SPCA of Wake County

06/13/2024

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH 🏳️‍🌈 Meet Rango, our new bearded dragon friend. Did you know that a bearded dragon’s s*x is determined two different ways? Not only do the chromosomes matter, but so does the temperature at which they develop. If a male bearded dragon egg is incubated at higher temperatures (usually above 32° C), then the female chromosomes will overtake the male. This is how you can get a female with fully functioning reproductive organs, but who also retains their male genetic heritage, having both male and female characteristics.

Rango is working on overcoming being timid and is getting socialized in a foster home. She would do best with an experienced reptile owner who will be patient with her as she gets used to being handled and who understands that it may take her a while to bond with them. Her foster believes that, with this time and patience, she could be a “one in a million reptile” who will love her human deeply. Seeing how happy she is after just a few weeks of TLC in foster, we must say that we couldn’t agree more!

Rango loves to lounge around on the branches in her enclosure and watch her fellow foster animals' daily shenanigans. Going slowly and giving her favorite snacks (like watermelon!) is the way to her little lizard heart. Then when her belly is full and nap time comes around, she's happy to snooze on your chest.

If you'd like to learn more about adopting Rango, please visit spcawake.org/smallpets 🦖

06/07/2024

GRAPHIC IMAGE WARNING ⚠️ This sweet soul is Faith. Faith was abandoned overnight at a rural county shelter with these horrible burns all up and down her back. When the shelter staff found her the next morning, they asked if we could transfer her to SPCA Wake, because this girl is going to need a lot of TLC.

Somehow, Faith is the happiest girl in the world. Her tail is a wagging machine, she gives endless kisses, and all she wants to do is sit at your feet and look up at you sweetly while you pet her head.

Whatever happened to Faith is behind her now. Her arrival at SPCA Wake marks the beginning of her healing journey. It's our duty to fix the damage that others have done and show Faith that she deserves all the love in the world.

If you would like to make a donation in honor of brave Faith, it will be MATCHED dollar for dollar in donated veterinary services from Care First Animal Hospital ❤️‍🩹

Thank you for helping Faith and pets just like her. We can't wait to show you the transformed dog that will come out the other side of this ❤️

06/05/2024

Someone call technical support. This kitten has stopped working.

06/04/2024

Gideon used to wake up every day with a watermelon-sized tumor hanging from his belly. Over time, the tumor grew out of control. Gideon found himself at the shelter with no owner to help him get surgery. But because he's at SPCA Wake, he had all of you ❤️

Gideon went to our partners at Care First Animal Hospital for the surgery he needed to remove his watermelon (and several other uncomfortable tumors growing around his body). Today, this sweet 11-year-old senior is feeling a whole lot lighter in body and spirit!

Hundreds of pets like Gideon need extra special vet care each year, and right now, you can help make that happen with 2x the impact, because...

Now through July 31st, every dollar you give will be MATCHED by the veterinarians at Care First Animal Hospital in donated veterinary services (up to $250,000)!

Click the donate button, and your gift will be effectively doubled to provide lifesaving vet care for the next pet like Gideon. Please help us maximize this incredible opportunity to make a difference for local pets thanks to this very generous offer from Care First Animal Hospital ❤️‍🩹

Thank you for being their hero (and ours)!

06/01/2024

New mom Donoma insisted on holding hands during her intake 🥹 She just gave birth to four tiny kittens, and now they're all safe at the SPCA ❤️

These five will spend the next two months in foster care so Donoma can nurse her kittens, and then each of them will go up for adoption!

05/29/2024

The odds of your cat killing you in your sleep is low... but never zero. Don't leave things to chance — set up your will and estate plan in 20 minutes through our partners at FreeWill — it's FREE thanks to your support of SPCA Wake! And since it's National Pet Month, it's the perfect time to create a plan for your e̶x̶e̶c̶u̶t̶i̶o̶n̶e̶r̶ furry friend 🐾😇

Knock it out while you're thinking about it, just be sure to use our special link here: https://frwill.link/spcawake_0524 ✒️📜

05/28/2024

We have cats. We have hats. So we put hats on cats and that's that.

