NEW ORLEANS – Starting Jan. 1, 2020, the Louisiana SPCA will assume management of the Plaquemines Parish Animal Shelter, formerly run by the Plaquemines Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) and the facility will be renamed the Louisiana SPCA’s Plaquemines Parish Campus.
“The Plaquemines Parish Animal Shelter and the Louisiana SPCA have worked closely together for years,” says Parish President Kirk Lepine. “We would like to thank PAWS for their years of advocating for animal welfare in our parish and are excited to be fully partnered with the Louisiana SPCA.”
PAWS notified Plaquemines Parish Government (PPG) officials in October 2019 that they would not be renewing their contract to manage the parish’s animal shelter. Wanting the very best for the animals in Plaquemines Parish, PAWS approached the Louisiana SPCA to consider caring for the animals neighboring Orleans Parish. Plaquemines Animal Control will remain staffed and managed by the Plaquemines Parish Health Department.
“Although PAWS will no longer manage the day-to-day operations of the animal shelter, we are committed to animal welfare throughout Plaquemines Parish,” says Tammy Gagliano, PAWS Board President. “We will show our support for the Louisiana SPCA through fundraising efforts.”
The Louisiana SPCA impacts the lives of more than 70,000 animals throughout Louisiana every year. Through life-saving innovative initiatives like a nationwide transport program, low-cost Community Clinic, nationally recognized foster program and collaborations with local and national partner groups, the Louisiana SPCA has been an advocate for the animals in Louisiana for more than 130 years.
“With our first-ever location expansion of the Louisiana SPCA, we are proud to continue serving the Plaquemines Parish community the way PAWS has done for so many years,” says Louisiana SPCA CEO, Ana Zorrilla. “Over the last few months the PAWS team has done a tremendous job at finding homes for the 350+ animals in their care. They truly are an amazing organization and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for our new partnership.”
Following a two-week closure to deep clean and reset the facility, PPG and the Louisiana SPCA will host a grand re-opening in mid-January.
The most up-to-date information about the Louisiana SPCA’s Plaquemines Parish Campus will be shared at www.la-spca.org.
