Thanks for helping out in time of need: The true heroes of CGHS/SPCA are here every day, 24/7, making lives better for our animals in need. Let us introduce you to our administrative, adoption, kennel staff, and volunteers appearing at the groundbreaking ceremony. From left to right, Jennifer Newton, Sam and Judy Schenker, Adam Adriance, Charlene Marchand, Ron Perez, Eerin Parlman, Alesha O’Dell, Brenda Sweeney, Stephanie Nedwick, Josh Margolias, Zach Kucharek, Jessica Farkas, Andrea Walker, Jhori Jurgenson, Christina Amash, Katrina Graboski and Aaron Clause. Not pictured are Linda Aydlett, Lee Delisle, Christian Lanphear, Kylien Lynde, Ben Oringer, Derick Rittie and Chris Yodis.
| It’s the beginning of September, and as of this writing, we still have no arrest or information on the whereabouts of Anderson DeSouza. On Aug. 20, our SPCA investigators were called to his home on Route 9H in Ghent. DeSouza had abandoned 50 animals. Forty-seven were small breeds of dogs, one adolescent Great Dane, a couple of cats, a cockatiel and a parrot. The staff of our CGHS shelter went on high alert and into overdrive. All animals were removed from the filthy and infested premises, the birds leaving immediately to an avian rescue. Our friends at the Mohawk-Hudson River Humane Society and the Berkshire Humane Society came to take some dogs from the large group back to their respective shelters. Examinations, blood work, internal and external parasite treatments, and appropriate feeding schedules were put into assembly-line order. |
Dr. Jerry Bilinski of Chathams Small Animal Hospital sent Dr. Simone Nadeau to assist our Kennel Manager Brenda Sweeney and our kennel staff with thorough hands-on assessments and treatments.
Adoption Supervisor Jhori Jurgenson and her adoption staff were also at maximum capacity, processing a few hundred adoption applications that came in as soon as the abandonment story broke. Local news media did an excellent job of covering the story in those critical early hours. The results were nothing short of miraculous! In two short days, our first group of dogs packed bags they didn’t have, for that ride to their forever homes. This was a testament to the well-oiled machine we have in place at our beloved shelter.
This is what we are called to do, and it is what we do best. Our incredibly supportive community rallied on behalf of the animals, not only with their desire to adopt, but also with a generous outpouring of food, supplies and monetary donations, all of which were so desperately needed to attend to the great number of animals involved. I know that many of you remembered us in your prayers at this time, and those requests to our heavenly Father are always heeded.
We now have another cruelty-abandonment on our hands, with the emaciated dog found tied to a fence near the Amtrak station in Hudson on Aug. 30. Thanks to the efficient and excellent investigation performed by the police department of the City of Hudson, Juan Cinton and Brittany Pinnell, both residents of Hudson, have been arrested and charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, a class E felony. Kudos to all involved!
Thank you, one and all, staff, cruelty investigators and volunteers of CGHS/SPCA, under the direction of CEO Ron Perez. Thank you, Dr. Bilinski, Dr. Nadeau and all at Chathams Small Animal Hospital, who come to our aid again and again at a moment’s notice. Thank you to those who see and report a suspected animal cruelty. It is our obligation to do so. It takes a community and we are so generously blessed in this department.
Before I put down my pen, I must respond to the abundance of “chatter” appearing post our seizure of the Ghent neglect/cruelty animals. This situation has nothing to do with supporting a discussion on limiting the number of animals owned or kept by any individual(s).
Believe me when I say, after decades of experience, that a situation of neglect comes one animal at a time. Many of our arrests involved one animal, in one household. Many of our most outstanding homes have, and meticulously support, many animals. I’ve said it before, and you’ll hear me say it again. Having large numbers of dogs or cats or other small companion animals has nothing to do with quality of care. Each situation should be evaluated on its own merits, or lack of. Period.
Please check our website. We still have a few small-breed dogs available from the abandonment. Better yet, call our shelter for details.
