Hillside SPCA

Hillside SPCA, Inc is a Pennsylvania non-profit corporation that provides animal welfare services to all of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. The county presently has a population of approximately 153,000. Our service area covers approximately 783 square miles.

The Hillside SPCA, Inc. operates an animal shelter facility located at SPCA Road, North Manheim Township, Pennsylvania. The shelter currently houses in excess of 200 cats and dogs with the average being over 120 cats and nearly 100 dogs. The facility is operating at an absolute maximum capacity and has done so for several years.

During the past several years, the Hillside SPCA, Inc. has taken in 1,100 to 1,200 animals per year. These were received as releases from private owners, stray animals and animals seized in connection with cruelty investigations.

The Hillside SPCA is what is known as a "no-kill" shelter meaning that the Hillside does not put a time limit on how long an animal will be maintained at the shelter. We give the animals we accept or rescue every attempt at adoption possible. "No-kill" does not mean "never kill" - we wish it did - but in reality, not every animal that comes to us can be adopted. Euthanasia may be performed if an animal is so sick it cannot be helped, or is so vicious or lacks socialization that it cannot be placed in a home.

What also sets the Hillside aside from other shelters is that the animals are not sentenced to a life in a crate, but are free to play and interact with others throughout the day.

In addition to operating the animal shelter facility, we also conduct investigations of animal cruelty and prosecute those individuals found to be violating the Pennsylvania Cruelty Statute. The organization attempts to provide 24 hour coverage, but this is sometimes limited due to staff shortages.

The staff includes trained and certified humane officers appointed by the Court of Common Pleas of Schuylkill County as well as humane investigators who perform animal cruelty investigations and issue citations as necessary.

The Hillside SPCA, Inc. conducts educational programs in local schools focusing on the humane treatment of animals and the need to control the animal population through spay/neuter programs. The shelter also provides financial assistance to individuals who cannot afford to have their pets spayed/neutered.

Currently, operating expenses of the Hillside shelter are over a quarter million dollars annually. We operate solely through donations received from individuals, groups and businesses and fund-raising events. We receive no government subsidies, nor any proceeds from the sale of county dog licenses.

It has been the experience of Hillside SPCA that individuals prefer to bring homeless animals to this facility because of our reputation of kindness to our residents. We do our very best to provide care and comfort for the animals. Each is given a name and is generally treated as an individual. Animals at the Hillside SPCA do not spend the entire day in kennels and/or cages. All the animals at our shelter facility are fed both canned and dry food and each is provided with a blanket every night.

A few years ago, major renovations were completed at the Hillside SPCA animal shelter facility including improvements to the dog quarters dedicated to Jim and Peg Stine. Here, canine residents are provided access to large fenced-in exercise yards each day. The new and improved dog quarters also includes housing designed to give puppies room to run and grow. Quiet, enclosed kennels are available for dogs that are sick or just need some solitude.

Recently, through the amazing generosity of some donors, we were able to put up an additional building in which we have a dedicated area for animals in need of quiet; those who are recovering from injuries, new mothers and those adapting to life at the shelter. We are also adding another building which will expand our offices and enable us to better care for the animals in residence.

Housing for feline residents is provided in the Etta Shepard Memorial Building which was recently renovated and enlarged thanks to the generosity of some marvelous supporters. This building is equipped with large indoor cat condos which give cats room to move about and play. The cats have access to outdoor enclosures in warm weather. This building also provides a sick room for those felines needing some extra medical attention.

Last year, Hillside SPCA was able to find homes for nearly 1000 animals. Animals will only be adopted to those individuals who meet specific adoption requirements and who sign our adoption contract.

It is required that all adopted animals be maintained as indoor pets and must be spayed or neutered within a specified time period after adoption. The Hillside SPCA is very diligent in checking on adopted animals to insure that they are spayed/neutered and that they are receiving proper treatment. If needed, we provide financial assistance for spay/neuter expenses.

The physical and emotional well-being of the animals is the top priority of the Hillside staff.

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