Kelseyville >> A constant flow of new cats and dogs, kittens and puppies, arriving at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) of Clear Lake shelter is almost guaranteed — but homes and funding are not.
Without receiving local, state or federal tax dollars, the staff over at SPCA is constantly looking for new ways to find the financing necessary to run its $280,000 a year operation.
“We are totally dependent on donations and grants,” executive director Mary Jane Montana said. “We are actively trying to fundraise, to keep going and doing what we do.”
And with the shelter regularly hovering at or near capacity, finding “forever homes,” as they call it, for so many animals in a small, rural community such as Lake County can be a difficult task to tackle too.
The organization’s Facebook page has a stream of photos picturing happy families with their newly adopted pets accompanied by a sincere thank you from the SPCA, but it’s not enough to deal with the number of pets arriving on a regular basis.
The SPCA of Clear Lake has room to house a maximum of almost 120 dogs and cats, depending on animal sizes. It has 42 adult dogs, five puppies, 36 adult or juvenile cats and 19 nursing kittens currently waiting to be adopted.
That’s a total of 102 mouths to feed, which alone has a monthly price tag of anywhere between $1,500 to $2,000, Montana said.
Even more stress was put on the staff when they entered into a contract with the city of Clearlake for animal control services, providing full access to its premises to drop off animals, as well as provide kenneling for quarantines and vicious animals.
The overflow cats and dogs brought in monthly, however, left the SPCA operating in the red, which led to the board of directors’ decision earlier this year to terminate its agreement with the city of Clearlake, effective Oct. 2.
That’s just one solution to overcrowding, though, most others have involved community outreach. Recently, staff contacted the Miss Lake County Scholarship Program and invited Miss Lake County Narumi Mitchell and Miss Outstanding Teen Isabella Mattina for a photo opportunity to remind residents of all the adoptable pets available.
SPCA has also been building relationships with nearby shelters, including the Marin Humane Society, Mendocino Coast Humane Society and San Francisco SPCA, to take in dogs and cats when they have space available. Staff said it’s been invaluable in helping them manage.
Two fundraisers are lined up in the coming months as well. On Sept. 2, staff will host an all-you-can-eat fundraiser at D.J’s Pizza in Lower Lake, and on Oct. 17, they’ll hold the “Spay” ghetti and No Balls fundraiser at the Cole Creek Equestrian Center.
Despite already stretching its resources, the SPCA didn’t shy away from the Clearlake kennels when it was evacuated because of the Rocky Fire. Instead, the SPCA offered its own shelter services.
They took in the additional 30 dogs 15 cats for about a week, as well as another 10 dogs and about 4 cats that were later brought in.
“We met them in the evacuation center (and) set them up in a side room,” Montana said. Giving the pet owners the opportunity to visit with their animals.
“We do this because of the animals, that’s why we are here. All of us,” Montana said.
For more information, to purchase tickets or to make a donation visit http://www.spcaofclearlake.com/. The SPCA of Clear Lake is located at 8025 Highway 29 in Kelseyville.
