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About the Frances R. Willis SPCA

Our shelter was established over 25 years ago to provide a safe haven for stray, abandoned, abused or lost pets. It's named for Frances Willis, who brought the SPCA to Dorchester County and founded the shelter.

Over the years we have expanded our facility, but we continue to reach our capacity because our community is growing and because the pet overpopulation crisis is not abating. In 2002 the shelter served nearly 5,000 homeless or unwanted animals.

But there is good news. We are very proud to have an adoption rate which exceeds the ASPCA national average. And we're working hard to spread the news about pet adoption, spaying and neutering, and responsible pet ownership.

With a young, dynamic staff and a corps of dedicated volunteers, the shelter is poised to make significant improvements for animal welfare in the county.

 

 

 

OUR FACILITY
 
Not counting quarantine areas, the shelter can house 80 dogs and 66 cats. The facility includes an intake area, where animals receive their first medical attention and stay "on hold" for five days. If no owner calls, they then move to the adoption area. For cats, that means one of three cat rooms; for dogs, it means a run in one of the courtyard kennels.

There's also a fenced area at the front of the shelter called 'The Path Home'.

This wooded acre allows shelter visitors to take animals on a get-to-know-you walk, or bond with them in one of two smaller enclosed play pens. Created in 1998 with the assistance of Americorps volunteers, The Path Home has been a wonderful addition to the shelter.
 


WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS ARE SAYING:
 
 Letter to the Editor:

I would like to publicly praise and thank the staff of the Frances Willis SPCA.

In early spring, my husband and I were watching television late one night to see coverage of the war. During a local broadcast, one of the stations showed a dog from the SPCA, “Henry”, a one year old who had been at the shelter since November and for whom the shelter was looking for a home. We have two small children, three old cats, and an old, epileptic Labrador so another animal was definitely not needed in this household!

Several days later this newspaper highlighted “Henry” as the Pet of the Week. After several more days I called the SPCA to inquire about Henry. They told me he had been at the shelter for six months and needed a home. My son and I went out the next day to meet him. The staff was so pleasant and seemed genuinely concerned about Henry and his wellbeing. We played with Henry and asked more questions about him.

The next day my daughter, my husband, and I went out to see Henry. Once again the staff could not have been nicer or more accommodating to us. I was convinced that if Henry could be my running partner he would be an asset to our family.

I called a gentleman who is on the board of the SPCA and who is familiar with dogs and asked him to look at Henry and tell me if he would be suitable for distance running as I didn’t want to do the dog any harm. This gentleman went out on a rainy April morning and gave me the report that I could “never out run Henry.”

My husband said that as long as Henry lived outside he could come and live with us. I had an invisible fence installed and called the SPCA with the news. The problem was I needed to pick him up on a Monday, which is a day they are closed to the public. Once again the staff accommodated my request. They opened the gate and allowed me to adopt him on a Monday.

The staff was so excited that after six months Henry had a home. I was so excited that for six months the SPCA staff cared for him. lHe is healthy, extremely personable, and very trainable. Incidentally, an outdoors dog he is not. In fact he sleeps in our bed at night!

Three cheers for the Frances Willis SPCA and their love for animals.

Lori Hamilton - Summerville