Bang! Boom! Keep Pets Safe During Fireworks

July 4, 2009: They might be pretty, but fireworks can frighten your pets.

"Fireworks and other loud noises that occur at these holiday celebrations terrify most animals," said Brenna Ferranco, spokeswoman for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Santa Cruz, Calif.

Animal advocates urge pet owners to take simple precautions to make sure their pets are safe over the Independence Day holiday.

'Mandatory spay-neuter doesn’t work!’ Or…does it?

July 1, 2009: There’s been much back-and-forth over mandatory spay-neuter - where the law decrees that a pooch’s reproductive tract must be disabled.

Does it cut down on the number of strays being put down in animals shelters? Or doesn’t it?

The debate is particularly relevant now, as the  Snip-the-Roamers bill progresses in the California Legislature (it has just more two stops before reaching the governor’s desk). More popularly known as Senate Bill 250 -  The Pet Responsibilty Act - it would target “irresponsible pet owners” by requiring that animals with a tendency to roam be spayed or neutered, supporters say.

Budget proposal puts pets at risk

June 27, 2009: As the governor and the Legislature volley budget proposals back and forth, they'll be considering cuts that span all public services, including those frequently overlooked, such as animal sheltering and control.

One proposal would shorten the six-day mandatory holding period for stray animals. If approved, owners would only have a three-day window of time to reclaim their pets. That's three fewer days for a dog that has slipped his collar to be found by his guardian, or for an outdoor cat to adjust to the confines of a kennel enough to be deemed suitable for adoption.

Santa Cruz SPCA director says spay/neuter ordinances go a long way to resolve pet overpopulation

June 26, 2009: On June 2, SB 250 the Pet Responsibility Act passed the California Senate by 21 to 16. The bill simply requires that dogs be spayed or neutered unless their owner/guardian obtains an unaltered dog license when they license their animal. SB 250 also requires that roaming cats be spayed and neutered by their owner/guardian. SB 250 moves to the California State Assembly Committee on Business and Professionsthis coming Tuesday, June 30.

Winners of the SPCA 2009 Poster Contest

05/15/2009: The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is excited to announce that we have chosen our winners for the 2009 “Be Kind to Animals Week” poster contest. This year we received 398 posters from all over the county that were meant to draw in adopters to our animal shelter. We had many thoughtful slogans, quite a few different types of media and so many beautiful colors used.

An armful of dachshunds, rescued by a loving pair

02/08/2009: Kathy Lackey remembers when she got her first dachshund.

She was a freshman in high school in 1962 when her dad found the perfect dachshund for sale. She named him Clyde and ever since, her affinity for the comical wiener dogs never faltered.

Now 61, Lackey and her husband John have adopted dozens of pups, and continue to take dogs from the SPCA that would otherwise be put down due to overcrowding.

Demand jumps at pet-food bank

03/03/2009: As the economy sputters, local pet owners struggle to feed their animal friends, according to the Santa Cruz Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Aid requests at Heather's Pet Food Bank, which is run by the society, have increased 50 percent compared to a year ago, said Executive Director Lisa Carter.

Local animal control leader testifies in support of new measure

04/25/2009: The head of Santa Cruz County's animal control agency testified before a state Senate panel last week in favor of a measure that would strengthen the state's spay and neuter law.

Henry Brzezinski, general manager of the Animal Services Authority, told lawmakers that Senate Bill 250 would help California control its overpopulation of cats and dogs just as the county's spay-and-neuter ordinance has done here.

Organizers promise a howling good time at event for the visually impaired

05/27/2009: The fifth annual Woof to Woof is fast approaching and organizers are seeking more vendors, as well as Lassie look-alikes, for the June 6 event.  "We will have John Provost, the actor, director and author who most people know as Timmy' for the show Lassie," said Nels Westman, event organizer. "He will judge the Lassie look-alike contest."

Boy and puppy give each other hope of better 2009

01/02/2009: The boy and puppy both had fresh scars.

Two-month-old Bluto, a basset hound/bull terrier mix, still had stitches from being neutered hours earlier. Four-year-old Nick Minugh of La Selva Beach had a long incision mark along the right side of his head, a reminder of surgery less than three months ago to remove a tumor on his brain stem.