Winston's Room

Update on Winston's Room Status

1/18/2026: We have some WONDERFUL news! The Robert H. Spitz Foundation-Fall 2025 Grant Cycle has awarded a grant to Camp Papillon Animal Shelter in the amount of $10,000. We are so unbelievably grateful for being selected to receive this grant as it is to be used to fund 200 days of a special project that we have been working on for over a year. We have a very special lady that came to Camp wanting to do something that would memorialize her dog, Winston. Ideas were discussed and agreed upon, the demolition of one of the old shower rooms began, the rebuilding of that room to house two kennels was started and finished. The red tape regulations began and are almost complete. This kennel is going to be used by three entities (as of now) for boarding private dogs so that their owners, who have no one to care for their pets, do not have to surrender their pets to an animal shelter to get much needed inpatient care. There will be a boarding contract between the owner and Camp Papillon and we are finalizing the MOU’s for the entities we are working with. This grant and other donations are allowing us to fund the cost of that kennel, so the owners will not need to pay to get the help they need and our wonderful staff will be caring for their dogs. This kennel room is now known as “Winston’s Rescue Room”, has space for two dogs, and its own private play yard. The dogs will not be out in the general shelter population, but will receive the benefits of being on Campus with long walks, a separate play yard, tv’s in their rooms to keep them company and, if possible, visitation by their owners. We cannot thank The Robert H. Spitz Foundation and the Scranton Area Community Foundation for granting us the chance to serve a niche in our community that is so desperately needed. Scranton Area Community Foundation has served as administrator of the Robert H. Spitz Foundation since 2016. The Robert H. Spitz Foundation is a tax-exempt, private foundation that supports initiatives and programs serving the residents of Lackawanna County and Northeastern Pennsylvania. Formed in 2015 through the estate of Mr. Spitz, the Robert H. Spitz Foundation supports an array of projects and programs that improve the Northeastern Pennsylvania region. The Robert H. Spitz Foundation awards grants to nonprofit organizations, providing support for programs that aim to break the cycle of poverty, remove economic barriers, and encourage independence in adults and children through access to safe, affordable housing, transportation, and education. Priority areas for funding also include veterans’ affairs and veteran-oriented programs, animal welfare, and support for Jewish culture, heritage, community, and cemetery support. To date, the Robert H. Spitz Foundation has provided over $6 million in funding to the community. Robert H. Spitz was born in Scranton in 1955 and was a graduate of Scranton Central High School and the University of Miami, Florida. Before retirement, Mr. Spitz had been employed by the U.S. Department of Labor and was also the owner of several local Arby’s restaurants.