(Look for a cat you can pat in your habitat at spcawake.org/cats 🎩)

05/27/2024

This Memorial Day, we honor and thank all who have served our country, sacrificing so much for our freedom. 🌟 Our deepest gratitude to our brave veterans, active military, and their families. As a small token of appreciation, we offer programs to support military families with their furry companions. Whether it's assistance with pet food and supplies to care for their pets, help with temporary foster care during hard times, or 50% off adoption fees to help find a new loyal friend — we're here to serve those who've served us. 🐾❤️

Learn more at spcawake.org/veterans 🇺🇸

05/21/2024

This picture — this celebration — is 800 days in the making. Our longest resident, Champagne, just got adopted!!! 🥹❤️🥹

Champagne was running out of time at a high intake shelter when we transferred her here to SPCA Wake. She was a scared girl, having what we call "stranger danger". It was hard for Champagne to connect with visitors — to her, everyone who walked by her room looked like a threat. So our team has spent every day of the last 800 days patiently and lovingly teaching Champagne that she can trust people.

Then last month, we met a very special family. They understood Champagne needed more than other dogs. She needed time — and patience. So they visited her. And again. And again. 15 times, they came here and spent time learning Champagne, each time strengthening their newfound friendship and building true trust with this quirky, wonderful, nervous, loving goofball of a dog.

And it was worth it. Champagne accepted them as much as they accepted her.

Champagne's adoption was just made official. There were tears, more tears, celebrations, posters, paw prints, and LOTS of pictures. We truly could not be happier for this day. We are beyond grateful for Champagne's new family with all of their patience, dedication, and open hearts. Champagne will love you until the ends of the Earth — thank you for giving this special girl a chance. It's the fairytale ending we've spent 800 days hoping for ❤️

05/19/2024

When Moira needed shelter and safety for her small family, she picked the perfect place to have her kittens — a motel room in High Point!

Yesterday, Moira and her babies, David, Alexis, Twyla, and Stevie went on a walk to enjoy the fresh air, and warm sunshine!

Keep any eye on the website in the next couple weeks, it won’t be long until their ready to find their homes (possibly with you)!

We would be remiss if we forgot to tag the kittens’ namesakes — Dan Levy levy Levy Emily Hampshire Frances Murphy and O’Hara

05/16/2024

Rumor has it that before Rosencrantz and Gildenstern (big blocky headed boys) came to the SPCA, they lived with someone who had lots of litters of puppies coming and going, and those folks used to let the Big Boys (as we call them - and you'll see why,) teach the ways of the world to the babies by – well – leaving them in charge...pretty much all the time! Of course we can't be sure how much precise truth there is in these details, but when we let Rosie and Gildie meet an etiquette-challenged young lady named Spinelli, we saw what we saw.

Each of the puppy's appropriately playful, respectful gestures was met with an equally appropriate, respectful, and equally gentle reciprocation, but​, every single one of her over-the-top, rude, chompy, intrusive, insulting missteps bought her a gentle thwap​ from a giant, firm-but-friendly-foot, or when the situation called for it, a full-body squash-flat – reminding little Spinelli that while she might be cute and nimble, she was not, in fact, in charge.

Nobody can teach a dog to interact with dogs appropriately better than another dog.

05/14/2024

Are you a self-proclaimed "dog person" but don't have the room or patience for a puppy? Let me introduce you to Dargo (ID # A108371).

This cat loves human companionship so much - he will take your pants while you sleep and sew new pockets to fit in so he can be by your side 24/7. For real, he's that amazing.

Need someone to keep watch as you fall asleep? Meet Dargo.

Lonely in the bathroom? Open the door and Dargo is there for you.

Had a tough day? Dargo gives biscuit-making back massages on demand (ok, if he feels like it).

Worried about axe murders in the shower? Dargo's got your back, keeping watch outside.

This cat wants to literally glue himself to his human and won't take no for an answer. (Before adopting him, hide all the superglue.) If you're a homebody looking for a companion that'll never (seriously, never) leave your side, Dargo is your cat.

05/10/2024

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05/07/2024

Field trip! Otis got a break from the shelter, and we learned a lot about him. Foes were foiled. Bridges were built. Many, many spots were sniffed.

Otis was a very good boy — he passed lots of dogs and people and impressed us with his walking. Even the squirrels who stopped to taunt him were no match for a "leave it" and a treat.

