By special request from a resident of Salem, after we had taken an abandoned dog from her, and discussed the seriousness of the problem the city of Salem is having with strays and abandoned pets, Jenny Nelson, Shelter Director, and Charlie Campbell, Board President, attended this evening's City Council meeting with our proposal to provide Animal Services to the City of Salem.

After the proposal was made by Jenny and Charlie and questions were asked and answered, city council members voted unanimously to approve a new contract with the SPCA. The contract calls for the city to provide the shelter facility with two new kennels which will be reserved for dogs impounded by the city police department. The SPCA will in turn provide new cages for felines. Also a per dog or cat fee was settled upon and the agreement between the two sealed as the SPCA accepted a check from the city of Salem for $500 to use for the purchase of the two new kennels.

Also discussed was the possibility of working in cooperation with the city's police department when and if needed in animal abuse cases. "This is indeed an exciting new day for inter-agency cooperation," said Charlie Campbell after the meeting had concluded. "There is much we can add to these types of investigations if we are allowed to assist, and with the support of local Police and Sheriff's Departments, we are sure we will soon see significant changes in the number of successful prosecutions of animal abuse in this city, and quite possibly Fulton County. We are truly proud to be working with the city of Salem and their Police Chief as they can help us to begin to show other communities in our area what can be done if we work together."

Folks needing to report dogs or cats in the City of Salem will go about it the same old way. What has changed is the place the animals are taken and how they are cared for. Impounded dogs and cats are now being taken to the SPCA's Opportunity Inc shelter complex and will be held for 30 days to allow sufficient time for owners to pay any fines that may be due and claim them before being placed up for adoption.

"It was a great day to begin our services in our fourth North Arkansas county. We are extremely happy with this new partnership and look forward to a long lasting relationship with the city of Salem" said Jenny Nelson, SPCA Shelter Director.

This is a perfect example... One Person CAN make a Difference! In fact, through small effort, make a BIG difference... This began only one week ago with one person willing to step up and speak to a few people on the behalf of the abused, neglected, and abandoned animals within her own community. When those she spoke to, understood and agreed that "Yes, we have a problem," a long-lasting solution was found and agreed upon within just a few days. The SPCA is not only glad to have the initial contract with the City of Salem, we are happier to have the opportunity to help another small community in need and will be working to eventually see them with a shelter of their own, one like ours that provides services to "all" the community, and that strives to be more than just another animal warehouse.

This is also an incredible example of how a Board of Directors as well as a responsible City Council needs to work. Click here for what we mean by that.