SPCA SERVING ERIE COUNTY CUTS OFF-SITE PETSMART ADOPTION FEES IN HALF NOW THROUGH FRIDAY, JANUARY 31!

January 28, 2020
By: SPCA Chief Communications Officer Gina Lattuca

The SPCA Serving Erie County is close to winning $15,000 from PetSmart Charities® if 18 more animals are adopted from one of its off-site PetSmart adoption locations through Friday, Jan. 31!

To help reach the adoption goal of 18 off-site animals adopted in four days, the SPCA Serving Erie County is taking half off the adoption fees of off-site kittens and cats five months and older, and all other small animals of any age (puppies and dogs are not included in the half-off special).

The PetSmart Charities® $15,000 donation will be made if the goal of 1,000 SPCA Serving Erie County animals adopted from a PetSmart site Feb. 1, 2019-Jan. 31, 2020 is reached. Today, the SPCA finds itself just 18 animals short of reaching that goal.

SPCA Serving Erie County animals included in the half-off adoption special are currently available in the following PetSmart locations: 1581 Niagara Falls Blvd., Amherst; 2101 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo; 1734 Walden Ave., Cheektowaga; 123 Grey St., East Aurora; 3425 Amelia Dr., Orchard Park; and 5061 Transit Rd., Williamsville.

Currently, kittens and cats, guinea pigs, ferrets, and other types of animals are available at the SPCA PetSmart off-site locations. To see the animals available, please visit https://yourspca.org/off-site-adoptions-foster.

On January 27, these were some of the beautiful animals waiting for new families to find them at a PetSmart location. For more information, contact SPCA Serving Erie County Off-Site Adoptions: 716-875-7360, ext. 235.

California, at PetSmart Williamsville
Dixie, PetSmart Orchard Park
Sarah, PetSmart Orchard Park
Jenny, PetSmart Williamsville
Sasha, PetSmart Amherst

 

GO BATTY with us Saturday morning, February 8!

PUPS AT THE PEN Trainee Sora Receives the Best Graduation Gift of All: A New Family!

January 21, 2020
By: SPCA Chief Communications Officer Gina Lattuca

Erie County Jail Management Superintendent Tom Diina adopts inmate-trained pup

More than 50 dogs have graduated from the locally-dubbed “Pups at the Pen” program sponsored by the SPCA Serving Erie County and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office. But it took one dog’s eyes, resemblance to a pet recently lost, and charisma that jumped right out of the photo to catch the eye…and heart…of Tom Diina, Erie County jail management superintendent.

Pups at the Pen began in the summer of 2016 and allows dogs from the SPCA Serving Erie County to reside with female inmates at the Erie County Correctional Facility. The women are trained by a professional dog trainer to work with the dogs, providing a level of behavior lessons and attention that wouldn’t be possible in a shelter setting. The Erie County Sheriff’s Office credits the program as leading to better behavior by inmates at the facility and a reduced re-offense rate, while it helps shelter dogs learn important behavior lessons that contribute to faster adoptions.

In December, Sora, a one-year-old brown-eyed girl, was sent to the correctional facility as the SPCA’s latest Pups at the Pen candidate, and it didn’t take long for staff there to send Diina photos of their newest temporary resident. Noting a resemblance to a pet to whom the Diina family recently had to say sad goodbyes, Diina decided to meet Sora. The connection was immediate and led to the best grad gifts Sora could have hoped for six weeks later on graduation day: a new family and a new home!

Jan. 20, 2020 — Sora is the newest family member of the Diina family! Here, she and dad Tom prepare for the ride home from the Erie County Correctional Facility in Alden!

With the help of the SPCA’s Matt Cicatello and trainer Melissa Staniszewski of Sit n Stay Pet Services in Orchard Park, Monday’s graduation ceremony and adoption turned into a heartwarming story shared locally and by media outlets throughout the nation on Monday!

After two days in her new home, Diina tells us Sora has already made their home her own and is keeping her new four-footed sister, Marci, very busy!

