Media Advisory

ASPCA, Louisiana SPCA Join Forces to form Louisiana Partnership;
Group to Assess Needs & Provide Funding for Animal Welfare Agencies

NEW YORK and NEW ORLEANS-- (April 18, 2007) The ASPCA® (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) and the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (LA/SPCA), separate and independent organizations, are partnering to assist animal welfare agencies dealing with surpluses of homeless pets by providing financial and human resources to positively impact agency conditions and save rates for animals.

Called the Louisiana Partnership, the group will offer training and operational advice for six communities in southwestern Louisiana. The ASPCA will provide grants for special projects as each agency is evaluated.

“We want to help those agencies that are interested in and committed to changing procedures and approaches that will positively impact their organizations and the animals they serve,” said Kate Pullen, Senior Director of National Outreach for the ASPCA.

Pullen, along with Kathryn Destreza, Director of Humane Law Enforcement and Chief Humane Officer for the LA/SPCA, will be assessing the communities and providing assistance and advice for humane law enforcement and shelter operations, respectively. Ultimately, ASPCA and LA/SPCA officials intend for this joint program to become a sole program under the LA/SPCA.

Below is a sampling of agencies being assessed and assisted by the Louisiana Partnership:

• St. Bernard Parish Animal Control: Since Hurricane Katrina, the ASPCA and LA/SPCA have been working with St. Bernard Parish Animal Control, which is still without a new building and needs operations assistance and training and field training.

• Jefferson Parish Animal Control Advisory Group (JPAC): Their goal is to improve euthanasia methods, increase save rates and improve animal care;

• Lafayette Parish Animal Control: They are striving to improve the conditions of the animals so their save rate through transfer and adoption will improve;

• Shreveport–Caddo Parish Animal Control: They hope to improve their adoption and spay/neuter program;

• Calcasieu Parish: The ASPCA has provided financial assistance for the purchase of 40 humane cat traps as well as supplemental expenses for the spaying and neutering of cats on the Big Fix Rig, a 53-foot trailer fitted as a mobile stationary clinic and designed to move to communities in need of feline sterilizations.

The ASPCA is continuing to provide assistance to the LA/SPCA in 2007/2008 by conducting a legislative review of state animal laws, in concert with LA/SPCA leadership, to strengthen feral cat trap/neuter/return (TNR) programs and cruelty prosecution and working with other state coalitions to develop a structured program to transport animals to other areas to increase opportunities for adoption, among other initiatives.

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About the ASPCA®
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) was the first humane organization established in the Western Hemisphere and today has one million supporters. The ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. The ASPCA provides national leadership in anti-cruelty, animal behavior, humane education, government affairs and public policy, shelter support, and animal poison control. The NYC headquarters houses a full-service animal hospital and adoption facility. The Humane Law Enforcement department enforces New York’s animal cruelty laws and is featured on the reality television series “Animal Precinct” on Animal Planet. Visit www.aspca.org for more information.


About the LA/SPCA
Chartered in 1888, the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (LA/SPCA) is the oldest and most comprehensive animal welfare organization in the state whose mission is to advocate for the animals of Louisiana by advancing their welfare, promoting their interests, and fostering the human-animal bond through innovative programs, education, and service. The LA/SPCA is an independent non-profit offering a broad range of services and programs including advocacy, legislative services, statewide cruelty investigations, sheltering, public low-cost/no-cost veterinary clinic, full-service animal control (Orleans Parish only), adoption, disaster response, education, and obedience programs. For more information, visit www.la-spca.org.

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