This year marks a remarkable milestone for the Adams County SPCA as we celebrate 50 years of serving the animals and people of our community. While much has changed over the past five decades, one thing has remained constant: our mission to protect animals, relieve suffering, and provide second chances.
The story of the Adams County SPCA began long before our doors officially opened.
In the early 1970s, our founder, Roy Thomas, became deeply troubled by what he witnessed throughout Adams County. At that time, stray dogs were often simply shot because there was nowhere for them to go. Animals were viewed much differently than they are today. Most dogs lived outdoors, many roamed freely, and cats were commonly regarded as little more than rodent control. Spaying and neutering pets was uncommon, veterinary care was limited, and animal shelters were almost unheard of in rural communities.
Roy believed there had to be a better way. He envisioned a place where abandoned, neglected, and homeless animals would be given compassion instead of cruelty, a place where every animal would have the opportunity for a second chance.
When Roy presented the idea of creating an SPCA in Adams County to the county commissioners, he was turned away. He sought support from municipalities and community leaders throughout the county, but everywhere he went he heard the same answer: no one wanted to spend tax dollars on an animal shelter.
Rather than giving up, Roy simply got to work.
He began taking stray dogs and cats into his own home, his wife, Jean and him caring for them, and finding them new families themselves. Those who knew Roy often laughed as he told stories about calling friends to ask if they could take “just one more” animal. Eventually, many joked they stopped answering their phones whenever Roy called because they knew another homeless pet was about to need a home.
Fortunately, Roy and his wife, Jean, were surrounded by friends and supporters who shared their vision. Together, they spent years fundraising, investing their own resources, and building what would become the Adams County SPCA.
On April 30, 1976, the Adams County SPCA officially became a nonprofit organization.
Just two years later, in 1978, enough funds had been raised to construct the shelter at 11 Goldenville Road, just outside historic Gettysburg, a building that continues to serve our community nearly 50 years later.
Over the years, the organization has grown tremendously while remaining committed to the vision Roy and Jean first imagined.
In 2014, the shelter underwent a $1.2 million renovation and expansion, including the addition of a full-service surgery suite. Today, every animal adopted through the Adams County SPCA is spayed or neutered before going home.
Recognizing that prevention is the key to reducing pet overpopulation, the organization launched its low-cost spay and neuter clinic in 2015. Since then, nearly 40,000 dogs and cats have been spayed or neutered, helping thousands of families access affordable veterinary care while preventing countless unwanted litters.
In January 2024, the Adams County SPCA expanded its efforts further by launching a free Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program for community cats of Adams County. Since its inception, more than 3,000 community cats have been sterilized at no cost to their caretakers.
The results have been extraordinary. Fewer unwanted litters are entering the shelter, disease is being reduced within outdoor cat populations, colonies are being stabilized, and our community has come together to solve a difficult problem through compassion instead of cruelty.
Looking back over the past 50 years, it is hard to imagine whether Roy and Jean Thomas could have envisioned the impact their determination would have on generations of animals and families throughout Adams County.
Roy passed away in 2017, but his legacy lives on every single day through the work that continues at the Adams County SPCA. We are also incredibly fortunate to still have Jean with us, witnessing the lasting impact of the dream she and Roy shared so many years ago.
As we celebrate this milestone, we are reminded that none of this would have been possible without the people who have stood beside us throughout the years. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to every employee, volunteer, board member, donor, foster family, veterinarian, rescue partner, adopter, and supporter who has helped shape the Adams County SPCA over the past five decades.
Animal welfare is not always easy. There are difficult days that challenge our hearts and our faith in humanity. But there are also incredible moments, the frightened dog who learns to trust again, the neglected cat who finally knows comfort, the family who finds a lifelong companion, and the countless lives forever changed because someone chose compassion.
Those moments remind us why this work matters.
As we celebrate 50 years, we are proud of what has been accomplished, but even more excited about what lies ahead. Together, our community has transformed animal welfare in Adams County. Together, we have saved thousands of lives. And together, we will continue building a future where every animal is treated with the compassion, dignity, and respect they deserve.
Thank you, Adams County, for believing in our mission and for making the past 50 years possible. Here’s to the next 50 years of hope, healing, and second chances.
By Abigail Avery
The Adams County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
11 Goldenville Road, Gettysburg, PA 17325
Phone: 717-334-8876 Website: adamscountyspca.org