KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The staff at the SPCA of Clear Lake is winding down the organization's shelter operations, with the facility scheduled to be completely closed by the end of the day Saturday.
The nonprofit organization announced earlier this month that it had closed its shelter, was working to find homes for the dogs and cats remaining in its care, and transitioning to a focus on its low-cost vaccination and spay/neuter clinics, as Lake County News has reported.
Lake County Animal Care and Control Director Bill Davidson told Lake County News that he does not expect to see a large increase in animals at his facility due to the SPCA shelter closure, as the SPCA primarily took owner surrenders.
On Thursday, the remaining staffers were fielding phone calls, caring for animals and working on adoptions.
A family stopped in for a visit, and one young man came came in to adopt a black cat.
Executive Director Mary Jane Montana said that as of Thursday afternoon, there were six remaining cats – all of which would be taken to a rescue after the Saturday closure – as well as 12 dogs, most of them pit bull mixes, with some lab and Doberman mixes also available. She plans to take four or five of the dogs to a Walnut Creek rescue on Sunday.
When SPCA's shelter stopped animal intake earlier this month it had 26 dogs and 29 cats, Montana said.
Of those, 15 cats went to Sonoma Humane Society, six to Mendocino Coast Humane Society and two to the Humane Society of Inland Mendocino County, Montana said, while two dogs went to facilities in Fort Bragg and four to Ukiah.
Except for two, all of the fosters have adopted their dogs, and the two foster dogs that were returned are spoken for, Montana said. “So people have stepped up.”
Montana said all of the staff – including herself – will be laid off once the shelter is closed. Board members will continue to volunteer, caring for any remaining animals while they work to rehome them.
As for what led to the decision to close, Montana said it was due to a loss of income for the nonprofit from its two main revenue streams – spay/neuter surgeries and general donations.
In the case of the spay/neuter surgeries, Dr. Glenn Benjamin – the clinic's volunteer vet – retired, necessitating the temporary closure of the clinic while the SPCA searched for his successor, Montana said.
Benjamin had been offering his services for free, and in a year had done 1,500 spay/neuter surgeries, Montana said.
She called Benjamin SPCA's “angel.”
“He's the best ever,” Montana added.
The halt in the SPCA's spay/neuter surgeries may account for the increase in demand for such services that Davidson reported experiencing at Animal Care and Control.
Montana said donations also dropped, a fact which she attributes to the wildland fires and the resulting shift in donations to help survivors.
“Everyone was just so overwhelmed with the fires,” she said.
The SPCA had an October fundraiser, but Montana said the results didn't meet the need. “Everyone had already given what they could give already.”
Going forward the SPCA hopes to begin generating income again by restarting its low-cost spay/neuter program, she said.
Montana said the SPCA currently is talking with two veterinarians, one of them being Dr. Richard Bachman, who is working with Lake County Animal Care and Control in its clinic.
He specializes in high-volume spay/neuter services, and has some ideas on how the SPCA can get its clinic going again, she said.
In addition, Montana said the SPCA also is talking with a veterinarian from the Sacramento Valley who is interested in helping part-time.
The SPCA also is hoping to get some grants from the ASPCA for the low-cost spay/neuter services, with Montana adding that the group may also approach the Board of Supervisors during its budgeting process later this year to ask for some assistance, because the services are offered countywide.
Montana said the SPCA board – which she has been asked to join after her employment ends – may be able to have the spay/neuter clinic open two to three days a week by the end of February, depending on how negotiations go with the two veterinarians.
Vaccination clinics will continue on the third Saturday of every month, from 9 to 11 a.m. Upcoming clinics are Feb. 20, March 19 and April 16 at the SPCA, located at 8025 Highway 29 near Kit's Corner in Kelseyville.
A lot of other decisions have yet to be made, said Montana.
Those include what might be done with the facilities, which Montana said could include making the space available to other veterinarians or for other uses.
“The priority is spay and neuter,” she said.
Visit the SPCA online at http://www.spcaofclearlake.com/ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SPCA-of-Clear-Lake-408416852586913/ .
Email Elizabeth Larson at