Check out some of the stories as told by Newsradio 930 WBEN, WIVB-TV, WKBW-TV, Spectrum News, and just a few of the other news outlets elsewhere in the country that carried the story:
– ABC7 in NYC
– KMOV4 in St. Louis
– CBS 46 in Atlanta

For more information on Pups at the Pen or SPCA adoptions, please contact the SPCA Serving Erie County at 716-875-7360.

January 14, 2020

Buffalo Belle’s Dramatic Window Sill Rescue

See Buffalo Belle on WKBW-TV with Mike Randall >>

Talk about a community coming together to save a tiny animal…this story has it all.

A concerned and extremely aware community member saw a kitten in the window of a nearby semi-abandoned home in Buffalo….but the kitten wasn’t able to safely move. Her neck was wrapped within the cords of an old drape near the window, which meant that one step off of the window sill would mean certain death.

January 14, 2020
January 14, 2020

The community member called the SPCA Serving Erie County, and SPCA Investigator William Heine rushed to the scene. With assistance from Buffalo Police and Officer Krug, along with Buffalo Firefighters (Engine 3), Heine was able to enter the property, safely remove the kitten from the life-threatening situation, and transport her back to the SPCA’s infirmary.

The kitten is now resting and playing comfortably here at 300 Harlem Rd. in West Seneca, where she is being held her stray period. If not claimed, the kitten will either be placed in a foster home if she’s in need of some type of special care, or placed on the adoption floor!

January 16, 2020
January 16, 2020

Thank you to the savvy Buffalonian who noticed this kitten’s potentially-fatal situation, and thanks also to the Buffalo Police and Buffalo Firefighters! Moments like these are what truly define the City of Good Neighbors!

  –SPCA Chief Communications Officer Gina Lattuca

SPCA Chief Development Officer Jennifer Kathleen Gurz Has Been Awarded the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) Designation

From CFRE INTERNATIONAL:

Alexandria, VA – CFRE International has named Jennifer Kathleen Gurz as a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE).

Jennifer Kathleen Gurz, Chief Development Officer for SPCA Serving Erie County joins over 6,700 professionals around the world who hold the CFRE designation.

Individuals granted the CFRE credential have met a series of standards set by CFRE International which include tenure in the profession, education, and demonstrated fundraising achievement. They have also passed a rigorous written examination testing the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of
a fundraising executive, and have agreed to uphold Accountability Standards and the Donor Bill of Rights.

“The CFRE credential was created to identify for the public and employers those individuals who possess the knowledge, skills, and commitment to perform fundraising duties in an effective and ethical manner,” states CFRE International President and CEO Eva E. Aldrich, Ph.D., CAE, (CFRE
2001-2016). “As the certification is a voluntary achievement, the CFRE certification demonstrates a high level of commitment on the part of Jennifer Kathleen Gurz to the fundraising profession and the donors who are served.”

CFRE recipients are awarded certification for a three-year period. To maintain certification status, certificants must demonstrate on-going fundraising employment and fundraising results and continue with their professional education. Employers and donors who work with CFREs know they are getting a professional who is committed to the best outcomes for their organization and has the requisite knowledge and skills.

The CFRE certification signifies a confident, ethical fundraising professional.

Since 1981, CFRE has set standards for fundraising professionals. As the only globally-recognized fundraising certification, CFRE indicates professionalism, confidence, and ethics. It is how today’s fundraiser shows accountability, service, and commitment to making a difference for good. The CFRE  certification program is accredited by the American National Standards Institute and is the only accredited certification for fundraising professionals.

