Several reasons why we need the community’s support in buying tickets at the Animal Care Center for the July 19th Wiener Nationals at the Los Alamitos Race Course:
Here is a brief history of the Seal Beach Animal Care Center—a non-profit, pro-life shelter.
It wasn’t an easy road to get where we are today.
The Seal Beach Animal Care Center began as a dream in the early 1980s when funds were solicited for a permanent structure to take the place of a single shed and a few cages to hold lost animals.
On Jan. 7, 1986, the official groundbreaking took place.
Local animal lovers opened their hearts and their checkbooks so generously that sufficient funds were available to begin construction on Nov. 26, 1987.
Our doors opened on June 10, 1988.
At that time, we had only 12 dog runs and a small cat room, but in 1996 we added six additional dog runs and a cat room to the back of our building. We have since added two 6,000-sq. ft. exercise yards, plus several smaller exercise areas.
In August 2012, we opened our new state-of-the-art 2,400 sq. ft. cat facility, which will enable us to expand our current dog complex.
Naturally, these expansion projects come with a price.
It is only through the continuing hard work of the volunteers and the generosity of our members, donors, community and cooperation of the city, that we are able to continue our work serving the needs of abandoned canines and felines.
“Thank you” will never adequately convey what our hearts feel.
A few facts about the Seal Beach Animal Care Center:
1. We have created a very effective balance between a pro-life, i.e. no-kill philosophy, and problems with animals who have incurable diseases or threatening behavior problems.
2. Our annual operating budget is approximately $800,000. A small portion comes from the City of Seal Beach.
The rest comes from fundraisers, donations and adoption fees.
This money is primarily used for medical care.
3. We have a professional, constantly updated website www.sbacc.org. This website has dramatically increased both adoptions and donations. We also have a great Facebook page.
4. All our animals suspected of having a behavior problem are provided professional evaluation and intensive training as needed to make them more highly adoptable.
5. We have a very active foster care program in which very ill, very young or very traumatized animals may be cared for in private homes while they become ready for permanent adoption. The Care Center pays all costs for the care and rehabilitation of these animals.
6. We never auction off or accept bids on any animal. Our adoption fees are fixed and all animals are placed through adoption counseling and carefully screened applications.
7. We provide vaccinations for all impounded animals as soon as they come into our care.
We provide all medical care necessary for ill and injured animals.
8. We provide metal ID tags for all animals brought into our shelter. The tag remains permanently attached to the collar to make it easier for the owners to be found if the animal should get lost again.
We also AVID chip all animals before adoption with tags.
9. From day one, we have always spayed/neutered our animals, which is now state law for all animal shelters.
10. Less than 1 percent of our animals are euthanized due to severe health or behavioral problems.
The average county or city shelter euthanizes approximately 60-70 percent of impounded animals; some even higher.
11. Our animals are provided with human-quality bedding – towels, blankets, comforters, etc. No animal ever has to sleep on cold concrete flooring.
12. Our dogs receive two or more walks daily, plus time in one of our exercise yards, and our cats are comforted and socialized.
13. Potential adopters can spend unlimited amounts of time with the animal of their choice, ensuring that the correct decision is made regarding their new best friend.
14. Most importantly, other than our part-time kennel attendants, all of the work done at the shelter, some 20,000-plus hours per year, is done by volunteers. We challenge anyone to find a more devoted, skilled and hardworking group of people anywhere. Our shelter runs better on volunteer hours than comparable-sized facilities run with budgets of upwards of $2 million per year or more.
15. All of our buildings and animal care areas have been built with donated funds.
16. All of our food and medications are purchased with donated funds.
This is who we are and what we do. Approximately 18,000 animals have come through our doors on the way to their forever homes.
Jim Welch is a volunteer in fundraising for the Seal Beach Animal Care Center.
