An Auburn shelter is trying to find foster care for dogs after more than 30 were seized from a Cayuga County home, along with a goat, a peacock and several fish and ducks, by law enforcement.
The Finger Lakes SPCA of CNY said in a Facebook post Friday that 32 dogs came into its custody that day, and any community members able to provide foster care were encouraged to contact the shelter.
On Saturday, SPCA Executive Director Nick Lapresi told The Citizen that 24 of the dogs have already been placed in foster care.
He said law enforcement seized the dogs, along with the peacock, the goat, 30 koi fish and 10 ducks, from a “hoarding situation” at a residence in the town of Locke.
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The animals were ordered to be removed from the property by Sept. 18 by Judge Jeffrey Saeli on Wednesday, Cayuga County District Attorney Brittany Grome Antonacci told The Citizen.
No charges have been filed, Grome Antonacci added.
The district attorney's office and Cayuga County Sheriff's Office worked with the shelter to remove and transport the dogs. Lapresi said it was determined there were sufficient resources at the residence for the other animals to temporarily stay there under a shelter in place. The SPCA has reached out to other organizations that may be able to help get the animals out of the Locke property.
While the shelter could have provided adequate care to all 32 of the dogs, Lapresi said, it currently doesn't have the resources to give them the level of care it strives for.
It would be more beneficial to the dogs to be in home environments, he added.
“We knew that we needed community support to help us house the dogs while we schedule spay-and-neuter surgeries for each one of them,” he said.
Lapresi praised the district attorney's and sheriff's offices for their help, and encouraged anyone interested in fostering one of the eight remaining dogs to contact the shelter.
He said he was thrilled that so many people stepped up so soon to provide temporary care for the dogs.
“It is really humbling to see how the Cayuga County community supports the SPCA and supports each other,” Lapresi said.
“That's really what gets me every time we're faced with a situation like this. When it comes to animal cruelty and neglect, the community bands together.”
For many people entering rehab, the inability to find someone to care for their pets while they are away is often difficult and painful. An organization in Colorado called PAWsitive Recovery has stepped up to help fill that void by taking care of pets for people going through treatment for drug and alcohol abuse. (AP video by Thomas Peipert) Read more here: http://apne.ws/VjDpDfU
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Staff writer Kelly Rocheleau can be reached at (315) 282-2243 or kelly.rocheleau@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @KellyRocheleau.
