East Bay Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals

OPERATION OF ANIMAL SHELTER

THE EAST BAY SPCA OPERATES TWO SHELTERS AND ADOPTION CENTERS FOR HOMELESS DOGS AND CATS. THESE PETS ARE TRANSFERRED FROM OVERCROWDED MUNICIPAL SHELTERS, SURRENDERED BY OWNERS WHO CAN NO LONGER CARE FOR THEM, OR BROUGHT INTO THE SHELTER AS STRAYS BY GOOD SAMARITANS. ALL INCOMING ANIMALS RECEIVE MEDICAL AND BEHAVIORAL EVALUATIONS; WE PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE MEDICAL SUPPORT (SPAY/NEUTER, VACCINATIONS, SHORT AND LONG TERM TREATMENTS, SOFT TISSUE AND ORTHOPEDIC SURGERIES) AND BASIC "GOOD MANNERS" TRAINING. OUR SKILLED ADOPTION COUNSELORS WORK WITH THE PUBLIC TO BEST MATCH FAMILIES WITH PETS. ANIMALS THAT ARRIVE AT OUR SHELTERS TOO YOUNG, TOO WEAK OR TOO SICK GO INTO OUR FOSTER CARE PROGRAM FOR INDIVIDUAL CARE PRIOR TO ADOPTION.IN 2021, 2,177 ANIMALS WERE SHELTERED BY THE EAST BAY SPCA. DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, THERE WERE FEWER ANIMALS TO SHELTER, THUS FEWER AVAILABLE TO ADOPT. IN 2021, 1,768 ANIMALS WERE ADOPTED. OF THE ANIMALS SHELTERED, 1,247 NEEDED MEDICAL CARE BEFORE THEY COULD BE ADOPTED. IN 2021, OUR FOSTER TEAM ACHIEVED A 100% SAVE RATE FOR ALL HEALTHY NEONATE KITTENS. MORE THAN 800 ANIMALS BENEFITTED FROM FOSTER CARE; OUR FOSTER VOLUNTEERS PROVIDED MORE THAN 36,000 HOURS OF FOSTER CARE.

THE THEODORE B. TRAVERS FAMILY VETERINARY CLINIC OFFERS FULL-SERVICE, HIGH-QUALITY VETERINARY CARE TO PET OWNERS, SHELTER ANIMALS AND OTHER LOCAL RESCUES AND SHELTERS AS WELL AS LOW-COST AND FREE VACCINATIONS AND SPAY AND NEUTER SURGERIES. IN 2014, WE RECEIVED CERTIFICATION FROM THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF VETERINARY HOSPITALS PLACING US AMONG THE TOP 12% OF VETERINARY CLINICS NATIONWIDE.WE ALSO OFFER A LOW INCOME ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, DISCOUNTED SPAY/NEUTER FOR ANY PIT BULL OR PIT MIX IN ALAMEDA AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTIES, DISCOUNTED SPAY/NEUTER FOR ANY CHIHUAHUA OR CHIHUAHUA MIX, AND FREE VETERINARY OUTREACH CLINICS IN UNDER-SERVED NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.IN 2021, 4,386 SPAY/NEUTER SURGERIES INCLUDING 204 THROUGH OUR LOW INCOME/VOUCHER PROGRAM, 211 DISCOUNTED SURGERIES THROUGH THE PIT FIX PROGRAM AND 201 DISCOUNTED CHIHUAHUA FIX SURGERIES THROUGH OUR CHIH FIX PROGRAM; AND 297 DENTAL EXAMS WERE PERFORMED. MORE THAN 3,971 ANIMALS WERE VACCINATED VIA THE THEODORE B. TRAVERS FAMILY CLINIC AND SPAY/NEUTER CLINICS.OUR VETERINARIANS PERFORMED SURGERIES (NON SPAY/NEUTER) ON 201 OWNED DOGS AND CATS AND 66 FROM OUR SHELTERS.

THE EAST BAY SPCA HUMANE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT EMPLOYS EDUCATORS TO LEAD YOUTH PROGRAMS IN ALAMEDA AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTIES. PROGRAMS INCLUDE BEHIND-THE-SCENES SHELTER TOURS, SCOUT WORKSHOPS, YOUTH VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS, IN-SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS, BIRTHDAY PARTIES AND CAMPS. CURRICULA ARE TAILORED TO SPECIFIC AGE AND GRADE LEVELS, STATE CONTENT STANDARDS, AND INDIVIDUAL GROUPS' NEEDS. THE LARGEST AND MOST POPULAR PROGRAM, ANIMAL CAMP, OFFERS K-8TH GRADE STUDENTS ACTIVITIES FOCUSED ON ANIMAL EMPATHY AND ADVOCACY, INCLUDING INTERACTIVE LESSONS, PET-THEMED GAMES, ASSISTING WITH SHELTER NEEDS, CRAFTS, AND SHELTER ANIMAL SOCIALIZATION. NORMALLY, OUR HUMANE EDUCATORS DELIVER THE MULTI-SESSION CARE PROGRAM (COMPASSION, AWARENESS, RESPECT, EMPATHY) PROGRAM TO PRE-K-8 CLASSROOMS IN MOSTLY LOW-INCOME SCHOOLS. THE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO INCREASE EMPATHY AND COMPASSION TOWARDS THE ANIMALS AND PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. DUE TO PANDEMIC RESTRICTIONS, THIS IN-SCHOOL PROGRAM WAS CONVERTED OVER TO A WEEKLY AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM CALLED SHELTER SCOUTS IN 2020. WHEN THE SCHOOLS WERE RE-OPENED, THE REGULAR CARE PROGRAM SESSIONS RESUMED.IN 2021, OVER 4,300 PEOPLE WERE TOUCHED BY EAST BAY SPCA HUMANE EDUCATION PROGRAMS. HUMANE EDUCATORS LED 15 CARE LESSONS REACHING OVER 121 STUDENTS. THERE WERE 484 PARTICIPANTS IN SUMMER, WINTER & SPRING ANIMAL CAMPS.248 YOUTH VOLUNTEERS THROUGH YOUTH VOLUNTEER CLUB AND COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAMS.DUE TO RESTRICTIONS PUT IN PLACE BY THE COUNTY OF ALAMEDA, CLASS SIZES WERE REDUCED TO ENSURE SAFETY. VIRTUAL CLASSES REPLACED MUCH OF THE NORMAL PRESENTATION PROGRAMS AND OTHER OFFSITE SCHOOL PROGRAMS.

