Lancaster SPCA won’t euthanize any adoptable animals

(Lancaster) — Nearly 50 animals have been adopted from the Lancaster County SPCA since the shelter announced Tuesday that it was going out of business.

All of the animals that were available for adoption Wednesday were adopted by 3:30 p.m., office manager Amanda Perry said. More animals could become available later in the week.

The shelter finalized 31 adoptions Tuesday – 15 dogs, nine cats, three guinea pigs and four rabbits, according to LCSPCA spokeswoman Jennifer Ericson. Ten animals – six dogs and four cats – were put on hold for owners who planned to take them home the next day, and two animals – a dog and a cat – were reclaimed by their owners.

“Thirty-one is a really good number for a Saturday or Sunday,” Ericson said. “It was exceptionally high for a weekday for sure.”

An additional 16 animals were adopted Wednesday, and 12 were on hold.

The line of people waiting to adopt animals was wrapped around the building, Perry said.

Since the announcement, the shelter has also taken in 14 surrendered animals, including nine owner-surrendered cats and five strays. Tuesday was the last day the shelter was accepting new animals.

Some of those animals are being held in isolation until they are evaluated by vet techs to determine if they are adoptable, Ericson said. Animals must be healthy, friendly and of a certain age to be placed for adoption. Those animals could be available for adoption later in the week.

Those that are too young to be adopted will be moved to other rescues, Ericson said. The LCSPCA currently has about 20 young cats in foster care that are slated to be transferred to other rescues and another 20 in their isolation room.

Ericson said none of the shelter’s adoptable pets will be euthanized because of the shelter’s impending closure.

“The only reason we would put down an animal at this point is for the same reasons we have always used,” she said.

Those reasons include if the animal is so aggressive that it is a threat to its caregivers, if the animal has serious health concerns or poor quality of life.

“Our goal is that all adoptable animals get adopted or get transferred to rescues,” Ericson said. “We’re not going to accept anything less than that.”

The Humane Society of the United States has told the LCSPCA that it will help place any animals that cannot be placed with local rescues. But Ericson said she doesn’t expect to need their help.

The LCSPCA has compiled a “very long list” of rescues willing to take in animals – even animals with behavioral and health problems, Perry said.

Ericson said she wasn’t sure if any of those rescues were from York County.

The York County SPCA is currently unable to take in any out-of-county animals in mass quantities, according to executive director Melissa Smith. But the shelter is “always willing to help as space allows,” she said.

Pat Heiland, board president and chair of the cat adoption committee of Helen O. Krause Animal Foundation in Dillsburg, also said the foundation would be willing to help take in a few animals, but had not yet reached out to the LCSPCA.

This story is part of a partnership between WITF and the York Daily Record.