BVSPCA deploying 10 to Houston

WEST CHESTER, PA (September 6, 2017) – A team of ten Brandywine Valley SPCA (BVSPCA) employees are deploying to Houston today and tomorrow to provide operational leadership in two locations as part of Hurricane Harvey relief efforts in the Houston area.

Best Friends Animal Society (Kanab, UT) asked Adam Lamb, BVSPCA Chief Executive Officer, to help setup a temporary shelter at the NRG Arena in Houston to handle 1000+ animals based on the growing need for animal sheltering services in that area.  Specifically, Lamb will serve as Intake Manager for the new facility, leading the establishment of intake, medical and outcome protocols along with several BVSPCA staff members. The temporary shelter is expected to open this weekend and will handle a combination of rescued animals and overflow from area shelters.

Another BVSPCA team will help the SPCA of Brazoria County (Lake Jackson, TX) based on a request from several organizations to assist. The BVSPCA team will lead the establishment of intake, medical and outcome protocols at this shelter, which sits approximately one hour south of Houston on the Gulf of Mexico. This area continues to experience secondary flooding, and search and rescue efforts for pets are still underway.

To further assist this shelter, the BVSPCA is asking the community to help fill a supply truck destined for Brazoria. The Fill-the-Truck-for-Brazoria effort will begin at the West Chester Campus on Thursday morning and will run through Saturday night. Donations can be dropped off at any BVSPCA location and will be picked up as the truck leaves West Chester for Texas on Sunday. Top needed items include the following.  (The shelter reports that they have ample supplies of food and treats.)

• Crates, especially larger sizes

• Puppy pads

• Paper towels

• Disinfectable toys, such as Kongs

• Paper gowns, booties & masks

The BVSPCA has been asked to assist in these situations based on the organizational expertise as a high volume, open admission, no-kill shelter.  “We’re honored to be asked to assist during this critical time in the Houston area for the animals and their families,” said Adam Lamb, BVSPCA CEO. “We’re looking forward to working alongside so many local and national organizations doing heroic work for the animals.”

In addition to these deployments, the BVSPCA has welcomed almost 80 animals to date from Texas and Louisiana as part of hurricane recovery efforts, and such intakes will continue as space allows. The first group of 24 dogs and 26 cats arrived on Saturday, and another 27 dogs arrived early this morning. The animals are available for adoption at the BVSPCA West Chester and Georgetown Campuses. They are animals that were in shelters prior to the hurricane that have been relocated to make room for rescued pets to stay local with hope they will be reclaimed by their families.

The BVSPCA asks for the community’s help in supporting these relief efforts by donating using the link below or by mail to: Brandywine Valley SPCA, 1212 Phoenixville Pike, West Chester, PA 19380.

About the Brandywine Valley SPCA

Founded in 1929, the Brandywine Valley SPCA is the first open admission shelter in Pennsylvania to achieve No Kill status and serves as the only open admission shelter in both Chester and Delaware Counties. In 2015, the BVSPCA opened its first Animal Health Center in Malvern, Pennsylvania, making veterinary care more accessible to local residents. In 2016, the BVSPCA took on a five-year contract with the Delaware Office of Animal Welfare to provide state-wide animal services, and expanded its reach further into the tri-state area by opening both a second shelter and a second Animal Health Center in New Castle County, Delaware. Shortly after, a PetSmart Everyday Adoption Center was opened in Dover, Delaware. Its mission is to put the “human” back in humane animal treatment and to advocate on their behalf. Each year, the BVSPCA cares for more than 10,000 stray, owner-surrendered, wayward owned, and abused and neglected animals. For more information, please visit www.bvspca.org.