Our Track Record

So what makes us think we will be successful with our #NKBC2020 campaign to create a No Kill community for ALL of Brazoria County? And what exactly does No Kill mean?

No Kill ≠ No Euthanasia. The word euthanasia comes from the Greek for “good death.” To us, this means we reserve euthanasia for two situations: 1. when it is needed in order to give an animal relief from suffering that we cannot mitigate, or 2. when it is needed for an animal that is so aggressive that despite our attempts to rehabilitate, we cannot safely release that animal back out to the public.

We believe that killing pets that are healthy, or have treatable injuries/illnesses or rehabilitatable aggression, is exactly that: killing. We believe that every pet is an individual, worthy of love and a home.

Why do we know that we can create a No Kill community for all of Brazoria County? Because we have already had success in taking our local communities of Freeport, Clute, and Lake Jackson from a dismal 22% Save Rate to a 95% Save Rate.

We know how to do this. But saving animals takes SPACE and MONEY. That’s why we need your support to build a Community Pet Center to give us the space we need to save more lives.

This chart shows our stats as of January 31, 2017. It is organized by our budget years which are October 1 through September 30.

To donate, mail a check to SPCA-BC, Build Love A Home, PO Box 485, Lake Jackson, TX 77566 or donate online at BuildLoveAHome.com by clicking on the “Donate Now” button.

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Press Release – January 19, 2017

The SPCA of Brazoria County Celebrates Progress on New Community Pet Center

Announcing New Community Pet Center Progress

Brazoria County, Texas—In a news conference today, the SPCA of Brazoria County announced progress on its Capital Campaign to build a new state-of-the art community pet center. “Nothing can match the unconditional love that we receive from our pets. Our slogan at the SPCA-BC is ‘Bring Love Home,’ because whether people are adding a new pet to their family or reuniting with a lost pet, when they leave our shelter with a wet-nosed buddy, they are bringing love home,” stated SPCA-BC Executive Director Stacey Suazo. “Now that we are raising money to build a new home for our homeless pets, we thought a fitting title for our campaign would be ‘Build Love a Home.’ We invite the entire community to join us as we create a Community Pet Center to serve the needs of our community’s homeless pets.”

“Build Love a Home” is the SPCA of Brazoria County’s fundraising campaign to replace the existing animal shelter facility at 141 Canna Lane in Lake Jackson, with a new, state-of-the-art community pet center. Campaign Steering Committee Member, Quinton Anderson stated, “To date, the campaign has received donations and pledges of $1,132,190 of the $6.5 million dollar fundraising goal. We encourage everyone who loves pets to step up and help us make this happen by donating or pledging your support today.”

About the need:

The existing shelter, which is approximately 7,000 square feet, was built in 2003 as a stray animal intake facility to serve Freeport, Clute and Lake Jackson. The intake facility was designed to hold animals for several days, and then, if unclaimed, euthanize them. On January 1, 2013, the SPCA of Brazoria County instituted a “No Kill” policy, meaning that they would only euthanize a pet animal if it was too ill or injured to be humanely treated or too aggressive to place it back out into the public. Since then, the kill-rate has gone from approximately 75% to a save-rate of 92%. Under the old policy, approximately 4,000 pets were killed each year simply for being homeless. The new no kill policy has resulted in saving thousands of animals and enriching the lives of many families with a loyal and loving pet.

Adopting a no-kill policy created a dramatic change in the management of animals arriving at the shelter. New arrivals must be vaccinated, cleaned, and evaluated for health problems or injuries. Sick or injured animals must be quarantined and treated before they become available for adoption. The existing building was designed to hold around 100-150 animals. Presently, the population sometimes exceeds 400 animals, resulting in cages in every available space; even offices, rest rooms, hallways and the lobby, compounding odor and noise issues.

