Pet Project

A new group wants to save Philadelphia's strays.

by Cory Frolik

Last week, members of the local animal-rights community took steps toward making this a more pet-friendly city by forming the nonprofit Alliance for Philadelphia's Animals. Their aim, officials said, is to increase the percentage of strays that are adopted rather than euthanized.

City and animal rights groups estimate that currently 35 percent of Philadelphia's strays survive, a number that takes on a more gruesome meaning when compared to San Francisco's 80 percent rate.

"Killing animals because there is no space is unacceptable," said Tara Derby-Perrin, president and chairwoman of the alliance, which was formally launched during a Sept. 28 town meeting at the Academy of Natural Sciences.

Modeled after successful coalitions in San Francisco and New York City, the alliance consists of animal-care groups (like Philadelphia Animal Care and Control Association (PACCA) and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)), community partners, veterinarians and the city's Department of Public Health.

"The alliance is to really promote harmony to work towards a common goal," Derby-Perrin said. "No one agency can [solve the problem]."

To shift to no-kill policies—in Philadelphia, strays are euthanized by PACCA as the SPCA got out of its city contract to do so several years ago—the rates of adoption, spaying and neutering will have to sharply increase.

Maddie's Fund—a $240 million family foundation that supports public and private animal-welfare initiatives—will help the alliance pay veterinarians for spaying and neutering services. The fund requires the alliance to serve both as an umbrella group and as a liaison with the city.

Alliance members said donations are integral to success, and they plan to host community adoption festivals complete with groomed pets donning bright-orange "Adopt Me" jackets. Still, those on hand at the launch said it will take some time for Philadelphia to catch up to more successful cities. (It took several years in San Francisco.)

"Philadelphia, this is your first date. New York is engaged. And San Francisco has a marriage," said Edwin Sayers of the New York City SPCA.

"New York has been able to raise over $20 million in the effort to save homeless animals," Derby-Perrin said. "By bringing this level of public funding to Philadelphia and re-allocating resources from euthanization to spay-neuter efforts, we can end the euthanization of adoptable pets in Philadelphia."