FANIMAL’s $64,000 Goal: MET!
Watch our “personal” thanks to EVERYONE who helped push our FANIMAL competition to a victorious finish line: a WIN for ALL ANIMALS!
** IT’S A VIRTUAL FANIMAL PEP RALLY! **
Watch these cheerleaders work their magic to get YOUR votes for their favorite teams:
Team Dog, Team Cat, or Team All Animals!
** KEEP CHECKING BACK! **
More videos will be added through June 10 after they premiere on the SPCA’s Facebook Page!
** CAST YOUR FANIMAL VOTE *TODAY* HERE >> **
Cheers from our Board & Staff Members:
Inspiration from our TEAM CAPTAINS:
SPCA, CONTINUING TO SERVE
May 19, 2020 — This comes to us from SPCA Serving Erie County Animal Cruelty Investigator / Animal Rescue Officer Tyler Robertson:
“On May 18, SPCA Officers Paul LeShay and Jennifer Maleskis rescued this injured red-tailed hawk from 3500 River Rd. in Tonawanda. The hawk was transported back to our Wildlife Department and radiographs were done to reveal a fractured humerus. Unfortunately the injury was inoperable.”
While our Wildlife staff were forced to make the difficult decision to euthanize the hawk, this humane passing saved 
the hawk from what most likely would have been a longer, slower, painful, and perhaps much more vicious death.
The SPCA Serving Erie County is continuing to provide animal rescue, rehabilitation, and other important services during its COVID-19 response period. For details on services offered by the SPCA as the organization continues to serve the animals and people of our community, please visit https://YourSPCA.org/COVIDResponse .
–Gina Lattuca, SPCA Serving Erie County Chief Communications Officer
Are you a FANIMAL? Vote Team Cat, Team Dog, or Team All Animals TODAY in the SPCA Serving Erie County’s all-new, socially-distant fundraiser! Cast your vote HERE!
SPCA, CONTINUING TO SERVE
May 19, 2020 — More Wildlife Department news coming to us from our own Dawn Karipidis:
“Even wild animals need to see the dentist! This Virginia Opossum caught a lucky break when he was spotted by a passer-by in East Aurora. Upon completing his exam, we concluded that his sad state of emaciation could be caused by an infected, painful canine tooth. Due to his guarded condition, we did not expect him to survive through the night, but he proved us wrong! Upon arriving at the wildlife hospital the following morning, May 14, we found him to be bright, alert, and 
growling. When he’s strong enough, we can then address the offending tooth. This strong-willed boy is receiving medications for pain and inflammation, an antibiotic, fluids, and will be hand-fed until he can eat on his own. At this rate, his anticipated release will be in 2-3 weeks!”
The SPCA Serving Erie County is continuing to provide animal rescue, rehabilitation, and other important services during its COVID-19 response period. For details on services offered by the SPCA as the organization continues to serve the animals and people of our community, please visit https://YourSPCA.org/COVIDResponse .
–Gina Lattuca, SPCA Serving Erie County Chief Communications Officer
Are you a FANIMAL? Vote Team Cat, Team Dog, or Team All Animals TODAY in the SPCA Serving Erie County’s all-new, socially-distant fundraiser! Cast your vote HERE!
SPCA, CONTINUING TO SERVE
May 18, 2020 — This exciting news comes to us from our Wildlife Department’s James Sevigny:
“On May 5, a family in Akron found a Red-bellied Woodpecker that appeared to be injured underneath their bird feeders. As it was unable to fly, they were able to contain it and bring it to the Wildlife Department at the SPCA Serving Erie County. Our wildlife rehabilitators took X-rays, and thankfully, no fractures were seen. After just a few days of R&R, the little guy was flying again as if nothing had happened! Knowing that at this time of year, he was probably helping to care for a nest full of babies, our rescue agents brought him back to Akron and released him right where he was found!”
Check out this video of the release:
The SPCA Serving Erie County is continuing to provide animal rescue, rehabilitation, and other important services during its COVID-19 response period. For details on services offered by the SPCA as the organization continues to serve the animals and people of our community, please visit https://YourSPCA.org/COVIDResponse .
–Gina Lattuca, SPCA Serving Erie County Chief Communications Officer
Are you a FANIMAL? Vote Team Cat Team Dog, or Team All Animals TODAY in the SPCA Serving Erie County’s all-new, socially-distant fundraiser! Cast your vote HERE!
SPCA Serving Erie County: CONTINUING TO SERVE
May 7, 2020 — Pandemic or no pandemic, there are still animals in our community who need emergency assistance from the SPCA Serving Erie County…and our officers are responding to the cries for help.
Yesterday, an observant North Buffalo resident saw a robin trapped in string wrapped around its body; the robin was hanging upside down in a tree, unable to free himself. Officers Heine and Maleskis were able to rescue the bird, remove the string, and transport the thankful, little guy to our Wildlife Department for assessment and observation.
Later in the day, Officers Heine and Maleskis were at it again, responding to a call about an abandoned gosling at Tifft Nature Preserve. The gosling was also transported to our Wildlife Department for care and observation.
