The Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a private, nonprofit 501 © 3 humane society governed by a Board of Directors. The Society was the first humane organization in Rhode Island, founded in 1870. The Society is charged with the sole purpose of protecting animal life in all situations that might impact their welfare through legal, educational and investigative means.
Over the years, The Champlin Foundation, has provided grant funding to the RISPCA for a number of resources, one of which has been for the purchase of fleet vehicles which serve a number of different and essential purposes.
Our fleet currently consists of a vehicle solely dedicated to our Humane Law Enforcement Officer. The RISPCA is the only organization in Rhode Island solely dedicated to investigating acts of animal cruelty. We employ one officer who is responsible for covering the entire State from Westerly to Woonsocket. In addition to our enforcement vehicle, The Champlin Foundation has provided grant funding for the purchase of a transport van and pick-up truck. The transport van is used for a variety of purposes including transportation of animals seized as a result of a cruelty investigation. In 2015, the RISPCA was the lead agency in the seizure of 12 Pitbull-type dogs found living in horrific and unsanitary conditions in Warwick, RI. If it was not for our transport van, we would have had no means to immediately remove these dogs from this situation. Our pick-up truck is utilized for transporting large equipment and resources to and from crime scenes, as well as events and fundraising activities. In 2015, the RISPCA was again, the lead agency involved in the seizure of 8 horses from a farm in North Kingstown, RI. As part of this seizure, our pick-up truck was used to transport large bales of hay to the location where the horses were kept, to ensure a constant supply of adequate feed.
The RISPCA also operates as a fully-functioning animal shelter, taking in over 1000 animals of a variety of species every year. Our vehicles are used to transport these animals to and from veterinary hospitals for routine care, emergencies and spay/neuter procedures. Because we are a non-profit and rely heavily upon donations, we also engage in several fundraising and community outreach events every year. Our vehicles are essential in transporting necessary resources to and from these events.