SPCA rebounds after burglary cuts down on pet adoptions

Kris Hill

Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2000 | 10:33 a.m.

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Las Vegans have donated more than $3,000 in cash, as well as supplies such as pet food and blankets, to the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals since Monday morning after burglars stole $1,500 from the animal shelter Friday night, shelter officials said.

The local SPCA chapter would have used that stolen cash to rescue animals from the county-run Dewey Animal Care Center and adopt them out. Dewey is the SPCA's next-door neighbor.

In the three days after the theft, the Dewey center euthanized 85 animals, according to shelter officials. The SPCA was able to rescue only 13, when on a normal day almost twice that number could be saved from death, Jennifer Palombi, president of the Nevada SPCA said.

In fact, because of successful adoption efforts over the past weeks, the group had the space to rescue more than twice the number it did. It lacked only the money, Palombi said.

Any animal that arrives at Dewey has six days to either be claimed by its owner or adopted out. After six days the animal is put to sleep, unless the SPCA rescues it.

Having the donations stolen was heartbreaking, Palombi said.

This year the SPCA has rescued more than 2,000 animals from the euthanasia list at the Dewey Animal Care Center, Palombi said.

Its staff tries to rescue as many animals as possible from Dewey each day. They average about seven to 10 pets Monday through Saturday, depending on space, Palombi said.

On Tuesday morning 48 animals were on the list to be put to sleep, but by early afternoon 28 of those were rescued by the SPCA or adopted out, said Monica Meng, who manages the shelter.

The majority of the animals at the Dewey shelter are dogs and cats, Meng said.

Older cats are among some of the most difficult pets for the Dewey shelter to adopt out, but kittens are some of the easiest to find homes for, she said.

Puppies who are 6 months old or younger, however, are not put to sleep after six days, Meng said. They are allowed to stay longer in an effort to get them adopted.

It costs $16 to adopt any animal from Dewey. The fee covers the cost of adoption, spaying or neutering and rabies shots, Meng said.

The SPCA's rescue efforts are part of a movement to eliminate the practice of putting healthy animals to sleep in Las Vegas. The SPCA is working on building a new shelter that will have a no-kill policy, Palombi said.

Dewey is also working closely with the SPCA to cut down on the number of animals it euthanizes. Palombi thinks within five years the new shelter will be open, and the city will stop putting animals to sleep.

The theft could have devastated the SPCA's adoption efforts. It looked grim on Saturday, Palombi said.

But since the news about the burglary was publicized Monday morning, things have gotten brighter, she said.