At one point Otis discovered an enemy. There was a log at the edge of the water, and the log was evil. Otis boofed many warnings at the log. But when a human approached the log to show him it was safe, Otis dug deep and summoned the bravery to approach sniff the log. And then the log was friend. It was beautiful.

Otis' long walk through the trails was punctuated with swimming breaks, sunbathing spots, and lap naps. When he got back to the SPCA, he slept like a rock.

Otis has been waiting over a year to be adopted. He is a staff favorite with so much potential! If you're looking for a dog to have adventures like these, comment below, message us, or head to our website at spcawake.org/dogs to learn more about this good boy. It's about time this man got to break out of the shelter for good!

About Otis:
Otis is 2 years old and 62 lbs.
He would thrive best as the family's only dog instead of sharing the spotlight.
Otis is super smart and has a bunch of tricks already up his sleeve — whip out a treat, and Otis is in performance mode!
Otis has big feelings about his food and toys and tends to guard them, but has improved a lot with training in our care.
Cats & kids are unknown.
Otis is upbeat and playful — more of a go-out-for-adventures dog than a couch potato.
Otis would be a great fit for a family who understands dogs and has had dogs before.

05/01/2024

Tomorrow, Queenie will have been with us for an entire year. While we love having her with us and have enjoyed getting to know her spunky personality, we're keeping our fingers crossed that instead of celebrating an anniversary here, she'll instead get to celebrate a homecoming with her new family. Either way, we know her forever people are out there and we will not stop searching for them until Queenie is finally home.

It's been a struggle to find the right fit for Queenie because she's, well, a queen 💁‍♀️ She wants attention when she wants attention, and she wants to be left alone at her whim. She's quick to correct her humans subjects when they don't show the proper respect for royalty. And she needs to be the only cat in the home because she will not accept any challengers to her throne 🙅‍♀️ She knows what it takes to rule with authority and grace, and she won't accept anything less.

If you serve her loyally, Queenie will show you how generous of a leader she can be. She'll let you pet her luxurious coat and may even offer you some snuggles. She'll greet you with a noble "meow" when you come home from work. And she'll share her sunbathing space with you on the bed so that you both can look your best when attending to royal affairs. What a great deal!

If Queenie sounds like just your type of cat, learn more at spcawake.org/cats 👑

04/29/2024

Just two handsome boys out on the town! 🌞 Our staff took Rosencrantz & Guildenstern out for a day of adventure to brighten their spirits since they've been stuck in the shelter for quite a while. This might be the best day they've had in their whole lives!

Guild & Rose took a car ride down to the pet store, where they took the shopping upon themselves and made a few selections, then headed down to the lake for some trail walking and and swimming. (Turns out their big square heads are very buoyant). They enjoyed lunch in the sunshine surrounded by the sweet scents of nature like fresh cut grass and distant squirrel p**p. Then they topped it off with some obligatory doggie-day-out pup cups.

Seeing these two so happy and enjoying the day out in the real world really painted a picture for what they will be like as future family members. These two were well-mannered across the board: riding in the car, walking on leash, and passing all the other dogs and people on the trail. They were social butterflies who made friends with everyone they met at the store and along the trails. Everyone who meets them comments on how handsome they are! 🥹 They tuckered out BIG time and slept like rocks on the way back to the SPCA.

It was such a treat for us to get to do this. We hope when you look at these pictures, you see all the potential they have to be the world's best side kicks! They are still looking for a home, so if you're interested to see if Rosencrantz or Guildenstern could be the right fit for you, drop us a line or head over to spcawake.org/dogs ❤️🐾

04/25/2024

Ghibli, welcome to the duckie party! This nice young man just arrived at our adoption center and was flabbergasted to find out pajamas were part of the dress code.

Ghibli is a year and a half old and described as "the perfect boy". He's good with dogs, kids, AND cats, he's instant friends with everyone he meets, and he rides great in the car. He's even happy in big crowds so you can take him to all the cool dog spots in town like your favorite brewery! Ghibli is everything you could want in a sidekick — you can take him anywhere, and he'll love every minute of it.

