F.A.Q.
YOU HAVE QUESTIONS. WE HAVE ANSWERS.
Our Frequently asked questions are a great resource for anyone looking for information about the Lycoming SPCA and our operations. Still having trouble finding your answer? Contact our office and speak with our team.
For Dogs:
The adoption process will require that all existing dogs in the home meet the shelter dog, under the supervision of shelter staff or an appointed long-term and experienced shelter volunteer, before an adoption can be completed. This will be done at a second appointment, after the initial meeting of the dog with all humans living in the home.
We are no longer permitted to “Cat Test” available dogs. As of January 2023, the Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters has been updated and states, “It is unacceptable to expose cats to dogs in the shelter as a test to determine if the dog can safely live with cats because this poses a significant risk of emotional and physical harm to the cat”. Unless there is documented history of a dog’s interaction with cats in a former home from the time of their surrender, we will not be able to confirm if any shelter dog does well with cats.
For Cats:
For the health and safety of the shelter animals, we are not permitted to allow home animals to be brought to the shelter to meet adoptable cats. If you are not experienced in introducing a new cat into a household with existing animals, please let the staff know and they can provide resources on best practices for doing so.
To address the growing issues involving illegal and unwanted animal drop-offs and to prevent our shelter from being unsafely over capacity, we have adopted a “Capacity of Care”. We understand this makes some significant changes to our availbility to accept stray animals and how many animals we house at our shelter, this policy adopts the national standard for animal shelters and places the safety and care of our animals and staff at the forefront of our operations. Follow this link to view our procedure regarding capacity of care.
Many of us have been there, your outside and come across stray kittens or a mom and just aren’t sure what, if anything, you should do. Here is a great resource on how you should respond when coming across stray kittens Alley Cat Allies.
The Dog Warden is not managed or associated with the Lycoming County SPCA. For current information regarding the Lycoming County Dog Warden and how to contact them, follow this link to visit the Pennsylvania Dog Warden & Supervisor page. Dog Wardens are managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. https://www.agriculture.pa.gov/Animals/DogLaw/Dog-wardens/Pages/County-Map.aspx
No, the Lycoming County SPCA is an independently operated organization and is not a member of the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) or PSPCA (Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) nor do we receive funding from them.
The Lycoming County SPCA is privately funded by grants, donors, members, and businesses. We also operate through partnerships with local municipalities for services rendered.
Donations/contributions can be made online, in-person, over the phone, or through the mail.
The Lycoming County SPCA accepts monetary donations in the follow forms:
- Bequests (more in formation on planned giving)
- Recurring gifts
- Cash
- Check
- Credit/ Debit Card
- Bank transfers (ACH)
For more information, or other potential ways to donate, please contact our Joel Harris, our Director of Development.
Communications and contributions can be sent to:
Lycoming County SPCA
2805 Reach Rd.
Williamsport, PA 17701
Follow this link to our animal foster page to complete an application and a member of our team will be in touch.
Follow the link to our volunteer page to complete and application and a member of our team will be in touch.
Yes, we accept all unopened items in the form of toys, food, litter, blankets, cleaning supplies, & more. To donate an identified item, you can follow this link and view our wish list items. Items can be dropped-off during business hours or mailed to our mailing address. (see “What is your mailing address”)
No, the Lycoming County SPCA is privately managed & funded. (for more information see “ How do you fund your operation”)
Our cats are available to visit on site, during normal operating hours. For the health and safety of our dogs, an application must be submitted to see a particular dog in person. To view all available animals visit our adoption page on our website.
Once your application is approved, our team will review them and we will be in contact with you.
Step 1: Complete the pre-adoption paperwork. To access the paperwork, choose a pet you are interested in from the Lycoming County SPCA website. Next, click on the “Adopt Me” button in the pet’s profile. Next, you will create an online account through adopets.com to process your paperwork.
Step 2: If you are adopting a dog, you may be asked to bring any dogs that you already have at home to the SPCA to meet the shelter dog.
Step 3: Make sure all family members have an opportunity to meet the new pet.
Step 4: Get your landlord’s permission.
Step 5: Agree to have the animal spayed or neutered, provide good care and a loving home.
Step 6: Pay the fees by credit card, debit card, cash, or check
Step 7: Enjoy the unconditional love of your new pet.
Memberships can be purchased online through our membership page, or at our office during operating hours. Our individual membership levels start at $45 annually and our corporate memberships start at $500 annually.
To report suspected cruelty, you need to call our office during normal operating hours (570) 322-4646 and speak with a member of our team. Ensure you have all information and have your contact information ready to provide. Important: suspected cruelty cannot be reported, or accepted through e-mail, webchat, or Facebook Messenger.
We offer many services, but our primary ones are cat, dog, & small animal adoptions, low-income spay/neuter vouchers for cats, low-income euthanasia, low-cost cremations, animal cemetery, cruelty investigations, & more. Fore more information, visit our services page.
Contact our office and we will answer any question you have and provide you additional information.
No, at this time we do not offer clinics to the public, but we are always adapting our programs so continue to follow our Facebook page & website to keep up-to-date with our current services.
To prevent over mailing over mail of notices and to be cautious of increasing postal costs, due to inflation, we mail Tribute notices to donors and families every two weeks. Arrival time various by destination location and USPS operations. For faster delivery time, email options are available (email addresses must be provided for this option)>