Each year, around 7.6 million animals enter shelters nationwide, and approximately 2.7 million are euthanized, according to the National Kitten Coalition.
There are many humane societies across the globe devoted to promoting animal welfare and preventing cruelty, and the Peninsula Humane Society & Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PHS/SPCA) is one of them.
The PHS/SPCA is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is a private, local, nonprofit charitable organization that helps to find homes for thousands of animals. It also offers a variety of resources and services such as wildlife care, low-cost vaccinations, and spay-neuter clinics.
The PHS/SPCA is a top-rated nonprofit by Great NonProfits and has received a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator.
“For our animals in the shelter, we have an excellent behavior staff and medical teams sponsored by a network of donors that allow us to provide extra care or extra behavior work to keep them monitored and help make animals more adoptable,” said Colleen Crowley, the communications manager for the PHS/SPCA.
Along with that, the organization also strives to keep pets together with their families by offering low-cost care and a pet food bank.
“We’re a little big and unique for humane societies. Most people know that we have dogs and cats available for adoption, but we also have exotic animals such as snakes, various birds, and bearded dragons, as well as smaller animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs,” Crowley said.
The PHS/SPCA offers online adoption appointments and same-day walk-in adoptions that take around an hour. Cats, dogs, and rabbits are vaccinated and spayed or neutered. Cats and dogs are also microchipped and, if needed, will receive flea, tick, and de-worming treatments, along with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) testing.
“Our behavior teams work with the animals, individual animal to individual animal, because they all have their own personalities and to make sure to match them with good homes. We tend to have really great adoptions that stick because we’re careful with matching people with the right animals for their lifestyles,” Crowley said.
Potential adopters are asked to complete an adoption profile, which can kickstart the conversation with the adoption counselors and is an easy way to discuss lifestyle activities, home situations, and past experiences with pets. This is also an opportunity to ask questions and get one-on-one time with the animals.
“Adoptions are great. There are so many amazing animals just sitting in shelters waiting to be adopted. Every day, we receive photos and emails that our past adopters send us, letting us know how much joy has been added to their lives,” Crowley said.
Organizations such as the PHS/SPCA strive for animal welfare, and the PHS/SPCA prides itself in not turning down any surrendered or rescued animals that are brought to their facility, making sure to give every animal their best chance.
“Adopting is really ideal when it comes to buying from breeders; some of them don’t have great practices, and it tends to seem like more of a financial business rather than actually caring for these animals,” Crowley said.
Madeline Sterling is the owner of two adopted dogs: Moose, a 9-year-old Australian Cattle Dog mix, and Cody, a 6-year-old Boxer and Labrador Retriever mix.
“My husband and I have never been too keen on having kids, so we decided to adopt these two ‘crazies’ instead, which has definitely been one of the best decisions we’ve ever made,” Sterling said.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, on average, each pet-owning household owns about 1.65 cats and dogs.
“Adoption has always been the clear choice for us; we wanted to contribute to freeing up space in animal shelters rather than the ethically questionable pet-buying industry,” Sterling said.
Although there are many animal shelters across the globe, space is never infinite. These shelters hold so many animals simply looking for loving homes.
“We got Moose first when he was three years old and loved him so much that we decided to get Cody about a year after,” Sterling said.
According to News in Health, pets can decrease stress, improve heart health, and help children develop emotional and social skills.
“I didn’t have pets growing up, but my husband did, and I have really seen him happier since having furry friends again,” Sterling said.
Rescues are also a large part of getting animals into shelters. Carlmont sophomore Hana Yamawaki and her family rescued their cat, Luna, in 2023.
“My aunt texted me one day and told us they had found a kitten under my uncle’s car. We assume that Luna had crawled under to find shelter because the engine must have still been warm after my uncle got home from work,” Yamawaki said.
The family brought their new cat into the shelter to get him vaccinated and ended up adopting him, where he now enjoys a warm and loving life.
According to Best Friends Animal Society, if only 6% more Americans chose adoption over buying pets, all United States shelters could become no-kill.
“I am convinced the universe sent him to us, and I’m so grateful we found him and could provide a safe home for him. I wish the same for all the other animals in shelters waiting to be adopted,” Yamawaki said.
