Who Are We

Founded in 1972 as the Oswego County Animal Welfare League, the Oswego County SPCA (OCAWL) is a 100% volunteer-run, donation-based, and foster-based nonprofit dedicated to providing shelter, medical care, and compassion to animals in crisis. Rebranded in 2012 as the official SPCA chapter for Oswego County, we receive no funding from the ASPCA, county, or state and rely entirely on our volunteers, fosters, and community support. Since expanding our foster network during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have rescued and rehomed more than 1,500 animals while assisting law enforcement with cruelty and neglect cases. We also operate a thrift store, pet food pantry, and community meet-and-greet space that sustain our mission and support local families—each life saved a testament to our promise of moving animals
​From Foster to Forever.

Our Impact

​​Oswego County’s human population: about 115,000 people.

The average U.S. community has 1 cat or dog for every 2–3 residents, meaning roughly 38,000–50,000 companion animals in the county.

Studies estimate that 3–5% of community animals are unowned (stray, feral, or abandoned)—that’s roughly 1,100–2,500 homeless animals in Oswego County at any given time.

Rescuing and rehoming 400+ animals annually means the Oswego County SPCA directly removes 15–35% of the local homeless pet population each year.

Nearly all animals in our care are spayed or neutered, preventing additional litters.

On average, one unaltered female cat and her offspring can produce over 400,000 kittens in seven years, and one female dog can have up to 67,000 descendants in six years if left unaltered.
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Even using conservative local estimates, our rescue and sterilization efforts prevent thousands of potential births annually—helping to reduce overpopulation and improve animal welfare across Oswego County.

• "Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, the world will change forever." 

— Karen Davison, author of A Dog's Guide to Humans