The Concord-Merrimack County SPCA is a special admission shelter and we accept all adoptable animals from throughout Merrimack County. Our name reflects our geographic service area, not a governmental body. We are a nonprofit agency dependent on private donations and are not supported by tax dollars. As a special admission shelter we accept adoptable animals in need, but we do utilize an appointment policy to ensure there is space for all incoming animals.

Policies & Philosophies

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The Concord-Merrimack County SPCA believes that responsible pet owners are those who protect the welfare of animals they keep as pets, while ensuring that their pets are not a problem to other animals, the public or the environment. At the SPCA we must balance the sometimes conflicting interests of a person with the needs and welfare of the animal. The following policies have been established to assist in balancing those interests.
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Adoption
The Concord-Merrimack County SPCA has an interest in ensuring that animals placed in a new home will be in that home for life and that the home is the best home for that particular animal. Prior to approval, an applicant must complete an application form and provide references. Homeowners will need to provide proof of ownership. Those who rent are required to provide contact information for the landlord or leasing agency for confirmation that pet guardianship is permitted at the location. Permission must also be confirmed with condo management and mobile home park management, since many of these locations have specific rules regarding pets. Approval must be obtained from all adults in the home. Following approval, an adoption counselor will work with applicants to ensure the correct animal is selected for the applicant's lifestyle.

Surrenders
We accept animals into the shelter by appointment. This allows us to prevent over-crowding and prevents our need to euthanize healthy pets due to space limitations. The number of animals at the shelter at any one time will influence the length of time someone must wait before surrendering their pet. During the busy summer months, the wait could be as long as 1-2 months so we ask that pet guardians facing the possibility of surrendering their beloved pets call for an appointment as quickly as they know the pet must be surrendered. Should the situation change prior to the appointment, you can always call and cancel the incoming appointment. Guardians are required to complete a surrender form for the pet providing us with as much information as possible relating to their likes/dislikes, behavior, prior training, etc. It is crucial that guardians be truthful with this information. No animal is perfect and we stand a far better chance of placing the pet in the correct home if we have all possible information concerning the pet.

Children and Pets
Children and pets just seem to go together, but, unfortunately, not all pets and not all children. Before placing an animal for adoption in a home with children, we look carefully at the pet's history and its behavior evaluation. We do this to protect the children in the family as well as the well-being of the pet. We don't want any child to be scratched or bitten by a pet, thus creating a possible fear of and ill-will toward animals, nor do we want the animal to be in a home where it will be confined during family events or returned to the shelter, once again homeless.

Because it is impossible for us to know the history of dogs who enter the shelter as strays, we do not approve strays for homes with children under the age of 10, regardless of the results of an evaluation. The evaluation will then determine if a family with youth aged 10 or over will be a good match for the dog. Cats, too, may have a difficult time dealing with children and our observance of the cat while living at the shelter, in addition to information from its previous owner, will guide us in making a decision regarding homes with children.

Certain breeds of dogs are known to be poor choices for families with children, and this will also be taken into consideration when deciding whether to place a dog with children.

All parents must recognize that children must be taught to respect the animal's space, as any pet will react if pushed too far. Yelling "stop" is not possible for our pets, resulting in bites and scratches, and often serious injuries. Children and pets must be supervised at ALL times, no matter how much you may come to trust the animal in the child's presence. We have received more than one animal surrender because a child was harmed when the adult left the room, in spite of the animal being "great with kids."

Puppy Adoptions
Because we do not have puppies as often as adult dogs, yet so many people are interested in adopting a young puppy, we maintain a waiting list. We ask that you, in order to be placed on this list, visit the shelter and complete an adoption application, specifying your interest in a puppy. Applicants on the waiting list are given first priority in placement of puppies.
Due to the special needs of young puppies, applicants cannot be away from home for any period exceeding four hours. If applicants are not home during the day, they must be able to come home during a lunch break or show that they have contracted with a pet sitter to be present every four hours to address the physical and emotional needs of the pup.

Puppies require a great deal of work and are often more expensive than an adult dog, due to their need of puppy vaccinations, and spaying/neutering surgery. Also, because cute little puppies have a way of becoming unruly big dogs, adopters need to be prepared to provide obedience training. When adopting a puppy, remember the important 7/7 rule for socialization so your dog will be a good citizen to people and other animals when grown. This 7/7 rule requires that between seven weeks of age and seven months of age that you introduce your young dog to seven new people/animals each week and take him/her seven new places each month.

Hold Period for Incoming Strays
By law, incoming dogs are held for a period of seven days. On the eighth day they belong to the Concord-Merrimack SPCA.

Hold Period for Adoptions
It is possible to place an animal "on hold" while thinking about finalizing the adoption or for the purpose of SPCA staff checking references and giving final approval to the adoption. The period is for 24 hours and requires a $10.00 non-refundable deposit.  This deposit does not apply to the adoption fee.  After that point, the animal is once again available for adoption to others. An applicant cannot place an animal on hold until a completed adoption application is on file at the Concord-Merrimack County SPCA.

Animals "Not Available for Adoption"
No animal is approved for adoption until it is legally in the possession of the SPCA, has been evaluated for temperament, and has received all standard vetting as done by the staff. Until this point, no animal can be placed on hold or promised to a potential adopter. The staff will not accept any adoption applications for that specific animal until it is officially determined to be "available for adoption." The staff tries diligently to keep the public from viewing these animals until they are approved for adoption but our space limitations often make this impossible.

