ERIK SANZENBACH / L’Observateur / September 6, 2000

LAPLACE – A lot of people living in St. John the Baptist Parish don’t realizethere is another place where one can adopt pets. Besides the St. JohnParish Animal Shelter and the St. John Humane Society, there is also theRiverlands SPCA.

For the past seven years Riverlands SPCA has been helping out the animals of St. John Parish. In seven years the organization has adopted over 1,000animals, spayed and neutered more than 300 wild cats and helped people on low income to get free spaying and neutering services.

Sabine Carender, executive director of Riverlands SPCA, said right now they are in desperate need of foster homes for their animals.

“Despite having several dedicated volunteers and board members who serve as foster homes, animals are coming in faster than being adopted,” said Carender.

The biggest problem that faces the Riverlands SPCA is space. They arelooking for land in which to build a shelter. They have a building fund, butthey are also looking for donations.

“A donation of a piece of land would be a dream come true,” said Carender.

“Since the SPCA is a charitable organization, the donation would be tax deductible.”Riverlands SPCA has become very creative in ways that it is trying to get its animals adopted. Right now they take the homeless pets to Petsmart storesin Baton Rouge and in the Elmwood Shopping Center in Harahan.

Carender said that even the Barnes & Nobel bookstore in Baton Rouge has sponsored a pet adoption day. She said they are trying to get the Barnes &Noble in Metairie to do the same thing.

Even though the SPCA is a private organization, Carender is hoping that the Riverlands SPCA and St. John Parish can come to some agreement.”We want to work with the parish administration to pick up animals from the parish shelter for adoption,” said Carender. “We would prepare them at ourcost for adoptions and use volunteers and private expense to bring them to adoption sites.”Carender thinks this would increase the parish shelter’s adoption rate and decrease their euthanasia rate.

Right now, Riverlands SPCA is asking any dog lover out there to think about adopting a Doberman-mix dog named Dominick. He is 2 years old, has all hisshots and is healthy.

Carender said Dominick is “not a watchdog at all. He even knows how to sitand shake hands. He is well-behaved and friendly.”If anybody would like to donate time, money, or needs information on Dominick or adopting any or the animals, call 652-SPCA.

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