Come bring this handsome man home before the end of the April, and the duckie pajamas come with him as part of our Dogs in Duckie Pajamas adoption special! 🐥 For more information about Ghibli and all our other duckie dogs, visit our website at spcawake.org/dogs 🐾

04/25/2024

Someone asked what the dogs think of their duckie pajamas. Here's their answer 🤪

In case you missed it:
Our shelter is full, and dogs haven't been getting adopted — so we did what anyone would do. The only logical thing. We gave them all duckie pajamas.
Now through the end of April, every adult dog who gets adopted will go home with their very own pair of duckie pajamas 🐥

Check out our website at spcawake.org/dogs to see a sea of dogs in their duckie pajamas and maybe you'll find just the face you've been looking for! Or come visit our Pet Adoption Center in person for some good feels and visit some of these sweet souls who are patiently waiting to get adopted ❤️

04/23/2024

There are now 260 more vaccinated & microchipped pets in our community than there were last week! Saturday's Wellness Clinic was truly a blast and a privilege. These are just a little sampling of this weekend's smiles and purrs ❤️ Getting to see you all and your pets at these clinics is one of our favorite things in the world 🥰

As always, a special thank you to Petco Love for their generous support in making this clinic possible by providing FREE distemper vaccines! And a huge thank you to all of the volunteers and veterinary teams who dedicated their Saturday to give back to our community's pets and humans 🐾 Compassion is in the air, yall 🫶

04/19/2024

Soooo yesterday was National Piñata Day. And we like piñatas.

Ahead of the holiday, our awesome animal care team took it upon themselves to spend their past few evenings hand-making special pet-safe piñatas so our doggos could enjoy some extra enrichment 🥳 Here's how they felt about that 😆

Here are the steps to make these at home! This super easy project is also a great after-school craft for kids. All you'll need is some newspaper, water, flour, and balloons!

1. Rip your newspaper into strips.
2. In a bowl, mix 1 part flour and 2 parts water.
3. Blow up your balloons to desired size.
4. Dip the newspaper strips in your water-flour mixture and start wrapping your balloon. (The thicker your layers, the greater the challenge for your dog — but it may take some extra time to dry)!
5. Cut a hole in your balloon to deflate it. Hold on to it, it may stick!
6. Fill your Piñata with tasty snacks!
7. Using the same mixture, seal the top and dry.

Of course, even though this piñata is dog-safe, we always want to supervise our furry friends when trying out new enrichment. We hope your family enjoys this as much as we did! 🥳

04/18/2024

You didn't have to ask — here are more Dogs in Duckie Pajamas. This time we've also included some reviews.

The #1 thing about each dog according to our staff (in order):

1. Guildenstern: "His absolute lack of brain cells" - Kellie
2. Champagne: "That time she refused to come in from the yard and we had to roll her inside like a sack of potatoes" - Sabrina
3. Luna: "Her ears look like they get satellite reception" - Sam P.
4. Amber: "Is a piglet, not a dog. Also, she does little hops in the air with all four legs like a frog." - Rosemary
5. Kobe: "Absolutely no sense of personal space" - Taylor
6. Griffin: "He'll be your ride or die whether you're going to Biscuitville or the Grand Canyon" - Katie
7. Rosencrantz: "His big ol' square head. And he has the cutest little farts." - Mary
8. Keenan: "The way his teefs stick out when he falls asleep" - Sam R.
9. Lincoln: "He's just happy to be here" - Kat

Our Dogs in Duckie Pajamas special runs through the end of April! Every adult dog who leaves through these doors will bring along their very own personal pair of duckie pajamas 🐥 Come visit these ducked-out dogs in person or see all our adoptable pets at spcawake.org 🥰

04/18/2024

Well this is pretty dang cool! 🩵🐥🩵🐥🩵

Is there anything cuter than a dog in ducky pajamas? The SPCA of Wake County knows there's not. When facing overcrowding, the North Carolina shelter launched a brilliant initiative to help their residents find forever homes: ducky pajamas. As part of their pajama party promotion, all adult dogs adopted through April get to take their ducky onesies with them to their forever home. And best of all, it's working. We're so ducking happy for the dogs who've already been adopted, and can't wait to hear how many more find loving homes for forever slumber parties. 13/10 for all

04/17/2024

Bernard's face before & after being told how handsome he looks in his duckie pajamas 🥰

You will love this sweet man! Bernard is a 10-year-old gentle soul with more love to give than he contain in his lil body. He just wants to give all the kisses and snuggle the day away ❤️

Bernard has heartworms from his days of living outside, but don't worry — thanks to your donations, we are able to provide his full course of treatment as part of his adoption!

