Homepage

CNY Animal Shelters Overwhelmed as Stray Cases Rise CNY Animal Shelters Overwhelmed as Stray Animal Cases Rise

By Erik Slater

Slater: Animal shelters are overflowing given an increase in strays in Central New York.

The Central New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty To Animals is taking on the strenuous task of caring for these animals while finding them new homes.

Dee Schaefer, director of humane education, said the dramatic increase in neglected pets has the shelter overwhelmed.

Schaefer: So during the pandemic, we were getting maybe one to two strays per week, now we’re back up to 10 to 15 a week that we’re getting in, and a good number of them aren’t being looked for.

Slater: An increasing number of animals at the shelter are cruelty cases.

Despite being funded completely by donations, the staff treats animals with health issues to the best of their ability.

Greta Jeitler, a veterinarian at the shelter, said this has been difficult given limited resources.

Jeitler: You’re not getting just your stray dog that just got out, but you’re seeing more animals that are with health concerns. We’re using way more resources, and sometimes we don’t have those resources either.

Slater: Schaefer said a portion of new pet owners during the pandemic are neglecting the animals, with many underestimating the amount of money and time it takes to care for them.

She urges prospective owners to educate themselves on the commitment of caring for a pet.

Schaefer: Before you take a pet from a breeder, please do your research, sit down as a family, do we have the time, do we have the money, and are we going to take care of this animal until the day it passes. That is extremely, extremely important.

Slater: The increase in stray animals has the center scrambling to find homes for pets. So if you’re looking to adopt an animal, visit cnyspca.org and fill out an application. In Syracuse, Erik Slater, NCC News.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Central New York residents looking to adopt a pet will find a surplus at animal shelters in coming weeks.

One animal shelter is overflowing with stray animals. The CNY Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is caring for these neglected pets while finding them new homes.

Dee Schaefer, director of humane education, said many new pet owners during the pandemic underestimated the commitment of caring for a pet.

“People aren’t having time for their pets that they adopted during the pandemic,” Schaefer said. “We’re getting call after call for owner surrenders.”

Schaefer said earlier in the pandemic the shelter would get one to two stray animals per week. She said that number is now up to 10 to 15 per week, many of which are not being looked for by owners. Greta Jeitler, a veterinarian at the shelter, said a growing number of animals coming in are cruelty cases.

The shelter is funded completely by donations, making supplies and medicine to care for aminals limited. Despite this, the staff works to treat new animals coming in with health concerns. Jeitler said this has been difficult as the shelter deals with more cruelty cases.

“You’re not getting just your stray dog that just got out, but you’re seeing more animals that are with health concerns,” Jeitler said. “We’re using way more resources, and sometimes we don’t have those resources either.”

As more animals come in each week, the shelter is scrambling to find new homes. The group heads social media campaigns on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

 

Schaefer urges prospective pet owners to educate themselves on the commitment of caring for a pet.

“Before you take a pet from a breeder, please do your research, sit down as a family, do we have the time, do we have the money, and are we going to take care of this animal until the day it passes,” she said. “That is extremely, extremely important.”

If you are looking to adopt a pet, you can visit here.

Related Articles