The “Build Love a Home” plan calls for a modern, 20,000+ square foot facility that will meet the needs of a growing community for the next 25-30 years. The new Community Pet Center will showcase adoptable dogs and cats by providing a family-friendly environment, as well as a place for efficient and humane care of homeless pets. It will house up to 500 animals and include a modern veterinary clinic with spay/neuter services, a quarantine and isolation area, proper separation for dogs and cats, separation for puppies and kittens to protect them from adult animal diseases, areas for potential new owners to meet and get acquainted with their new pet, and a classroom for educational purposes. Laundry and storage will finally be adequate. It will feature an open and inviting atmosphere to encourage adoption, volunteering, and education for the community. The new facility, featuring modern design and construction, will increase adoptions and reduce the average length of stay for homeless pets because the experience will be more pleasant for the animals and their prospective owners.

The estimated turnkey cost including furniture, fixtures, computers, veterinary equipment, professional fees, fencing and landscaping is $6.5 million. The expense is driven by special construction requirements for shelters that address cleanliness, air conditioning/heat, sound control and work flow. Materials must be able to withstand daily cleaning with harsh chemicals. The drainage system must be designed to remove animal wastes and chemicals without fail and the HVAC system must maintain a clean environment despite pet hair and dander in the air. The new facility must control noise and odor to create a better environment for animals and people.

Plans call for the new pet center to be constructed on Lake Jackson city property adjacent to the existing building. The site will be leased from the city, saving the cost of purchasing land. A preliminary design has been completed by local architecture firm, Integrated Architecture & Design, LLC. An Angleton-based general contractor, Noble Building & Development, has been retained as Construction Manger.

The timing is right for the Build Love a Home project. The need is obvious and will only increase, the economy is strong, the existing staff and director are experienced and dedicated, and have the wherewithal to see such an ambitious project through. The wear-and-tear on the existing facility is in such a state that plans call for the existing building, owned by the City of Lake Jackson, to be demolished and a new intake facility built in its place. The only way for the no kill policy to continue is for those who support the no kill philosophy to build a new adoption center designed for that purpose. The only source of funds for such a project is through private donations and grants. The SPCA anticipates up to 18 months for fund raising followed by a one-year construction period. It is important to get this bold project started so that the transition to a new no-kill pet adoption center can be accomplished before the old building is demolished.

The SPCA of Southern Brazoria County has received $1,000,000 of the estimated $6,500,000 cost through the generous bequest of a single committed animal lover. Supporters of “Build Love a Home” will be working diligently to raise awareness and money through donations, special events and grants. There will be naming opportunities available as well as other recognition of donors.

Donations can be made to:

SPCA of Brazoria County, Build Love a Home

P.O. Box 485

Lake Jackson, TX 77566

Speakers are available to clubs and organizations. Donors who have questions, or to schedule a speaker, please contact Stacey Suazo, 979-236-0324, execdir@spcabc.org

If we don’t do it, who will?

 

 

 

Press Release – January 18, 2017

The SPCA of Brazoria County to release exciting capital campaign news

Lake Jackson, Brazoria County, Texas— The SPCA of Brazoria County Board of Directors, along with our Capital Campaign Committee, invite you to a press conference on January 19 to be held at 3:00 pm at Merrill Lynch Investments at 210 Lake Road, Building 900, Lake Jackson, Texas. At the press conference the group will announce a bold new initiative to build a No Kill Community Pet Center in Brazoria County. After the press conference, visitors are invited to tour the current shelter facility at 141 Canna Lane in Lake Jackson.

The new facility will further the SPCA of Brazoria County’s commitment to saving the lives of pets in our community and will be a major advancement in its mission to promote adoption and education about pets. The total projected “turn-the-lights-on” cost of the 20,000+ square foot project is $6.5 million, including land acquisition, site work, construction, professional fees, and furniture, fixtures and equipment. The Build Love A Home capital campaign, co-chaired by Jennifer Lowry Ray and Joetta Yates, is underway with a goal of $5.5 million. The first $1 million was donated through a generous bequest by community dog-lover Eulalie Crosland.

