Organization for Responsible Care of Animals (ORCA)

ORCA'S primary goal is to rescue any ill, or injured, or in-distress animal, stray or abandoned, in Lancaster County, and to provide, on our Animal-Alert Hotline, 717-397-8922, information on animal-related problems. It is the purpose of ORCA to respond 24 hours a day to emergencies, and to provide support to police, fire, and other emergency personnel when they are dealing with situations that involve animals. ORCA does not routinely handle healthy stray animals and wildlife, nor does it routinely shelter animals. SERVICES:

Animal-Alert Hotline (717) 397-8922:

The heart and soul of ORCA's services to the community rests in the hands of an extraordinary group of individuals who answer the hotline every day. The hotline is manned almost exclusively by volunteers and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Trained ORCA volunteers provide information and assistance to pet owners, non-pet owners and the general public, as well as to police, fire, and other emergency personnel with an animal problem. Armed with a detailed manual, these volunteers are able to provide the caller with the information he/she seeks or to refer the caller to the appropriate agency capable of handling the situation.

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Aid to Animals in Distress:

The organization, in response to calls from concerned citizens, police or other emergency personnel, picks up injured or ill stray animals. Necessary veterinary care is provided and, in some cases when long term care is required, ORCA provides a foster care home and follow-up medical care until the animal can be placed permanently.

ORCA maintains a computer database, continually updated, of lost and found animals in Lancaster County, PA.

The organization also investigates complaints of cruelty or neglect of domestic animals. ALL complaints are investigated and follow-ups occur until resolution results. ORCA's philosophy is to attempt to educate the owner in the proper handling and treatment of companion animals.

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Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Program:

With the cooperation of area veterinarians, ORCA administers a low-cost, fixed-price spay/neuter program.

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Pet Placement/Referral Service:
ORCA maintains a file of pets available for adoption from owners who are no longer able to keep them and a file of people seeking new pets. Matches between these two files occur on an ongoing basis. Promotion of these placements occurs through advertising in local newspapers.

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In 1983, four animal-welfare volunteers created ORCA because they saw a need to provide emergency service for stray or abandoned animals in Lancaster County, PA. With $100 and a belief that ill, injured or in-distress animals deserved an organization that would respond to their needs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the founders realized they needed a networking system to receive reports of such situations. Within a few months, the Animal-Alert Hotline, 717-397-8922, was created. The first week ten calls were received. Today, the almost exclusively all-volunteer hotline staff logs more than 250 calls a week. Initially, the emergency-rescue service was all volunteer. But, to meet the ever-growing needs for ORCA's services, staff was hired: first on a part-time basis, then one full-time, next additional part-time employees, until today, ORCA is staffed round the clock every day of the year.