Our Services
The York County SPCA is extremely fortunate to receive large donations of pet food from area suppliers. We extend our good fortune to those less fortunate who may need our help to provide food for their pets. This program has helped senior citizens on a fixed income as well as people who are temporarily unemployed or have fallen on hard times. If there is a true need, please contact the shelter at 717-764-6109.
The York County SPCA partners with the County of York Department of Emergency Services to provide temporary foster and veterinary care for pets whose owners must evacuate their homes due to a natural or man-made disaster. Before the inception of this emergency disaster plan, owners had no choice but to abandon their animals at home or risk bodily harm by remaining in a life-threatening situation because they had nowhere to go with their beloved pets. Now they can seek shelter with peace of mind knowing they will be safe, as well as their pets who will be loved and well cared for by the SPCA until they are able to be reunited and return home once again.
The York County SPCA provides programs on the importance of humane treatment of animals and responsible pet ownership for youths and adults. Educating our younger generation about kindness towards animals is the first step in creating a compassionate community. Contact the York County SPCA to schedule a program by calling 717-764-6109.
If you are a pet owner and find yourself in a situation where you cannot keep your animal, the York County SPCA has several suggestions.
The York County SPCA will allow owners to surrender their cats by appointment. The fee to surrender your cat is $35. If you must surrender your cat, please complete and submit our online form and we’ll contact you to set up an appointment. If you are surrendering your cat for litter box issues than we suggest that you contact your vet to discuss your options.
If you must surrender your dog, please complete and submit our online form and we’ll contact you to set up an appointment. The cost to surrender a dog is $50. The goal of the York County SPCA is to find a home for every adoptable animal. Therefore, we are unable to accept dogs with serious aggressive behavior or untreatable medical conditions.
If you are experiencing a financial hardship and are unable to afford our surrender fee, please speak with a member of our management team. We are happy to work with you in any way we can.
If you have found or lost an animal, fill out our online form so that we can help. While filling out the form you will have the ability to upload a photo of the animal.
The York County SPCA encourages pet owners to have their pets microchipped. This provides a permanent form of identification for your pet in the event that they become lost and lose their collar or tags. A microchip (the size of a grain of rice) is implanted under the skin below the back of your pet’s neck. The implantation is painless and performed in just seconds. A scanner is then used to scan the animal and pick up the microchip that traces back to the owner. The York County SPCA receives thousands of stray animals each year and is only able to return approximately 3% of these animals because they did not have any identification.
Microchipping is now recognized in Pennsylvania as a valid identification for a lifetime license so owners who have their dogs microchipped can register their dogs for a lifetime license which eliminates the need for an annual county license. The York County SPCA provides microchipping at their Emigsville facility for a fee of $26.50 per animal and can submit the paperwork to the York County Treasurer’s Office for the pet owner. The fee for the lifetime license can be accepted in the form of a check or money-order only. The York County SPCA highly recommends dogs as well as cats receive microchips.
The York County SPCA encourages dog owners to provide basic obedience training and behavioral modification for their pets to help reduce the number of animals surrendered to shelters. Often, pets are relinquished due to problems that could be easily corrected through professional training by reputable, knowledge pet trainers. The York County SPCA currently partners with the following professional trainers: Deb Sangrey – Bella Vista Training Center- 812-9894. Deb and her team offer complimentary, monthly sessions to the public for pet related problems. These sessions are held at the York County SPCA on the first Monday of every month from 7:00-9:00 pm. In addition, they also donate their valuable time to working with our shelter pets for certification as Canine Good Citizens. For more information on CGC training, please contact:
Stephanie Capkovic
Bella Vista Training and Care Center
717-432-0750 or 717-515-5146 (cell)
Lisa Gilbert
Ramblewood Dog Training
717-792-2734
email: EHG1230@cs.com
Mary Smallwood
Keystone Dog Training
717-268-1866
email: halle4@comcast.net
The most common reason pets are surrendered to shelters by their owners is because they are moving into a dwelling that does not allow pets. The York County SPCA assists pet owners in finding appropriate pet housing by providing them with a listing of local rental properties that allow pets. This service helps to reduce the number of pets surrendered to our shelter because the owner could not find pet-friendly housing. Click here for pet housing referrals.
The York County SPCA partners with ACCESS York and Safe Home of Hanover to provide temporary shelter for pets of domestic abuse victims. Almost all shelters will accept women and their children but virtually none will accept pets. Most victims of abuse will not leave their pets behind and will remain in a dangerous, life-threatening situation in order to protect them. The York County SPCA relieves this burden for victims so they do not have to worry about leaving their pets behind or risking harm to themselves by returning to feed or check on their pet. The pet is placed in a special housing area at the York County SPCA and provided with spay/neuter, vaccines, and any necessary veterinary care. This program is free and extends for 30 days. During this 30 day period, pet owners are encouraged to visit with their pets at the shelter. The SafePet Program has been expanded to include the American Red Cross to assist displaced families due to catastrophes such as floods and fires.
