The Healing Center is excited to welcome the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (LA/SPCA) to our family. The SPCA has opened an offsite adoption location in the Healing Center by the side entrance to the building. Every Saturday from 11AM – 2PM, all are invited to come by and find new best friends to adopt and bring home! An SPCA adoption team will be on hand to help you select the right pet for you and your family.Started in the 1880s as an organization dedicated to handling concerns about animals – mostly issues arising with horses and mules in the French Quarter – the SPCA has evolved into the pre-eminent educator and facilitator of proper companion animal care. The tactics of the SPCA are twofold: reactive – responding quickly to acts of animal cruelty by removing animals from dangerous situations; and proactive – educating pet owners and potential pet owners about proper animal care and spaying and neutering pets. In the aftermath of Katrina, the LA/SPCA rescued, fed, gave water to, and found shelter for nearly 8500 animals stuck in the city after the storm. The building they used as their shelter was destroyed by the storm and in 2007, they opened their new state of the art facility on Mardi Gras Blvd. on the Westbank.
The SPCA in recent years has embarked upon a major endeavor in its community outreach programs, which include their offsite adoption places. In the first two weeks at the Healing Center, Delilah, a black cat and Tammy Fae, a large brown dog were both matched up with new owners. “We’re really excited about the Healing Center and being its partner. A great addition to a great neighborhood. We’re all trying to save animals,” Katherine Lablanc, Communications Director at the LA/SPCA, said.
The adoption process includes an interview with you, the potential pet owner, and a meet and greet with any pets you may already have. The pet will be given a spaying or neutering, a microchip inserted into his/her shoulder, a rabies tag and license, and you will be given a bag of food for your new companion. The cost is $80 for cats, kittens, large and older dogs, and $150 for younger and smaller dogs.
The SPCA is always looking for volunteers with its offsite adoption programs, and can be contacted through their website: http://la-spca.org/.