Activists target Cattaraugus Co. SPCA

HINSDALE, N.Y. (WIVB) - Protesters are carrying signs outside Cattaraugus County SPCA shelter, claiming animals are being mistreated.

The Hinsdale shelter admits it has problems, but says it doesn't deserve this kind of treatment.

Activist Morgan Dunbar claimed, "Some of the most unbelievably egregious cruelty and neglect that I've ever seen with my own eyes, and what I saw was beyond imagination."

A photograph of a maggot-ridden cat whose leg was cut off in trap was taken inside the shelter by an employee who used to work there, Linda Vane. She said the cat had been lingering for 15 hours before she got to work.

"They told me he was going to the vet, so I went into medical and did my morning thing, came back around one and he was still there," Vane recounted.

She says a dog whose paw had been gashed in a fight with another dog didn't see a vet for two days. One shelter employee says he was just fired for blowing the whistle on the shelter.

"Nothing has been treated right," claimed Ryan Bordner. "There's animals in there that are not taken care of properly."

SPCA Board Chairman Kris McDonald told News 4 the cat with the amputated leg had been in that condition for some time before it was brought in, and that a vet appointment had been made. Regarding the dog with the torn paw, McDonald says the employee was told not expose the dog to other animals.

SPCA Boardmember Kelly Chaffee argued, "With all the publicity, with all the other shelters, we're just an easy target right now. It's kind of funny that you're attacked by the people who didn't measure up here and they were asked to leave."

Those who defends this "no kill" shelter say animals receive the care they need.

Medical employee Michele Graser assured, "Any animal that comes in here that's hurt or needs medical attention, we take care of it."

The shelter says there are currently 135 cats and 95 dogs, but that there is serious talk of downsizing.

"About $1,000 a day, just to keep the doors open, and it's going to be unfortunate that we downsize, but what can we do? We're basically struggling, so that's really the only option that we can think of at this time," Chaffee said.

The SPCA will hold an adoption event on September 14th and will waive fees to encourage people to adopts. Chaffee says with word getting out the facility will be forced to downsize, many people have stepped forward.

"As we were talking about possibly getting the numbers down, a lot of our volunteers were very interested and willing to adopt or foster. So that's it," she said.

Chaffee says \the facility needs to reduce its population to upgrade the facility, including repairs of the roof.