By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
LITTLE VALLEY — The Cattaraugus County SPCA presented its annual report to county lawmakers on Wednesday as it is embarking on a $6 million fundraising effort to rebuild the SPCA’s Route 16 shelter, which is 40 years old.
The 2025 county legislature contained a $129,000 appropriation for the SPCA, which has an annual budget of around $700,000. The group holds regular fundraisers, charges adoption fees and has a few larger donors.
About 53% of the budget went toward animal care last year and another 20% for medical.
SPCA executive director Kellie Roberts told legislators that due to shelter conditions the SPCA shelter in the town of Olean is currently limited to 20 dogs and 80 cats. A full-time shelter manager was recently hired as Roberts is working more on getting grants and developing relationships.
The SPCA needs to build its programs and services to be able to shorten the adoption placement period, Roberts said. “Obviously, when animals come in, we need to get them right back in their homes.”
Roberts said the “main number one program we really need to increase is to cut down on community cats that are in the neighborhoods everywhere.” Feral cats are trapped, neutered and released back where they were trapped.
Pet food pantry is another new program designed to help pet owners keep their pets in their homes and out of shelters.
So far this year, the SPCA has brought in 430 animals and has adopted out 372, according to Roberts. The SPCA has contracts with 23 towns in the county. In 2024, there were 282 cats adopted and 74 dogs. In addition, 80 feral cats were trapped, neutered and returned.
So far this year, the SPCA has faced two cases which involved large numbers of animals. One involved more than 40 puppies at an alleged puppy mill in Farmersville and the other was a cat hoarding situation in the city of Olean with 80 animals. Cases like this strain the SPCA’s resources.
Increased veterinary and staffing costs are also driving costs higher, Roberts said.
The $6 million “Claws and Paws” capital campaign is just getting underway. “We are going to stay on the same site as we are now,” Roberts said. “It’s already been determined that the outside walls are sound and we’ll be able to use those. It will save us a lot of money.” A small addition will go on the rear of the building.
“One of the most exciting things about this is not only how it’s going to raise standards of care for the animals,” Roberts said. She hopes to make it a resource center for the community, starting with a space to neuter shelter animals.
Roberts praised the staff and volunteers without whom the shelter could not operate. She said the new shelter “will be a lot better for the animals and for the people too.”
County Legislator Ginger Schroder, R-Farmersville, thanked Roberts, “because I’m the legislator who gets all of the calls from our sheriff when they come upon a situation and they need resources. The SPCA is one of the organizations that I counted on to step in and help our sheriffs” who are facing horses, cows.
County Legislature Chairman Andrew Burr, R-Gowanda also thanked the SPCA. “I would just like to thank the organization and all the volunteers and the management for the great work you do for Cattaraugus County. It certainly doesn’t go unnoticed.”
