Foundation grant boosts
Farm Friends Program capabilities

Thanks to a grant from the John T. and Jane A. Wiederhold Foundation, Otsego County’s only farm animal rescue program is poised to take things to the next level.

The Susquehanna Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SQSPCA) Farm Friends Program began as an offshoot of the Otsego County Animal Cruelty Task Force, an ongoing partnership between the SQSPCA, the Sheriff’s Department, the District Attorney’s Office, and local veterinarians since 2019.

The SQSPCA hosts an animal cruelty hotline, assists with cruelty investigations, and houses and/or finds temporary housing for animals that have been seized from cruelty situations.

The Farm Friends Program and its “Here To Help Hotline” were established in January of 2021 to prevent hardship from escalating to cruelty.

“After two years of patchwork solutions to address an ever-increasing number of situations involving farm animals, we began to analyze our farm animal cruelty data to develop a more proactive approach. It became clear that we — the SQSPCA — are receiving these cruelty calls because there are simply no farm animal rescue or farm relief organizations in this rural and low-income region,” explained SQSPCA Executive Director Stacie Haynes.

“This grant will enable us to purchase tools and supplies needed to successfully administer and enhance the Farm Friends Program, while also allowing us to hire a coordinator,” Ms. Haynes said.

One of the items to be purchased with the Wiederhold Foundation grant funds is a livestock trailer, a real game changer, according to Ms. Haynes.

“Transport of farm animals has been one of our biggest stumbling blocks. Without access to a livestock trailer, we have been entirely dependent upon others to provide a method of transport, subsequently limiting our ability to move animals in crisis in a streamlined, timely fashion. Now, we will be able to control our timeline and — if we cannot find a volunteer to pull the trailer — the Otsego County Sheriff has generously agreed to allow us the use of his department’s pick-up truck and/or staff when necessary,” she said.

Given that surrounding counties do not have active animal cruelty/neglect programs, Haynes believes it is very likely the SQSPCA’s services will also be enlisted beyond Otsego County’s borders in neighboring Chenango and Delaware counties.

“We firmly believe that this investment in the Farm Friends Program by the Wiederhold Foundation is the impetus needed to further legitimatize our efforts, enable us to create a model for other organizations to follow, establish us as a regional resource, and attract additional support specific to this initiative. We are extremely grateful for the opportunities this grant affords us,” Ms. Haynes concluded.