In an announcement today, the SPCA of Texas said that it has acquired the Ellis County SPCA in Waxahachie.
For two decades, the Ellis County SPCA has sheltered, rehomed, and made available for adoption thousands of animals that find themselves abandoned in the county each year.
The acquisition brings the resources, expertise, and pro-animal policies of the state’s leading animal welfare organizations to one of the fastest growing areas in North Texas.
Negotiations between the two organizations and with county officials has spanned the last year, leading to this conclusion.
“The SPCA of Texas’ mission is to provide every pet exceptional care and a loving home, and we have been a key component of the health and safety, as well as happiness, of North Texas’ pets and their people for over 80 years,” said Karen Froehlich, President and CEO for the SPCA of Texas. “Our organization is looking forward to partnering with the citizens of Ellis County by providing key services for lost and found pets, helping find homes for pets in need of them, and providing spay or neuter surgeries and vaccinations critical to the community’s health.”
The arrangement includes acquiring the Waxahachie property where are the Ellis County SPCA currently operates and one building, as well as assuming the responsibilities for animal sheltering and returns to owner or adoptions for 1,500 loose and stray animals in Ellis County each year.
The boards of directors of the SPCA of Texas and the Ellis County SPCA voted in favor of the acquisition in June, and the Ellis County Commissioner’s Court assigned the provision of animal sheltering services for the county to the SPCA of Texas on June 16.
The organizations are working jointly to make the transition as smooth as possible, beginning by offering returns to owners of loose and stray animals by appointment to ensure people can be reunited with their pets.
Over the next few months, the SPCA of Texas plans to refurbish the facility’s floors, drywall, HVAC and electric, and install a new kennel system.
For the duration of its operation, the Ellis County SPCA acted merely as a shelter, contracted with Ellis County to receive dogs that were brought in by the Ellis County sheriff’s office. Cats surrendered by their owners were also taken in.
The arrival of the SPCA of Texas brings a more proactive animal outreach to the area and a pro-animal euthanasia policy.
Several philanthropic foundations are generously helping to support the acquisition and refurbishment, including the Better Together Fund, the Petco Foundation, and the Waxahachie Foundation. They have all invested in the future of animal lifesaving in Ellis County by providing for facility improvements and animal care equipment. Donations are being sought from the community to help with animal care and transition costs.
Donations are currently being accepted by the SPCA of Texas to help with the additional costs that the acquisition will entail.