BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The beleaguered Buffalo Animal Shelter building on Oak Street became a central issue in the race for Buffalo mayor.
Now, Mayor Sean Ryan's proposed budget reduces funding for the shelter by approximately $94,000 compared to last year. Despite the drop, deputy mayor Benjamin Swanekamp says they still have plans for a new facility.
He told me the city intends to set aside cash for a new shelter in the upcoming capital budget. That is a completely separate budget from the one unveiled by Ryan earlier this week, and it will not be submitted until the fall in accordance with the city charter.
"Straight from the mayor to me, this is a top priority for him, and he wants it to keep moving forward," Swanekamp said.
Swanekamp says he is currently scoping out sites for the new space.
"Actually, I do have a couple of tours scheduled with the public works team about this very topic," he said.
WATCH: Deputy mayor says Ryan administration will still fund new animal shelter
Though it is too early to pinpoint the specific amount of capital funding required, Swanekamp says a new facility usually requires a "two-phase approach." He plans to submit funding for phase one in the 2027 capital budget
"It typically takes for a new facility about a year of architectural design and planning work. That can be a multi-million dollar process," he explained.
He anticipates the city will then submit funding for the construction process - phase two - in the 2028 capital budget.
Back in 2024, a 7 News I-Team investigation exposed questionable conditions at the Oak Street facility
A new shelter cannot come soon enough for one longtime volunteer who says the current facility is too small and has been in disarray for years.
"The animals get very stressed easily here; they don't have the correct accommodations, they don't have the right resources to make them settle and make them more adoptable," Suzanne said.
Suzanne has volunteered at the shelter for 25 years and has heard promises from politicians about a new facility before.
On the campaign trail, Ryan condemned conditions at the current shelter. A month later, then Acting Mayor Christopher Scanlon announced plans for a new, larger facility on Niagara Street But those plans were scrapped late last year after Ryan won the general election.
"I'm hoping [the Ryan administration] will make a difference. As in anything in life, if you get burned a few times, you feel like, 'Is this really gonna move forward?' So I myself, I'm cautiously optimistic," Suzanne said.
Though there is a reduction in the animal shelter budget line, there is a $206k increase to the planning design and public buildings division. Swanekamp said that extra cash will help fund maintenance and repairs to the Oak Street facility while a new shelter is in the works.
Another reason for the drop in the animal shelter budget line is the purchase of a new vehicle last year.
"So that looks like there's a swing in the budget, but actually we're just not buying another van this year," Swanekamp said.
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