“We have some incredible news to share with the community. All those who share our passion for saving the lives of pets will be thrilled with our plans to create a Community Pet Center to serve as a safety net for all of the homeless pets in our community as well as people who want to learn how they can be involved in helping make our community a better place for pets,” says SPCA Executive Director Stacey Suazo.

The new center, to be located adjacent to the existing facility on Canna Lane in Lake Jackson, will feature an open and inviting atmosphere to encourage adoption, volunteering, and education for the community. Features of the new building will include “real life” rooms where dogs and cats will visit with guests in home-like environments, a group room for cats where they can roam fee, climb on platforms and hide in cubby holes, and a separate housing rooms for puppies and kittens. A complete on-site veterinary clinic will allow homeless pets to get proper medical care and will also provide low-cost spay, neuter, and vaccination services to the community. The new state-of-the art facility will not only increase the number of pets that can be housed, but will also feature new programs to encourage education for children and pet owners.

“We are looking forward to a great future for people and their pets in Brazoria County.” Says Stacey Suazo, Executive Director, “We can’t wait to get started!”

About the SPCA of Brazoria County:

The SPCA of Brazoria County is a 501(c)(3) non-profit animal welfare organization that provides a safe environment for the lost, abandoned, and homeless animals of the cities of Freeport, Clute, and Lake Jackson at the Southern Brazoria County Animal Shelter in Lake Jackson. They also operate a Low-Cost Spay Neuter Clinic in Freeport, a Cat Adoption Center and Modern Thrift Shop in downtown Lake Jackson, and host weekend adoptions at Brazos Mall in Lake Jackson. They successfully brought the Southern Brazoria County Animal Shelter from around a 75% kill rate to a greater than 90% save rate in less than two years. Our vision is to lead all of Brazoria County to a time when no pet is ever killed simply for being homeless.

Donations can be made to:

SPCA of Brazoria County, Build Love a Home

P.O. Box 485

Lake Jackson, TX 77566

Speakers are available to clubs and organizations. Donors who have questions, or to schedule a speaker, any of the following individuals may be contacted:

Stacey Suazo – Executive Director, SPCA of Brazoria County – (979) 236-0324

execdir@spcabc.org

#BuildLoveAHome

We Need This Space To Save Lives Through Our 11-Step No-Kill Equation

  1. Comprehensive adoption programs and events to get pets into forever homes.
  2. Partnerships with local and national rescues.
  3. An army of volunteers.
  4. A vast network of fosters to expand the walls of our shelter into homes across our community.
  5. Trap, neuter and release of working and community cats to keep un-socialized cats out of the shelter.
  6. Pet retention programs to provide the resources pet owners need to keep their pets out of the shelter.
  7. Public relations and community involvement to spread awareness.
  8. Medical and behavior rehabilitation for homeless pets to get them ready for forever homes.
  9. High-volume, low-cost spay and neuter programs to reduce the number of unwanted pets.
  10. Proactive redemptions to help lost pets get back home.
  11. A committed and compassionate shelter director to lead the way.

 

Your Gift Will Build All This and More

  • Attractive, naturally-lighted, temperature-controlled and soundproofed areas that will make both animals and people feel happy, safe, and comfortable.
  • A “Real Life” room for dogs so they can spend time in a home environment, reducing their stress and giving them better exposure to adopters.
  • Additional rooms for cats and kittens with new condo-style cages, taking advantage of vertical space and giving cats room to climb.
  • Spacious service areas for pet grooming, laundry, and food preparation, with plenty of storage to serve the needs of our shelter pets.
  • Separate housing for kittens and puppies to protect them from the diseases that adult cats and dogs may carry.
  • A pet wellness center to serve the health needs of our shelter pets as well as offer low-cost spay/neuter and vaccination services to the community.
  • A pet food bank to provide for families of pets in need.

Please send us your pledge card to help save even more lives and give homeless pets a safe, clean, and comfortable refuge while they await their forever homes and families.