BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Buffalo’s long-awaited new animal shelter will be on Niagara Street in a space more than twice the size of the city’s current facility.
Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon announced the plan Monday, calling it a milestone that reflects “several years of work.”
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The move comes after 7 News I-Team investigations exposed poor conditions at the current Oak Street shelter, following an anonymous letter sent to the city last fall.
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Since then, animal advocates and volunteers have pushed for better conditions and a more modern space.
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Scanlon said the new shelter will be a 16,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility for animal intake, adoptions, and medical procedures. Next year’s city budget includes funding for four new staff positions and a transport van to help move animals in need.
“The beauty of the new facility is that it’s more than twice the size of the current one,” Scanlon told 7 News. “It’s going to make life a lot easier for the employees, but obviously much more enjoyable for the animals.”
But not everyone is on board.
A volunteer-led group called Advocates for the Buffalo City Shelter said they were not consulted on the plan. In a statement, the group told 7 News:
"We're thrilled that the acting Mayor is now trying to follow through on his promise of a new animal shelter in Buffalo. A modern shelter requires updates such as quarantine areas for new animals arriving to the shelter, indoor AND outdoor spaces for playtime and meet and greets, and enough kennels to accommodate the increased number of dogs coming through the shelter. We were told that the new space is much larger, but the new laws taking effect in December require kennels to double in size. Less kennels available equals more dogs at risk for euthanasia. Crossing busy Niagara Street to walk shelter dogs is dangerous and puts both volunteers and dogs at risk, which makes us question: who was at the planning table for this?? The volunteers that spend countless hours week after week assisting the animals, staff, and adopters certainly weren't consulted.
Most importantly, what is the city doing to help the animals NOW? This supposed new shelter will take years to come to fruition, IF it's done right. Right now, there is still just one veterinary technician on staff. The hot water supply is inconsistent. The open hours aren't adequate for the taxpayers and animals it serves. When the shelter closes at 2:30pm on Saturdays, the dogs and cats remain in their kennels and cages until after 9am Monday morning. Buffalo has waited too long for a new, more humane animal shelter, and it's time for an administration to finally deliver."
Questions about the developer
The deal isn’t without criticism. Ellicott Development — the city’s partner on the project — has donated to Scanlon’s mayoral campaign.
State Senator Sean Ryan has publicly suggested those donations may have actually come from controversial developer Carl Paladino. But during Monday's announcement, Ellicott CEO William Paladino clarified that he — not his father — made the contributions.
Scanlon emphasized that Ellicott Development was selected before he became acting mayor, through a public bidding process.
“I didn’t play a role in selecting Ellicott Development,” Scanlon said. “What we did was play a role in getting this thing back on track and completed.”
What happens next
Instead of renting the space long-term, the city plans to lease the shelter for five years and then buy the building. Nadine Marrero, Buffalo’s Executive Director of Strategic Planning, said the lease-to-own approach will save taxpayer money and give the city more flexibility for future animal-related services.
“This gives us the opportunity to own the entire structure,” Marrero said, “And possibly co-locate with other services that would support the shelter’s mission.”
The development agreement still requires approval from Buffalo’s Common Council. If approved, Scanlon says the new shelter could be completed by next spring.
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