Erie County SPCA to lead investigation

TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WIVB) - The Erie County SPCA will lead an investigation into allegations of animal abuse at the Niagara County SPCA. Executive Director of the Erie County SPCA Barbara Carr is viewed as an authority in preventing animal cruelty, and has been given the OK by her board to take an objective look at the Niagara County SPCA.

The Niagara County SPCA has been under fire by protesters, who claim severely injured animals have gone untreated. Critics and former employees claim more than 500 cats and dogs were euthanized during a two-month period, saying many of them were healthy.

Carr admitted that the Erie County SPCA has euthanized 1,000 unhealthy and untreatable animals in a year, but they have not euthanized a healthy animal in three years.

Carr says this week she will be collecting euthanization records, financial documents, other viable information and from there she and her team will work to determine why the animals were killed and if there is a problem.

In 2008, Carr did investigate the Niagara County SPCA. Back then, she made about 100 recommendations including more veterinary staff, and a need for a better animal output system. She says that investigation will help her with this one.

“If I find something that is immediately disturbing, I will report it to my board and we will make a decision of how to go forward. But it will be something that is done immediately, not something that will be done at a meeting three weeks from now,” Carr explained.

Erie County SPCA Board of Directors President Larry Robb said, “There’s a lot going on here, and it was hard for the board to decide you know, is this something? But we feel it is part of our mission, because it is going to help the animals.”

Carr says the investigation will be public.