GEORGETOWN, DE (June 8, 2017) – The Delaware SPCA (DESPCA) and the Brandywine Valley SPCA (BVSPCA) have entered into a contractual agreement to transfer the Delaware SPCA’s Georgetown facility to the BVSPCA. The transfer will result in an upgraded facility and expanded services for Sussex County residents, while giving the BVSPCA an avenue to locally rehome animals coming to the organization from lower Delaware.
“Sussex County residents will benefit from a much-needed state-of-the-art facility almost immediately — much more quickly than we would have been able to provide,” said Delaware SPCA Board President Diane Ferry. “Leveraging the resources of the BVSPCA enables us to further our mission of promoting the humane treatment of animals in Delaware,” she said.
The transfer will allow the Delaware SPCA to grow services at its Stanton shelter. Adoptable animals will be available at the DESPCA’s Stanton shelter by late summer. Also during that timeframe, wellness services, including spay/neuter, will be expanded.
The Brandywine Valley SPCA has a contract with the Delaware Office of Animal Welfare to provide services for animals from state-wide animal control and cruelty cases. Last year 31% of the dogs entering the BVSPCA under that agreement came from Sussex County. Adding the Georgetown location gives those dogs an opportunity to be re-homed locally and allows the BVSPCA to provide adoption outlets in all three counties, complementing the New Castle shelter and Animal Health Clinic and the PetSmart Everyday Adoption Center in Dover.
The BVSPCA plans to grow adoption services, low-cost spay/neuter, affordable veterinary care, safety net services that help families avoid pet surrender, and focused programs like trap-neuter-return (TNR) for community cats. “We’re looking forward to expanding the services we offer in Sussex County while helping another shelter achieve its strategic goals,” said Adam Lamb, BVSPCA CEO. “This agreement is a win-win for both organizations, but the biggest win is for the pets and pet families of Delaware.”
The two animal welfare organizations will remain independent. However, said Tiffany Briddell, acting executive director for the Delaware SPCA, “We plan to work closely with Brandywine Valley SPCA. We will continue to partner with them on several fronts, including adoption events.”
The Georgetown shelter will remain open as its ownership is transferred. The BVSPCA will retain the records for all animals that have been adopted from or treated at the shelter over the past five years. The BVSPCA will strive to fill the majority of shelter positions with current staff.
During the transition, the two organizations will collaborate to ensure as seamless a transition as possible for clients and the community. Clients will continue to use the existing phone number during and after the transition: 302-856-6361.
The Delaware SPCA, the oldest animal welfare organization in the state, was incorporated in 1873 in response to the mistreatment of livestock being led to market in the city of Wilmington. In 1963, the society moved from Wilmington to a newly constructed shelter in Newark. When that land was annexed for the New Castle Airport in 1972, the Delaware SPCA built its current Stanton Shelter on land donated by philanthropist Emily du Pont. Also that year, it opened its shelter in Georgetown. In 2008, the Delaware SPCA declared itself a No Kill operation. The following year, the society inaugurated the Jane R. Haggard Spay/Neuter Clinic, the first of its kind in Delaware, providing high-volume, high-quality low-cost spay/neuter services. The shelter site also is home to the state’s largest pet cemetery, serving as the final resting place for more than 1,600 companion animals. More than 140 years after its inception, the Delaware SPCA embraces the mission of enhancing the well-being of companion animals with their human caregivers and communities while promoting the humane treatment of animals by providing adoption opportunities, low-cost veterinary services and educational programs. For more information, visit delspca.org.
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.
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