WEST SENECA, N.Y. (WKBW) — When you walk into the SPCA Serving Erie County, you're greeted by friendly, furry faces. But they're dealing with a lot behind the scenes.
“Cleaning time tripled, if not more,” said Gina Lattuca, Chief Communications Officer.
That's because of cruelty cases. Currently, the team is addressing an outbreak of panleukopenia—a highly contagious disease that's recently affected a group of kittens that were rescued.
“If it’s not handled correctly, it could wipe out our entire feline population,“ said Lattuca.
Given the current circumstances, taking in more animals could overwhelm the shelter. So intake is on hold for now.
“In cases like this, we're dealing with repeat offenders,“ said Lattuca. “We need to prioritize animals that are most at risk and most in need.“
WATCH: 'We are at capacity': SPCA Serving Erie County pauses animal admissions
And while there's space at the SPCA for animals, it's their resources that are at capacity. But this doesn't mean they still can't help.
“There will be a way that we can find help, so please don’t hesitate to reach out if you know of an animal in need of rescue,” said Lattuca.
And there's a way you can help, too.
“We're depending on adopting out more animals more than ever before, as we need to clear the shelter to make room for those that are ready for adoption,” explained Lattuca.
Several programs are going on, including Waived Fee Wednesdays and Golden Ears, where adoption fees are waived for all dogs seven years and older for those 50 and older.