Today, the gosling drama continued. We’re still awaiting video from folks at UB Law School, who recorded Officers Maleskis and Wlodarczyk rescuing goslings there in an upper courtyard! The goslings join the others under observation here at the SPCA Serving Erie County’s Harlem Rd., West Seneca shelter.
If you are experiencing an emergency with your animal or find that an animal is in an emergency situation, please call the SPCA Monday through Friday at 716-875-7360, ext. 214, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. During the hours of 4 p.m.-8 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays 8 a.m.-8 p.m., please call 716-449-0363.
When you call, please advise the dispatcher if you or any members of your household are experiencing flu-like symptoms. This information will ensure first responders can prepare to prevent the spread of any illnesses.
–Gina Lattuca, SPCA Serving Erie County Chief Communications Officer
SPCA Serving Erie County Paws for Love: HOUSE CALLS, Providing Virtual Comfort to Your Home!
April 2, 2020
By: SPCA Chief Communications Officer Gina Lattuca
UPDATE, MAY 5: Starting today, receive a dose or two of virtual comfort from our Paws for Love animals as they make their house calls right on the SPCA’s Facebook page! Get your daily dose of therapy here!
OUT-OF-WORK THERAPY PETS SEEK VIRTUAL COMFORT OPPORTUNITIES!
The SPCA Serving Erie County Paws for Love therapy animals have officially been relegated to house calls. Make that VIRTUAL house calls.
These Paws for Love power-paws (and feet!) have the ability to heal and comfort right through your screen…from their houses to YOUR houses!
No pharmacy visits. No trips to the doctor. No active ingredients you can’t pronounce.
Simply stay home and visit this SPCA Serving Erie County Paws for Love: HOUSE CALLS playlist! Each visit will bring you one of our four-footed ‘out-of-work’ Paws for Love therapy pets offering some holistic, home-side comfort…and we guarantee you’ll be feeling better in no time!
Plus, now you can tune in to WKBW-TV Ch. 7 every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning between 6:45 a.m. and 7 a.m. for your 3x/weekly dose of PAWS FOR LOVE comfort and therapy! With Ch. 7’s help, you’ll feel a little comfort first thing in the morning! What a way to start the day!
SPCA Paws for Love: HOUSE CALLS begins on WKBW-TV this week. Can’t wait? Visit this playlist for daily doses of HOUSE CALLS comfort! Then click the image below to see Ch. 7’s Jeff Slawson introduce the House Calls feature!
For more information, contact SPCA Chief Communications Officer Gina Lattuca: 716-875-7360, ext. 211.
UPDATE April 14, 2020:
Read more about the all-new SPCA Paws for Love: HOUSE CALLS, Project ECMC, bringing Paws for Love healing and comfort to the hardworking staff at Erie County Medical Center, here >>
SPCA Serving Erie County: CONTINUING TO SERVE
May 5, 2020 — While many businesses are required to pause their work during our health crisis, animal shelters are on the list of essential businesses in New York State. This means that, while limiting what we can offer Erie County, we can still do everything possible to serve the people and animals of our community, and that includes wild animals.
Check out this update from the Wildlife Department of the SPCA Serving Erie County. Clearly the wild work is definitely taking flight this spring:
Spring migration is fully underway! Baltimore orioles have been sighted at area feeders and ruby-throated hummingbirds are never far behind! (People used to think that hummingbirds hitched a ride on the backs of migrating geese, but now we know that these tiny iridescent birds fly 500 miles NON-STOP across the Gulf of Mexico under their own power!)
To the delight of area birdwatchers, warblers have begun arriving in the past few days. In the spring, these tiny colorful songbirds migrate huge distances from their wintering grounds in the tropics to their nesting grounds in the north. The first to arrive in late April are pine warblers and palm warblers, followed soon after by yellow warblers and yellow-rumped warblers. The first two weeks of May are when we really see the full range of warblers passing through, from the understated black-and-white warblers to the beautiful and elusive cerulean, blackburnian, and prothonatary warblers.
Other neotropical migrants include swifts and swallows, herons and bitterns, flycatchers, sandpipers, and other shorebirds.
One hazard that these birds face on their long migration is completely unexpected: SHARKS! It was recently discovered that small songbirds make up a not-insignificant part of the diet of baby tiger sharks! (https://cosmosmagazine.com/biology/tiger-sharks-eat-songbirds).
We received our first baby mallards this week and will begin to have waterfowl 
volunteers coming in to care for them starting next week! We also received two goslings who are now being fostered by a nice family of Canada geese at Tifft Nature Preserve!
Other notable admissions this week include two baby short-tailed weasels (also known as stoats), three baby chipmunks, and our first baby birds of the season!
Finally, the least bittern who has been our guest since November 1 is almost ready to go! He has been living in an outdoor enclosure for the past week, and as soon as the weather is cooperative we will be releasing him!
— James Sevigny, SPCA Serving Erie County
The Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) state in a recent document concerning COVID-19’s transmission between humans and animals, “CDC is aware of a small number of pets, including dogs and cats, to be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, mostly after close contact with people with COVID-19. Only a few of the animals reported to be positive showed signs of illness.” Read that entire document from the CDC by clicking the image below.
The American Veterinary Medical Association has released a statement regarding the confirmation of COVID in two New York State cats. Read that statement and find more information on testing pets here.
