AUBURN - Justin Oles rode from Liverpool to Auburn on Sunday to bike for the animals.
About 150 bikers rode in the third annual "poker run" to benefit the Finger Lakes Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Central New York.
"I like riding and it's for a good cause," said Oles, who rode a 2006 Honda Shadow Sabre.
Bikers paid $20 for a single rider and $30 for a bike with a passenger, and SPCA officials hoped to raise about $5,000, counting registration fees and raffles.
Bikers rode about 100 miles from the SPCA shelter on York Street to Syracuse and then throughout Cayuga County, with stops in Scipio Center, Sempronius and Moravia.
Along the way, they stopped to pick up playing cards at seven locations. The ride ended with a barbecue at the Elks Club in Auburn, and the rider with the best poker hand won.
The SPCA, which receives no government funding, relies on donations and fund-raisers to keep operating.
"It's important for people to know we exist on donations," said Carol Russell, the shelter's executive director.
In addition to the bike ride, the SPCA holds an annual pet walk, along with car washes, garage sales and other fund-raisers throughout the year.
"We try to get as many things out there as possible," Russell said.
The SPCA began in Auburn in 1896. The existing shelter opened in 1954.
In addition to housing unwanted or abused animals, the SPCA conducts animal cruelty, abuse and neglect investigations and helps find permanent homes for animals. Between 400 and 500 animals are adopted each year, Russell said.
Money raised on Sunday will pay for shelter operations, including the housing and medical care of animals. Shelter staff and volunteers also do basic training to make the animals more adoptable. Currently, the shelter houses about 40 cats and kittens and 12 dogs.
The shelter has a "no-kill" policy, meaning animals are not euthanized simply to make room in the shelter. Animals are euthanized only if they are too ill or too aggressive.
"If an animal is ill, it is humane to euthanize," Russell said. "If an animal is aggressive, it's not fair to the animal or potential adopters."
On Sunday, Anna Galbally of Auburn was a passenger for the ride and is a professional pet groomer who volunteers at the shelter. In addition to the benefit, the ride is a social event.
"We'll see a lot of friends that we haven't seen in a while," she said. "Everybody's a biker and pro-animal."
Galbally's husband, Walt Galbally, said the couple usually does five or 10 such benefits every year.
"If there's a benefit," he said, "we're usually there."
"I like riding and it's for a good cause," said Oles, who rode a 2006 Honda Shadow Sabre.
Bikers paid $20 for a single rider and $30 for a bike with a passenger, and SPCA officials hoped to raise about $5,000, counting registration fees and raffles.
Bikers rode about 100 miles from the SPCA shelter on York Street to Syracuse and then throughout Cayuga County, with stops in Scipio Center, Sempronius and Moravia.
Along the way, they stopped to pick up playing cards at seven locations. The ride ended with a barbecue at the Elks Club in Auburn, and the rider with the best poker hand won.
The SPCA, which receives no government funding, relies on donations and fund-raisers to keep operating.
"It's important for people to know we exist on donations," said Carol Russell, the shelter's executive director.
In addition to the bike ride, the SPCA holds an annual pet walk, along with car washes, garage sales and other fund-raisers throughout the year.
"We try to get as many things out there as possible," Russell said.
The SPCA began in Auburn in 1896. The existing shelter opened in 1954.
In addition to housing unwanted or abused animals, the SPCA conducts animal cruelty, abuse and neglect investigations and helps find permanent homes for animals. Between 400 and 500 animals are adopted each year, Russell said.
Money raised on Sunday will pay for shelter operations, including the housing and medical care of animals. Shelter staff and volunteers also do basic training to make the animals more adoptable. Currently, the shelter houses about 40 cats and kittens and 12 dogs.
The shelter has a "no-kill" policy, meaning animals are not euthanized simply to make room in the shelter. Animals are euthanized only if they are too ill or too aggressive.
"If an animal is ill, it is humane to euthanize," Russell said. "If an animal is aggressive, it's not fair to the animal or potential adopters."
On Sunday, Anna Galbally of Auburn was a passenger for the ride and is a professional pet groomer who volunteers at the shelter. In addition to the benefit, the ride is a social event.
"We'll see a lot of friends that we haven't seen in a while," she said. "Everybody's a biker and pro-animal."
Galbally's husband, Walt Galbally, said the couple usually does five or 10 such benefits every year.
"If there's a benefit," he said, "we're usually there."
