Stratham, NH — The New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is seeking adopters as it struggles under the weight of 217 animals currently in care. Three separate incidents in the past four days have added to the burden of lagging adoptions and recent longer lengths of stay for all animals.
On Thursday, March 7, the NHSPCA assisted a police department in the execution of a warrant that ultimately concluded with 36 felines being surrendered, adding to the dozens already in care. Then on Friday, March 8, we received a call from a large store in Greenland, NH. They called for assistance as more than 30 domesticated rats had been left in cages in their parking lot. The NHSPCA responded quickly and took the abandoned pet rats into our care. Sadly, 11 of them had to be humanely euthanized due to their condition.
On Sunday, March 10, another incredibly sad story: The family of a woman who had passed away brought the woman’s 30 pet finches to be surrendered. The family had no way to care for the birds as they were going through such a difficult time.
“Three such large intakes of animals in just four days puts a tremendous strain on our staff and resources. Our veterinary team is currently assessing all the animals and will address any medical needs,” said Lisa Dennison, Executive Director of the NHSPCA. “Many of the cats will need to be spayed or neutered before they will be ready for new homes, hopefully later this week. Fortunately, the finches and domestic rats are in good condition, and are already available for adoption. But as always, we will find a way to make room for this nearly 100 additional animals, will care for them and eventually they will have a second chance. We are grateful to be the safety net for companion animals in New Hampshire.”
Past experience with small animals, like pet rats and birds, is that they have a longer average length of stay then dogs or cats. There just are not as many people that desire these kinds of pets and therefore spreading the word about this large number of animals in care is critically needed.
Ways to Help:
- If you are interested in adopting, please click here for information and our adoption application.
- If you are unable to adopt at this time but would like to help the NHSPCA care for this surge of animals. Please click here to make a donation.
- We are in need of supplies for this unusually large and diverse population. Click here for our Urgent Amazon Wish List to purchase items for their care.
About the New Hampshire SPCA:
The mission of the New Hampshire SPCA is to save the lives of companion animals through rescue, rehabilitation, and adoption; to promote learning, eliminate animal cruelty and be a leader in advancing the highest standards of animal welfare. Adoption Center hours are from 11am – 4pm six days per week, only closed on Wednesday. For more information about the New Hampshire SPCA, please visit www.nhspca.org.
Click here to follow the New Hampshire SPCA on Facebook!
