‘Heartbreaking’: Shelters across Western New York dealing with too many animals, not enough adoptions

“We desperately need people to come adopt,” said Cait Daly, president and CEO of SPCA serving Erie County. “Adoptions are slowing down as more people are buying animals than they are adopting, especially dogs. So now is the time to donate and to adopt.”

The problem got plenty of attention last week when Cheektowaga police posted on Facebook that the town’s animal shelter was so full that dogs not adopted would have to be euthanized.

But after the post received attention from the public and news media on Thursday, the department backtracked.

“The Town of Cheektowaga does not run an animal kill shelter,” the updated post read. “Euthanasia is only used as a last resort after all other adoption, sheltering, and care methods have failed and is not done at the Town of Cheektowaga. The Cheektowaga Dog Control Office continuously works diligently to help dogs avoid that fate.”

Still, there is no question that animal shelters are dealing with too many animals and not enough people to adopt them.

Shelter officials say the factors contributing to the problem include the housing crisis and the general increase in cost of living. People who got pets during the Covid-19 pandemic may have been forced to move once eviction moratoriums came to an end and now live in places where pets may not be allowed.

Other factors include the increased cost of pet food and veterinary care.

The problem, by the numbers:

• SPCA Serving Erie County has room for 61 dogs in its shelters and now has 81, Daly said. Although some of them are in foster homes, the shelters are still over capacity. With 112 cats in the shelter, the SPCA is at capacity, with 191 more cats and kittens in foster care. And the waiting list keeps growing.
• Allegany County SPCA Executive Director Lynda Pruski said her shelter…