Life was good for 10-year-old house cats, Juniper and Milo. They had a cozy roof over their heads, tasty food in their bellies and a loving owner to provide daily doses of TLC. However, as is the fate of so many pets, their universe changed overnight.
Their elderly owner passed away, and the house which they called home was sold in an estate sale. The out-of-state relatives managing this transition didn't have the ability to bring the cats home with them, so the pair were taken to SICSA Pet Adoption Center.
Juniper and Milo were slow to adjust at first, which you might expect after your life is completely altered. Milo, in particular, exhibited behavior problems, but nothing the staff at SICSA wasn’t prepared for. After a couple of months, the two cats were adopted to loving homes, and Nora Vondrell, SICSA’s executive director, applauded her team for a job well done.
At the end of July, Vondrell received a letter. It was from the relatives in Washington State, who were overjoyed that Juniper and Milo could live out their lives in comfort and happiness, rather than having their time on this planet cut short due to circumstances beyond their control. “It would not have been possible without the services you offer,” the couple wrote.
Serving the Dayton community in this way has always been SICSA’s mission. To continue making a positive impact, Vondrell and the SICSA Board of Trustees are focused on the future, a future designed to accommodate more Junipers and Milos.
And, part of that future vision includes a state-of-the-art pet adoption and wellness center to be located in Washington Township.
>>> RELATED: SICSA on the way to opening new facility in Washington Twp.
Vondrell believes that there’s a demand from the community for SICSA to operate more efficiently and be able to do more. “Since 2009, our intake numbers have increased by 72%,” she said. “And while the euthanasia rate in Montgomery County is still too high, at 46%, the services we offer make a difference.”
Although SICSA’s team sees this as an essential and opportune time to grow, the non-profit comes from humble beginnings. In 1974, in response to the ever-increasing euthanasia rates in Dayton, humane-minded citizens banded together to create a reliable, albeit small-scale, rescue organization. Initially a weekend operation, the all-volunteer team first set up adoption centers in vacant store fronts. As the first no-kill option for the city, the team’s efforts were quickly recognized in the community, and support soon followed.
A few decades and donated spaces later, the staff -- now paid, but still heavily reliant upon volunteers -- moved into their first purchased building, where they currently are housed at 2600 Wilmington Pike in Kettering.
Vondrell said SICSA’s reason for continuous transition has always been the same: “The first answer to the question of how we move Dayton to a no-kill community has always been to provide the space to make that actually possible.”
>>> PHOTO GALLERY: To continue saving lives, SICSA needs your help
For three years, SICSA's executives and board of directors explored what the future possibilities for developing a larger indoor and exterior space for the region's pets and pet owners would mean for the Miami Valley. The new facility will enable SICSA to broaden their appeal and propel their innovative approach to pet adoption and animal well-being forward.
Space has always been the answer, said Vondrell, but also the most obstructing barrier to SICSA’s mission. “Since the beginning, we’ve never had a location that was originally designed for our specific purpose. We have operated out of store fronts, vacant retail buildings, and where we are now -- a former shopping strip that was once a pizza parlor, beauty salon and record store.”
Logistically, this presents problems for the day-to-day operations. For example, Vondrell and her staff hand wash every single bowl for the hundreds of animal occupants there at any given time. But these aren’t just a few scrubs with soap under hot water. Each washing is tedious, requiring multiple treatments necessary for proper management of the various diseases that affect many strays.
>>> RELATED: What's next for proposed pet adoption center in Washington Twp.?
However, SICSA can't do it alone. To create a forever home for SICSA and their many services, they are looking to raise $5 million to develop a more capable, flexible and innovative pet adoption and wellness center. Half of the total already has been donated, but an additional $2.5 million is needed to achieve the goal of developing a cutting-edge facility that will advance SICSA's mission of promoting the welfare and adoption of Miami Valley pets.
Moving to a new space, one designed specifically for SICSA, will make a significant dent in the euthanasia rate. “Having a facility built for our needs, but also designed for us to continue making a larger impact, will help us achieve our mission,” Vondrell said.
Every gift helps save more lives, just like Juniper and Milo. And each contribution to SICSA goes straight to work helping thousands of animals, now and in the future.
Click here to support their cause or to learn more about SICSA and their new adoption and pet wellness center. You also can call the adoption center at (937) 294-6505.
