Houston SPCA

" Noah would feel right at home at the Houston SPCA, which has taken in about a thousand animals from communities enduring a major beating from Hurricane Ike.

In addition to hundreds of dogs and cats, the shelter collected horses, ducks, goats, iguanas and even a bear as part of its menagerie in the days leading up to the storm — which crashed ashore before dawn Saturday.

Houston SPCA President Patricia Mercer compared it to the Biblical ark, and the rescue center has taken in the Galveston Island Humane Society animals as well as those from the Brazoria County and Bay Area SPCA in Galveston County, she said. Some of the staff from the other organizations accompanied "

SPCA Pet Food Bank

"In another sign of a struggling economy, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is opening a pet food bank in Monterey County for owners who are thinking of giving up their pets because they can no longer afford to feed them. The Central Coast's TheCalifornian.com reports:

The SPCA’s Pet Food Bank, the first of its kind in Monterey County, is supported by cash donations and donations of unexpired, unopened pet food. Many needy families in our community are pet owners who love their pets but are having a difficult time providing food for both their families and their animals. This new program reduces the risk of families being forced to give up their beloved pets because they can’t afford to feed them."

Homeless Animals

"Karen DeAngelis began her career in veterinary science, hoping to make a difference. She believes she is.

In addition to seeing to the medical needs of animals, she volunteers as a board member at the Peninsula SPCA.

"Some say the number of homeless animals is too great, so how can one person make a difference?" she says.

"I learned I can in many ways — from fostering hundreds of young kittens through the years to offering medical aid to the shelter pets. From volunteering with Noah's Wish after Hurricane Katrina to walking in our first annual Paws for a Cause Walkathon last year. There are so many ways one person can make a difference and even save a pet's life — it's easy to start."