Pit Bull Shelter Limit
Because Pit Bulls (Staffordshire Terriers) do not kennel well and are difficult to place in the proper home, the breed often remains in the shelter for a lengthy time, which impacts the ability to take other dogs. For this reason, the Concord-Merrimack County SPCA restricts acceptance of Pit Bulls to two at any one time. If we are at our limit and you need to surrender a Pit Bull or Pit Bull mix, you will be placed on a waiting list.

Euthanasia
We do not perform euthanasia at owner request. We ask that you take your cherished pet to a vet so she will have the comfort of family and familiarity at the end.

Owners who hope their pets will be adopted need to know that in the eventuality that the animal display aggressive tendencies or signs of an untreatable medical condition, it may be euthanized. The owner should be reassured that these decisions are not made lightly and that euthanasia will be done kindly and safely. Euthanasia is never considered without a great deal of emotional investment by our staff and the procedure is handled with kindness and compassion.

Responsible Pet Ownership
The Concord-Merrimack County SPCA believes that responsible pet owners are those who protect the welfare of animals they keep as pets, while ensuring their pets are not a problem to other animals, the public or environment. Responsible pet ownership includes such things as spaying and neutering your pet; providing obedience training; cleaning up after your pet; keeping your pet healthy through annual exams, vaccinations, heartworm tests and fecal exams; providing heartworm preventative based on your vet's recommendation; providing ample exercise, toys and entertainment; making your pet part of your family and sharing your home with your pet; keeping dogs on restraint and cats safely indoors; applying flea and tick treatments; learning as much as possible about your pet's characteristics and needs; and giving your pet the emotional investment of love and compassion.

Outdoor Dogs
The Concord-Merrimack County SPCA does not place dogs to families that intend to leave the dog outdoors and unsupervised a significantly large amount of time. Dogs are companions to people, and must be with or near their owners as many hours a day as possible. As pack animals, they need to be active with their pack-which is their family. For any time that it is outdoors, a dog must have a fenced area or unrestricted run with available shelter. The shelter can be a windproof, insulated dog house off of the ground or access to an indoor room or garage. If the indoor area is unheated, then there must be a closed-in kennel area, crate, or box with bedding that the dog can curl up in to conserve body heat.

Outdoor Cats
Occasionally the Concord-Merrimack County SPCA has cats available for adoption that might do best in an outdoor/barn situation, such as cats who have litter box issues. Otherwise, we ask adopters to keep their cats safely indoors and remind you of the many dangers facing a cat allowed to roam outdoors. In addition to facing serious injury or death from traffic, wildlife, dogs, and people, cats allowed outdoors face contracting serious and life-threatening illnesses (Feline Leukemia, Feline Aids, FIP) from other cats, not all of which can be prevented through vaccinations. There is a myth that cats are not happy when confined indoors at all times, but millions of contented house cats have disproved this. A cat who has been allowed outdoors in the past will probably face an adjustment period when first confined indoors, but this will quickly pass. Indoor cats need only scratching posts, toys, a window out of which to gaze, and love and affection to be quite at home. And you will be rewarded with a cat who lives much longer and is much healthier.

Declawing Cats
The Concord-Merrimack County SPCA does not condone the declawing of cats adopted from our shelter. The primary concern is the pain of the operation. Declawing is actually the amputation of the cat's knuckle and is not a procedure that should be undertaken simply for the convenience of the owner.

Additionally, there are certain serious behavior issues that have been associated with cats that have been declawed. It is known that a declawed cat is more ready to bite than other cats-after all, they have lost their first line of defense, their claws. Recent statistics also show that a significant number of cats surrendered for litter box problems are declawed cats.

We often receive declawed cats at the shelter and ask, should you be adamant about having a declawed cat, that you consider adopting one that has already experienced the surgery rather than putting another one through the ordeal. Do remember that a declawed cat has no defense against predators and cannot climb a tree to escape danger, therefore a declawed cat MUST remain indoors at all times.

Purchasing Pets from Pet Stores
Possibly the worst place to obtain a puppy is from a pet store. Somewhere between 90-95% of all pet store puppies are obtained from puppy mills. It is impossible to know the animal's history, potential genetic problems, or how long it has been caged. Animals that remain in cages for a long period of time can develop serious emotional problems, be difficult to house-train, and can develop deformities that may not be detected on a cursory examination.

We recommend the following resources for obtaining a pet:

  • SPCA, Humane Society, Animal Rescue League, or *breed rescue
  • Family, neighbor or friend who knows the history of the pet and agrees to take the animal back if the agreement does not work out.
  • A responsible breeder.
  • Every breed of dog and cat is represented by a breed rescue organization, make up of concerned individuals who prize the qualities of the breed and work to rehome their beloved breed. Please call the shelter for contact information concerning breed rescues.

Animal Control
The Concord-Merrimack County SPCA believes that comprehensive, progressive and effectively administered animal control programs lead to a reduction in animal suffering. Animal control programs help to reduce pet overpopulation and decrease the incidence of animal injury and abuse. Some of these programs include:

  • Leash laws
  • Differential licensing for neutered and un-neutered pets
  • Active investigation and prosecution of abuse law violations
  • Stiff penalties for the animal's owner if s/he is found to be in violation of animal control laws




















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