As the premier global credential for career fundraisers, the CFRE designation is endorsed and supported by the world’s leading professional and philanthropic associations, including:

Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP)
Association of Fundraising Consultants (AFC)
Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP)
Association of Lutheran Development Executives (ALDE)
Association of Philanthropic Counsel (APC)
Boy Scouts of America (BSA)
Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BCGA)
Brazilian Fundraisers Association (ABCR)
China Association of Fundraising Professionals (CAFP)
Canadian Association of Gift Planners—Association Canadienne des Professionnels en Dons
Planifies (CAGP-ACPDP)
Educate Plus
European Fundraising Association (EFA)
Fundraising Institute Australia (FIA)
Fundraising Institute New Zealand (FINZ)
The Giving Institute
Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI)
Hong Kong Management Association (HKMA)
International Catholic Stewardship Council (ICSC)
Japan Fundraising Association (JFRA)
Kenya Association of Fundraising Professionals (KAFP)
Korea Society of Philanthropy (KSoP)
National Association of Cancer Center Development Officers (NACCDO)
National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (CGP)
National Catholic Development Conference (NCDC)
Nepal Center for Philanthropy and Development (NCPD)
New England Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (NEAHP)
North American YMCA Development Organization (NAYDO)
Texas Association of Community College Foundations (TACCF)
United Way Worldwide (UWW)
Virginia Association of Fundraising Executives

CFRE International congratulates Jennifer Kathleen Gurz for achieving the CFRE designation.

For more information please visit http://www.cfre.org or call +1 703.820.5555.

Further details on the 2019 CFRE class are available here.

Future animal-loving artists of the world, UNITE! It’s time for the first school vacation day camp of 2020: CREATIVE CRITTERS!

Does your child age 4-11 love animals as much as being creative? At “Creative Critters,” campers will combine their love for animals and their passion for creativity in this fun, one-day camp! Children will spend the day with our adoptable animals and create animal-inspired artwork from a variety of materials!

Creative Critters will take place Monday, January 20, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the SPCA’s 300 Harlem Rd., West Seneca shelter!

Visit http://YourSPCA.org/Camp for more information and to register!

SPCA CONTINUES ‘TALE FOR TWO’ READING PROGRAM IN 2020

January 7, 2020
By: SPCA Chief Communications Officer Gina Lattuca

Register your child for Tale for Two here >>

The SPCA Serving Erie County will continue its popular Tale for Two reading program throughout the 2020 school year!

Tale For Two encourages children ages 6 – 15 to read aloud to adoptable animals at the SPCA. Animals benefit from the increased socialization and reduced stress levels, while children work on their literacy and reading skills, building their self-esteem and confidence.

This year’s reading sessions, available in groups of 6 sessions (program cost: $40 for 6 sessions; discounts on additional sessions) or 12 sessions (program cost: $70 for 12 sessions; discounts on additional sessions) are available on Tuesdays, 4:30 p.m.-7 p.m. at the SPCA’s 300 Harlem Rd., West Seneca shelter. Sibling discounts are available. Reading sessions are 30 minutes in length.

Children can bring their own reading materials, or make a selection from the SPCA’s library.

Register your child for Tale for Two here >>

Please contact SPCA Humane Education Director Christine Davis with questions: HumaneEducation@yourspca.org.

See additional Tale for Two photos here >>

REGISTER for the January session of PET Talks by clicking the image below! Recommended ages 16 and older. NOTE: Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the presentation begins at 6 p.m.

The 12 Days of SPCA are HERE!

It’s the 2019 holiday season, and this year we’re taking a moment to reflect on some of the miracles that have been unleashed at the SPCA Serving Erie County!

Get a glimpse of these miracles and more during our ‘12 DAYS OF SPCA,’ December 1–12, 2019 (with a preview video below)….all leading up to the 16th annual RADIOTHON December 12!

The 12 Days of SPCA will highlight our Radiothon theme “Miracles UNLEASHED!” December 1-12, participate in the 12 Days of SPCA, Lights of Love, Sweets Unleashed, half-off adoption specials, and more to make your holiday spirits merry and bright! Then tune in to NewsRadio 930 WBEN and Star 102.5 FM Radio Thursday, December 12, 6 a.m.-6 p.m…both stations will be broadcasting live from the SPCA’s 300 Harlem Rd., West Seneca shelter to share just a few of the miracles unleashed by the SPCA all year, every year!

You can see our preview video, plus one original video each day December 1-12, here! Check back every day for the release of a new video!

You can read more about the Radiothon and make your Radiothon gift early at
http://YourSPCA.org/2019Radiothon !

Click on the image below for more information!