Dutchess County SPCA

DUTCHESS COUNTY SPCA

The Dutchess County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DCSPCA) is a nonprofit animal welfare organization dedicated to providing temporary shelter for stray and homeless companion animals and to protecting animals from cruelty and neglect. Our mission is to make Dutchess County safe and humane for companion animals and people and to educate the public about the humane treatment of animals. We do this by facilitating companion animal adoption, enforcing humane laws, providing public outreach and education, and offering affordable medical care for animals in our region.

In 1871, five years after the first animal anti-cruelty laws were passed in the United States, a group of prominent community leaders in Poughkeepsie held a public meeting to form the country’s third oldest Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Although the name, location, and specific programs have changed many times throughout the last 150 years, present-day DCSPCA remains steadfast in our commitment to a better life for animals in Dutchess County and beyond.

Today, the DCSPCA is the only agency in Dutchess County that investigates and enforces animal cruelty laws. We contract with several municipalities to accept stray animals and facilitate return to their owners or placement through adoption. The DCSCPA is committed to caring for all adoptable animals until a new home is found. We envision a community in which there are caring, respectful relationships between humans and animals and that all adoptable animals have homes.

Current Job Openings

Per diem or full-time Veterinarian

Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) or Veterinary Assistant – Full Time

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Each year, the Dutchess County SPCA adopts out over 1,500 animals to loving homes. Some of those animals need a bit more care and attention due to medical issues or the situation in which they were found. When it's time to find them a home, we look for the right placement for each. These are a few of those stories from 2017.
Billie Jo came to us as a stray at the beginning of 2017. He was very thin when he arrived and we noticed the his hips were not very steady. He also had struvite crystals in his urine which meant he now needed to be on a vet-prescribed food.

Billie Jo
Billie Jo's new family came in looking for a friend for the little dog they already had. They met Billie and it was love! We did a dog meet and not only was it love at first sight for Billie Jo and the family but it was also love between the two dogs. They did not care if he moved a little slower or that he would require vet- prescribed food.

Billie Jo
Tina came to us as a stray from East Fishkill and was severely underweight with some skin issues. Due to her skin issues she had to be put on a special vet-prescribed food.

Tina
Tina's new dad came in looking for a companion as he had recently lost his dog. He had no other pets and and his previous dog had skin allergies so Tina was a perfect match for him. Her spunky personality sealed the deal for him.

Tina
Wrigley was rescued from an extreme hoarding situation in East Fishkill. You could tell that he had not been socialized as he did not not seek out human attention at all. In fact, he did not want human attention. He also had eye issues which made it a challenging for him to see.

Wrigley
Deannie was brought to us when her owner passed away and she had no one to care for her. She came to us with a deformed back leg, but she did not let it limit her. While she was in our care, she formed a very special relationship with Wrigley.

Deannie
Wrigley and Deannie's Mom came in originally to meet Wrigley. She had seen him in the 'Pets of the Week' section of the Poughkeepsie Journal. Once she heard his story, she felt she needed to take him home and show him people are good. She noticed that where ever Wrigley was, Deannie wasn’t far behind. She also noticed that Deannie had a special little leg and that just made her even cuter. But what really sealed the deal with that Wrigley loved her and was very comfortable around her, so their new Mom knew she had to take both of them.

Wrigley & Deannie
Maya

Maya was brought to us because her owner had passed away, and there wasn't anyone else that could take care of her. Not only was she 10 years old, she had something called laryngeal paralysis. Laryngeal paralysis is a disorder in which the nerves that control the muscles and cartilage that open and close the larynx (voicebox) do not function properly, causing voice changes and difficulty with eating or breathing. We knew there was a home out there for sweet Maya.
Maya

Maya's family was looking for a nice older dog that was on the calmer side as they were a little bit older themselves. Once they met her they knew she was the one for them with how attentive she was with them. She wanted to be with them and didn’t pay attention to anything else that was going on. They didn’t mind her having throat issues as she would not be left out in the heat and would only receive gentle exercise.
Our warmest wishes to all of our adopters and their new family members.