Don't forget, now through the end of April is our ✨ Dogs in Duckie Pajamas ✨ adoption special! These are Bernard's very own personal set of PJs that get to go home with him when he gets adopted, so he'll always be looking as dapper as he does right now 🐥 Learn more and check out all our other duckie-donned dogs at spcawake.org/dogs 🐾

04/15/2024

We are FULL, and dogs aren’t getting adopted! So we did what anyone would do. The only logical thing.

We gave them all… duckie pajamas 🐥

It’s called — get this — DOGS IN DUCKIE PAJAMAS.

Now through the end of April, every adult dog that leaves through these doors will come with their very own pair of duckie pajamas. They are soft. They are adorable. They will increase your quality of life by at least 35%.

You didn’t know you needed this, but you do. And so do these dogs!

We’ve got big dogs, small dogs, young dogs, and old dogs. Some dogs are new, and some have been waiting here a long time to join a family. But they all share one thing in common — they look excellent in duckies.

Remember, when you adopt from a shelter, you give a deserving dog a second chance at happiness — and you make it possible for us to save another life in their place. So come down for a visit and see the cutest ducking thing to ever happen at our Adoption Center — we’re open every day from 11-6!

04/09/2024

Some of y'all come up with the wildest names for pets after they're adopted 🤣 And then we have to update it in our system, so we end up with gems like this on the website 🤪

We know there are more of you... Show yourselves! What have you named your pets? 🧐

04/08/2024

Rainbow is the proud mom of SEVEN daughters! ❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜

Shortly after Rainbow was surrendered to a rural county shelter, she went into labor in the middle of her kennel. The first puppy was a girl, and then the next couple were girls... and seven puppies later, it was girls across the board in the world's cutest estrogen-fest!

But a noisy, crowded shelter is no place for a nursing mom to care for seven newborns, so the shelter gave us a call to ask they be transferred to SPCA Wake. Thanks to your support — especially our awesome mom & puppy fosters — that's exactly what we did.

So please welcome Rainbow, Burgundy, Umber, Chartreuse, Gold, Turquoise, Indigo, and Violet to SPCA Wake 🌈 This sweet family is now safe in a quiet SPCA foster home and will spend the next few weeks in the care of our veterinary and foster teams until they're ready to find families of their own! Rainbow is such a sweet, attentive mom, and she was so grateful to our team during intake. This rescue filled our hearts! 🐾

04/06/2024

Great news ya'll! Scoob the 108 lb. puppy has officially found his forever home! His new parents recently lost their beloved Mastiff who lived to be a whopping 22 years old. But they knew they wanted to open their home and hearts to another dog in need. They'd grown up with Doberman Pinschers and even knew all about Scoob's von Willebrand disease. They plan to continue training with Scoob on all his puppy mannerisms so that he can grow up to be the absolute bestest boy. We couldn't imagine a better match for him and we are so excited to see him thrive! Please join us in congratulating Scoob and his new family! ❤️

04/03/2024

We're not going to sugarcoat things — Ginny's had some really bad luck these past few months. She and her brother Yoyo came to us when their owner passed away, and shortly after arriving, we realized Yoyo had coronavirus. He got very sick very quickly, and unfortunately, he couldn't be saved.

After losing her home, her owner, and her cat brother, Ginny became depressed. She desperately wanted love and would try to nuzzle all the other cats in her room at the SPCA, only for them to swat or run away from her.

But then a new cat named Oswald was introduced to her communal room. And it was love at first sight. ❤️

Normally a bonded pair is two cats that come to us from the same home or same litter who rely on each other for emotional support. But in this case, Ginny chose Oswald with all her heart. In just a short time, they are attached at the hip. We are touched that Ginny has been able to find friendship and love once again, and in dedication of that, we're making sure Ginny won't have to say anymore goodbyes. Anywhere she goes, Oswald will go too, including to their forever home together. Until then, we will continue to spoil them with all the toys, treats, and cuddles.

If you think that Ginny and Oswald's forever home may be with you, head over to our website at spcawake.org/cats to inquire about adoption. These two currently reside at Purr Cup Cafe while they wait to find their family ❤️