HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 17 Offered January 9, 2008 Prefiled December 5, 2007 Commending the SPCA of Winchester, Frederick, and Clarke Counties on the occasion of its 100th anniversary. ---------- Patron-- Sherwood ----------

WHEREAS, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) of Winchester, Frederick, and Clarke Counties is celebrating 100 years of dedication to the humane treatment of animals and outstanding service to the community; and

WHEREAS, the SPCA was founded by its first president, Thomas P. Spates, and fellow citizens Robert M. Ward, J. W. Taylor, H. S. Larrick, James P. Reardon, R. T. Bryarly, and J. R. Doran, who were determined to provide an animal shelter for their city; and

WHEREAS, on February 19, 1907,  a certificate of incorporation was  approved for a shelter and recorded at the courthouse on March 1, 1907, as the SPCA of Winchester, serving an area within the corporate city limits; and

WHEREAS, in its early existence, the struggling SPCA was supported by many hard-working citizen advocates who kept the meager facility in operation with often less than adequate space and little funding; and

WHEREAS, in the early 1920s, Emily Ward served as secretary, her husband served as council for the board, and she convinced Persell Plank to take on the formidable job of the SPCA's first agent and animal control officer; and

WHEREAS, because of his love of animals, Persell Plank was willing to provide his time and expertise for only $8 a month and at the time most of his calls concerned the mistreatment of horses; and

 WHEREAS, by 1937, Frances Page, another of the many SPCA heroes, had taken over the position of secretary, performing most of the duties that keep the shelter operating; and

WHEREAS, in the early 1950s, Elsie Rosenberger took over the job of treasurer and recruited the services of a dedicated agent, Ervin S. Cleveland, who saw to it that the SPCA would have a badly needed dog shelter by constructing what was supposed to be a temporary shed behind his own residence on Highland Avenue, a structure that served the city for 14 years; and 

WHEREAS, the Rosenberg family, who owned the city lumber mill, donated land to the SPCA, which, when sold for $5,000, helped to purchase Fred and Fidelia Presgrave's land on Featherbed Lane, and on September 17, 1965, a permanent animal shelter was finally established utilizing the original house and the building of a new shed for dogs that still stands on the site; and

WHEREAS, SPCA president Wallace Wiener was instrumental in raising the funds needed to build a modern shelter, which was built according to a prototype provided for $1 by the Humane Society of the United States and which on October 20, 1974, replaced the use of the old white dog shed; and

WHEREAS, in 1976, the SPCA, equipped with 14 dog runs, cages for puppies and cats, and an on-site crematorium, expanded its service area and changed its name to what it is today, the SPCA of Winchester, Frederick, and Clarke Counties; and

WHEREAS, in 2005, the SPCA again underwent renovation that added 1,500 square feet to the shelter area, updated equipment, and dog and cat isolation rooms; and

 WHEREAS, today the SPCA and its exemplary staff handles approximately 3,000 animals a year with skill and compassion and not only sees to the needs of dogs and cats, but other pets from hamsters to snakes, as well as birds and all kinds of wildlife; and

WHEREAS, throughout its 100- year history, the SPCA has been operated by conscientious and caring people committed to safeguarding animals; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly commend and congratulate the SPCA of Winchester, Frederick, and Clarke Counties on the occasion of its 100th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to William Wood, Executive Director, as an expression of the General Assembly’s gratitude to the SPCA for its outstanding service to the citizens of Winchester, Frederick, and Clarke Counties.