SPCA saves animals in need
Local branch has rescued over 1,000 animals this year
Misty was too hot. The 14-year-old black lab mix lay on her side at the encampment off Washington Street near the traffic circle, panting. She couldn’t move.
It was Aug. 14, 2019, a very hot day. The homeless man who cared for Misty thought she would be O.K. But a passerby called the Ulster County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Gina Carbonari, retired Marine Major, dog trainer and Executive Director of the Ulster County shelter, jumped into her Animal Control jeep and arrived on the scene at about 5:30 p.m.
“The dog was alive,” said Carbonari, “but she wasn’t responsive. Her eyes were open but she didn’t blink. Her pupils didn’t respond. She was panting very fast.”
Carbonari gathered Misty up — she was heavy, said the ex-Marine — laid her in the jeep and rushed her to the Hurley Veterinary Hospital, calling ahead as she drove.
“When I got there, they were outside, waiting for us,” said Carbonari. Misty’s
temperature was 108. Fortyfive minutes had already elapsed since the emergency call. “We thought she’d die or have brain damage.”
Miraculously, Misty not only survived, she recovered with no permanent damage.
“It took her a few weeks,” said Carbonari. After one night at the Hurley hospital, she returned to the Ulster County shelter.
“Right away,” said Carbonari, “we could see the light was back on. She was aware, interested.”
But it took Misty a couple of weeks to walk again. Slowly, she regained her
health.
“Her coat was shining,” said Carbonari. “Her eyes were bright.”
And on the weekend of Oct. 18, a Kingston family adopted Misty.
There are many stories like this one, says Carbonari. So far in 2019, the nokill shelter has rescued more than 1,050 homeless, neglected or abused animals, helped 750 find permanent homes, spay/neutered and vaccinated almost 500 feral cats, and investigated more than 250 allegations of animal neglect or abuse. The shelter also offers
in-home assistance and low-cost clinics.
During National Shelter Appreciation Week, which begins on Nov. 3, Carbonari hopes the Ulster County community will remember that all of this nonprofit shelter’s work depends on donations.
“We’re not affiliated with the ASPCA,” said Carbonari, “or any government agency, not the city or the county.”
“We’re always fundraising,” said Carbonari, who noted they’re always trying to do more, too. For example, the shelter recently partnered with Family of
Woodstock to provide safe haven for pets when a family has a domestic violence crisis.
Coming up during National Shelter Appreciation Week is the shelter’s Paws for a Cause fundraiser. On Saturday, Nov. 9, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., there will be “gourmet” food and drink, live music, raffles and prizes and furry friends at Crested Hen Farms, 607 County Route 6, in High Falls. Admission is $50 per person. Other donations can be made through the shelter’s website at http://www.ucspca.org/.