Understanding the SPCA

EDITOR,
I would like to sympathize with the senior who finds it difficult to afford a rescued pet (Letters, “Senior fed up with the SPCA,” Aug. 7). As a pet owner, I know the feeling of having a loving pet.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is an organization supported solely by contributions. Unlike the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter, the SPCA receives no public subsidies. All animals are given shots and spayed or neutered before they can be adopted, which is done at the expense of the SPCA.
The animals are also treated for parasites. Sick animals are nursed by many generous, unpaid volunteers. Veterinarians are sometimes required. If a person were to do this independently, it would cost more than what the SPCA charges.
In the past, animals could be given away free without any medical clearances, ready to breed. The result has been an influx of kittens and puppies without homes, some with deadly diseases. The cycle has perpetuated more unwanted pets.
Feral cats and dogs do not live happy lives. They suffer from starvation and disease because people ignore their responsibility. The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter kills hundreds of animals that are too sick, old or feral to find homes. The number of animals euthanized today is far less than before, due to the efforts of the county animal control and the SPCA.
The SPCA is a “no-kill” shelter. That is the difference between the two agencies. Many are not aware — they are not one and the same.
Bottom line, it costs money to save animals. It cost money to use credit cards, because of a fee charged to the agency to process the transactions. The SPCA does not have the resources to collect fees from “buy-on-time” delinquent payers. Donating blankets and old towels is much appreciated. They don’t pay the rent or the medical bills.
I am, indeed, sorry.
Bob McMurtry, Felton