Every 30 seconds a companion animal becomes lost. Out of those lost animals, only about 18 percent are reunited with their families. So what happens to the other 82 percent? Most animals will end up in a shelter and if they’re lucky it will be a non-kill shelter, one such as the Central California SPCA. Many SPCA shelters are available around the neighborhood and joining this trend is the SPCA located in Riverpark that recently opened January 29 of this year.
The SPCA is a community outreach program that helps educate and get people involved in the care and safety of animals. They are the largest animal shelter with human officers that conduct investigations involving missing or mistreated animals.
SPCA Director of Education and Outreach, Beth Caffrey, said that they receive their animals through owner surrender, city rescue missions, or strays. “Our purpose is to find more homes for our animals and to reach out to the community for help,” Caffrey said.
SPCA volunteer Breden Mitchell said her tasks include, “Everything. I’m a counselor, dog trainer, problem solver, and rescue coordinator,” Mitchell claims. “I’m doing what I love and nothing else. It makes me a better person.”
Another person willing to give his time to help the cause is SPCA volunteer Brian Karas. “I love cats and dogs and since I can’t have any of my own, I enjoy the time I get to play with them,” Karas said.
Karas’s title is a traveling volunteer and includes helping out with special events outside of the shelter. He travels to places such as the Fresno Fair and PetsMart to educate others and showcase their animals.
Though the majority of SPCA workers are volunteers, the shelter is still in need of assistance from the community. They accept supplies for their animals such as, cat/dog food, paper towels, cat litter, leashes, blankets, pet carriers, and other essentials that can be of use. They also accept donations and gift certificates as well as volunteers whom are always welcome. To donate please call the CCSPCA Education Department at (559) 233-0115. There are also many volunteer jobs available from a Greeter which requires one to become a spokesperson for the shelter, to Special Events which requires one to attend events outside the shelter. If interested in voluntary work, call Caffrey at (559)289-0374 or email her at [email protected].
There are many ways to get involved, even a task as simple as adopting a stray can do a great deal of help. “I hope for a no kill community in the future and a better home for our animals,” Caffrey added.
