ways to break up the animals\u2019 routine and \u201ckeep them happy in the moment,\u201d said Britton.<\/p>\n

After Kelley Bollen, a well-known animal behaviorist, presented a two-day educational seminar, Ford and Amendola said they both went home and raided their kitchen cabinets. Bollen suggested spritzing an appealing scent into cages once a day to add a pleasant diversion.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can see what works,\u201d Ford said. \u201cTheir noses perk up, and it keeps them alert.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 She said vanilla, cinnamon, and coconut did the trick while basil was a dud.<\/p>\n

\"Chester<\/a>

Chester County SPCA Kennel Coordinator Michele Amendola quickly gets surrounded as she enters the pen of a group of Doberman pinscher puppies.<\/p><\/div>\n

Another new addition: 12 hours of music therapy. The agency is using its public-address system to surround the animals with soothing sounds, such as classical compositions and nature songs.\u00a0The staff is also using clickers to reinforce good behavior with dogs, and cats are getting scratch boxes and covered shoebox homes, a place to retreat and \u201cfeel secure,\u201d Ford said.<\/p>\n

As any pet owner knows, an animal\u2019s unconditional love comes with a price tag, said Britton, who estimated the monthly cost per animal at about $400, which includes food and veterinary care. Prospective adopters get a bargain since animals are already vaccinated, neutered and micro-chipped, he said.<\/p>\n

Amendola said the agency works hard to ensure that animals are ready for adoption and is always looking for ways to make the process easier.\u00a0 Some new initiatives involve a matchmaking program, which \u00a0enables people to be notified when a particular breed becomes available, and a dogs-on-tour promotion in which volunteers take adoptable animals to various public venues.<\/p>\n

The outreach has proven successful, Britton said. Even though the agency is accepting more animals, adoption numbers have been keeping pace, thanks to the concerted effort.\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019re trying to cast a wider net,\u201d Britton said. \u201cWe\u2019re using social media, and constantly looking for new opportunities to get the word out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ford said it\u2019s impossible not to become extremely attached to some of the animals. In fact, working at the agency poses an occupational hazard: Many rescues end up going home with staffers or volunteers. \u201cYou can\u2019t work here and not love animals,\u201d Amendola said.<\/p>\n

Sometimes families will bring their pets back to the Chester County SPCA for a visit. Ford recalled one dog that required a lot of socialization work because it didn\u2019t interact well with other dogs. Despite the bond that she formed with the dog, it didn\u2019t recognize her when it returned because it had become so acclimated to new surroundings.<\/p>\n

Ford described the experience as a bit bittersweet. She said she felt a tinge of loss that quickly dissipated because the dog\u2019s transition had been so positive. \u201cI remember crying with happiness,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

For more information on the Chester County SPCA, its programs, or its 26th Annual Forget-Me-Not Gala on June 9, visit\u00a0http:\/\/www.ccspca.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Adoption is Chester County SPCA\u2019s goal; until then, add Mozart and spritz of vanilla By Kathleen Brady Shea,\u00a0Managing Editor, The Times The Doberman pinscher puppies yelped gleefully when a visitor opened the door to their pen; within seconds they enveloped the Chester County SPCA staffer, jockeying for position to grab the attention they anticipated. Kennel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":15974,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,245,7],"tags":[3422,3424,1455,3423,1499],"class_list":["post-15953","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-lifestyle","category-featured","tag-26th-annual-forget-me-not-gala","tag-carin-ford","tag-chester-county-spca","tag-michele-amendola","tag-rich-britton"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15953","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15953"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15953\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15974"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15953"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15953"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15953"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}