Feel free to call us with any questions at 518-828-6044, or visit our website at www.cghs.org. Stop down and see us at 125 Humane Society Road, off Route 66 (about a mile south of the intersection with Route 9H) in Hudson. Our hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed on Wednesday and Sunday. The Food Bank is open to any from the public in need of pet food or for those wishing to donate food anytime during business hours. All of our cats and kittens are “Furrever Free” with all expenses paid. Spay/neuter clinics for cats are $65 male or female, including a rabies vaccination and a 5-in-1 feline distemper combination vaccination. Nail clipping services are available every Saturday from 10 to 11 a.m. at the shelter, no appointment necessary, for a donation of $5 for cats and $10 for dogs.
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Charlene Marchand is the chairperson of the Columbia-Greene Humane Society/SPCA Board of Directors. She may be contacted by email at cghsaaron@gmail.com.
Adoption Supervisor Jhori Jurgenson and her adoption staff were also at maximum capacity, processing a few hundred adoption applications that came in as soon as the abandonment story broke. Local news media did an excellent job of covering the story in those critical early hours. The results were nothing short of miraculous! In two short days, our first group of dogs packed bags they didn’t have, for that ride to their forever homes. This was a testament to the well-oiled machine we have in place at our beloved shelter.
This is what we are called to do, and it is what we do best. Our incredibly supportive community rallied on behalf of the animals, not only with their desire to adopt, but also with a generous outpouring of food, supplies and monetary donations, all of which were so desperately needed to attend to the great number of animals involved. I know that many of you remembered us in your prayers at this time, and those requests to our heavenly Father are always heeded.
We now have another cruelty-abandonment on our hands, with the emaciated dog found tied to a fence near the Amtrak station in Hudson on Aug. 30. Thanks to the efficient and excellent investigation performed by the police department of the City of Hudson, Juan Cinton and Brittany Pinnell, both residents of Hudson, have been arrested and charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, a class E felony. Kudos to all involved!
Thank you, one and all, staff, cruelty investigators and volunteers of CGHS/SPCA, under the direction of CEO Ron Perez. Thank you, Dr. Bilinski, Dr. Nadeau and all at Chathams Small Animal Hospital, who come to our aid again and again at a moment’s notice. Thank you to those who see and report a suspected animal cruelty. It is our obligation to do so. It takes a community and we are so generously blessed in this department.
Before I put down my pen, I must respond to the abundance of “chatter” appearing post our seizure of the Ghent neglect/cruelty animals. This situation has nothing to do with supporting a discussion on limiting the number of animals owned or kept by any individual(s).
Believe me when I say, after decades of experience, that a situation of neglect comes one animal at a time. Many of our arrests involved one animal, in one household. Many of our most outstanding homes have, and meticulously support, many animals. I’ve said it before, and you’ll hear me say it again. Having large numbers of dogs or cats or other small companion animals has nothing to do with quality of care. Each situation should be evaluated on its own merits, or lack of. Period.
Please check our website. We still have a few small-breed dogs available from the abandonment. Better yet, call our shelter for details.
Feel free to call us with any questions at 518-828-6044, or visit our website at www.cghs.org. Stop down and see us at 125 Humane Society Road, off Route 66 (about a mile south of the intersection with Route 9H) in Hudson. Our hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed on Wednesday and Sunday. The Food Bank is open to any from the public in need of pet food or for those wishing to donate food anytime during business hours. All of our cats and kittens are “Furrever Free” with all expenses paid. Spay/neuter clinics for cats are $65 male or female, including a rabies vaccination and a 5-in-1 feline distemper combination vaccination. Nail clipping services are available every Saturday from 10 to 11 a.m. at the shelter, no appointment necessary, for a donation of $5 for cats and $10 for dogs.
***
Charlene Marchand is the chairperson of the Columbia-Greene Humane Society/SPCA Board of Directors. She may be contacted by email at cghsaaron@gmail.com.
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