A Passion for People & Animals

Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the ways its animals are treated.”
Mahatmi Ghandi

Photo by Catherine Carter

Photo by Catherine Carter

The Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (LASPCA) has served the animals and humans of New Orleans for more than 130 years. The largest and oldest animal shelter in the state of Louisiana, it was chartered by Eliza Nicholson, owner and manager of the New Orleans Daily Tribune. She was concerned that the mules and draft horses in the French Quarter were being mistreated so she set up the organization to care for them.

Today, the employees and volunteers at the LASPCA love the creatures in their care with a devotion that is seldom evident in other large organizations. From the medical staff and the animal care technicians to the administration and marketing groups, the employees go about their jobs with joy and with a passion to help both the animals and the people in New Orleans.

Melanson said the passion I observed serves the purpose of the organization.

The mission of the Louisiana SPCA is “… to promote, protect and advance the well-being of Louisiana’s companion animals.”

Director of Marketing Rebecca Melanson defined a companion animal as “... anything from a dog, cat, hamster, rabbit … anything that you owned as a childhood pet. But it can also be … farm animals, like horses, cows. It could be chickens. We have a pig right now."

At the LASPCA it isn't only about the animals. Melanson said the practice of animal welfare has changed in recent years and now it is as much about people as it is about animals.

But there are some times when it is difficult to be joyous about caring for the animals. When I asked Lindsay, an Animal Care Associate, if her job was something she loved, she said, "Yes, most days. It took a lot of getting used to in the beginning. It's a little shocking walking into those rooms, seeing them in those small cages. I think of my dog at home and it makes me sad to think of him being in a situation like that, day in and day out, waiting for their opportunity to go."

The organization works diligently to accomplish their mission. They have an on-campus clinic that provides medical care for the shelter animals as well as for pet owners. The cost of services at the clinic is significantly less than the same cost at regular veterinarian practices. The clinicians are dedicated to vaccinating every animal that comes in as well as any strays that are brought in. They also conduct periodic vaccination clinics across the city so that pet owners can bring their animals to be vaccinated at a reduced rate.

There are humane law enforcement officers on staff who go out into the city to capture stray animals and bring them into the clinic. These officers also are dispatched, sometimes along with city police, when there is an incident with an aggressive animal.

The shelter has an open admission policy so that every animal that is brought in is accepted. Dogs are the most numerous but there is are also many cats, especially in the breeding season. Currently, the shelter is housing horses, rabbits and even Wally the pig.

It is often the case that pet owners do not have the resources to keep their animals at home. These residents have only two choices. One is to release their animal to live on the street, an unacceptable and incredibly sad choice. The other is to ask the LASPCA for financial assistance. This help is available to care for pets if the owner has a temporary or permanent need. Raquel is in charge of the Resource Center.

There are a variety of other programs, including Pets for Life which helps pet owners access the resources needed to care for their pets. The goal of the program is to enable pet owners to keep their pets at home which in the end reduces the number of pets surrendered to the shelter.

The organization divides its work between what they call “shelter dogs” and “owned dogs”. The shelter dogs are those that come in from the humane officers who pick up strays or by locals who bring in stray animals. They also come from pet owners who have to surrender their pets to the shelter. One of the most common reasons for surrounding a pet is when a family is moving to a new location and the new landlord does not allow pets. According to Melanson, New Orleans has an especially large population of renters and this greatly affects the number of pets brought in for surrender.

Pet owners bring their animals in to visit the veterinary clinic, to get supplies from the food pantry or to discuss their need for financial assistance. The animals who visit the clinic may need medical care, vaccinations, or medications. The clinic also provides surgeries to spay or neuter the animals.

The number of animals that are brought to the shelter each week varies but in some weeks as many as 100 animals are brought in. The open admission policy means that all of those animals remain in the shelter. Animals are also adopted each week and Melanson estimates that 70-80 percent of the number of animals that come in are adopted out. That means that the shelter sometimes runs out of space to house all the animals. LASPCA is not a no-kill shelter. They do everything they can to avoid euthanizing an animal but sometimes there is no choice. They have a realistic point of view about euthanasia. Melanson talked about this.

Every employee with whom I spoke commented on how attached they get to the animals and that when the animals leave it is a bitter-sweet moment. There are numerous stories just from the recent past that they use to remember the animals.

The shelter works hard at communicating what animals are available for adoption. Marketing, including posting on social media is an important and often successful way to find potential pet parents. David, the video content creator, talked about how important TikTok has become to pet adoption.

The TikTok handle for the organization is @LASPCA.

The service that LASPCA provides for the city of New Orleans is beneficial beyond the mere housing and protection of animals. From medical care to behavioral training to helping pet owners to keep their animals, the organization gives New Orleans residents a chance to experience the love and joy of a companion .. a companion that will be attentive, playful, and happy.

Pets are valuable to human well-being. Here, Melanson talks about dogs but I think she would agree that all living creatures are valuable additions to human life.

But pets are vulnerable to our economy .. a downturn in the economy means there will be an uptick in animals at the shelter and a downturn in donations. The LASPCA is a large organization but they are attempting to serve a large area with many people and animals. That means that they always need funds to help them do their job. If you can help, go to their website at louisianaspca.org and contribute and then enrich your life by following the LASPCA on social media to hear the stories of animals that need good homes.