WE BELIEVE THAT PREVENTING CRUELTY TO ANIMALS REQUIRES PREVENTIVE STRATEGIES THAT CHANGE BEHAVIORS OF PETS AND THEIR OWNERS AS WELL AS OUR COMMUNITY SO WE OFFER A VARIETY OF EDUCATION AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS. HUMANE ADVOCATE: THE FIRST PROGRAM OF ITS KIND IN THE US, OUR HUMANE ADVOCATE PROGRAM MATCHES QUALIFYING FAMILIES AND THEIR COMPANION ANIMALS WITH LOCAL SERVICES INCLUDING MONTHLY PET FOOD PANTRY, SUBSIDIZED VETERINARY CARE AT OUR CLINIC AND OFFSITE VETERINARY WELLNESS CLINICS. WE PROVIDE WRAP AROUND CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES AND HELP REFER CLIENTS TO HUMAN SOCIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS TO ASSIST IN STABILITIZING THEIR SITUATIONS. IN 2019, A HOLD FOR HOME PROGRAM WAS ADDED TO PROVIDE TEMPORARY SHELTER TO PETS OF DISPLACED FAMILIES. THE GOAL IS TO KEEP PETS AND THEIR PEOPLE TOGETHER IN HEALTHY, HAPPY HOMES. THE HOLD FOR HOME PROGRAM WAS EXPANDED IN 2020 TO PROVIDE SERVICE TO MORE FAMILIES THAT HAD BEEN ADVERSELY AFFECTED DURING THE PANDEMIC.PARTNERING WITH OUR COMMUNITY GROUPS, WE PROVIDED MORE THAN 167 DISCOUNTED SPAY/NEUTER SURGERIES, OVER 2,675 FREE VACCINATIONS, AND $60,500 IN FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO 320 FAMILIES IN NEED AND ALMOST 36,000 LBS. OF FOOD.BEHAVIOR & TRAINING: BEHAVIOR ISSUES ARE A PRIMARY REASON THAT FAMILIES SURRENDER A PET TO SHELTERS. MANY IF NOT MOST BEHAVIORAL ISSUES CAN BE RESOLVED WITH PROPER TRAINING. HELPING BEHAVIORALLY CHALLENGED DOGS IS A TOP PRIORITY AT THE EAST BAY SPCA. OUR SKILLED BEHAVIOR AND TRAINING STAFF WORK WITH SHELTER ANIMALS TO ASSURE THEY ARE COMFORTABLE IN THEIR SHELTER HOME AND ON THEIR BEST BEHAVIOR WHEN THEY JOIN THEIR NEW FAMILY. WE PROVIDE A WEALTH OF BEHAVIOR AND TRAINING RESOURCES FOR OUR COMMUNITY: A HOTLINE TO SPEAK WITH TRAINED STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS; AN ONLINE LIBRARY OF LINKS, INFORMATION SHEETS AND VIDEOS; AND A FULL RANGE OF GROUP AND ONE-ON-ONE TRAINING CLASSES. SINCE IN-PERSON TRAINING CLASSES WERE NOT ALLOWED FROM MID-MARCH THROUGH DECEMBER, OUR STAFF CREATED VIRTUAL TRAININGS FOR BOTH GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS. IN 2021, 215 DOGS TRAINED THROUGH OUR PUBLIC DOG TRAINING CLASSES. 386 SHELTER DOGS AND CATS WERE ENROLLED IN BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION PROGRAMS TO HELP THEM GET ADOPTED.VOLUNTEERS: IN 2021, 316 VOLUNTEERS GAVE OVER 36,000 HOURS OF SUPPORT - FEEDING SHELTER ANIMALS, CLEANING KENNELS, PHOTOGRAPHY, WALKING DOGS, SOCIALIZING CATS AND FOSTERING NEONATE KITTENS TO NAME JUST A FEW. WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL TO OUR COMMUNITY FOR THIS VITAL SUPPORT.