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Case against SPCA dismissed, Pom to get free surgery

by jmaloni
Thu, Mar 21st 2013 08:25 am

by Susan Mikula Campbell

The SPCA of Niagara held a press conference last Saturday to announce the good news - a recent lawsuit filed against the shelter in State Supreme Court was dismissed.

Justice Richard Kloch Sr. ruled that the 2012 election of a new board of directors, the bylaws and a decision to request a $1,000 donation to be an SPCA voting member are legal.

Amy Lewis, shelter director, who was among more than a dozen staff members, board members and volunteers present for Kloch's ruling on March 14, said the ruling still can be appealed within 30 days.

"Basically, this means what the shelter has done is completely legal," Lewis said.

Although the case dismissed, the lawsuit will still mean legal fees for the SPCA, money that otherwise would be used in the shelter, she said.

Also at the press conference, the SPCA started a fundraising appeal for Teddie, one of the 64 Pomeranian dogs rescued in Lockport on Feb. 4.

Lewis said Wednesday that Dr. Claudia Gray of Ellicott Small Animal Hospital has volunteered to do the life-saving heart valve surgery needed for the 2-month-old female pup free of charge.

The fund for Teddie already had $1,000 in donations. Lewis said so far, most of the people she contacted about refunding their donation to Teddie's fund, have said to put their money in a general emergency fund for the shelter.

Lewis said the valve routes blood around lungs and is supposed to close as puppy matures, but in Teddie's case hasn't. The SPCA is hoping the surgery will be able to be done on Tuesday.

For more information on Teddie, go to www.niagaraspca.org.

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