SPCA Serving Erie County Offers Free Adoptions to Current and Past Military Members During Vets & Pets
May 21, 2026
By: SPCA Chief Communications Officer Gina Lattuca
To thank the members of the armed services this Memorial Day, the SPCA Serving Erie County once again offers Vets & Pets, waiving adoption fees on most animals for individuals and immediate families of individuals on active duty, reserves, and honorable discharge, along with service-disabled veterans and those retired from military service! This program, a longtime SPCA tradition, is proudly presented by Kristen and Tom Pulvino!
Vets & Pets begins Saturday, May 23 and runs through Saturday, May 30* at the SPCA’s 300 Harlem Rd., West Seneca location (off-site locations are not included in this campaign).
Photos of adoptable animals can be found here >>.
Adoption hours can be found here >>.
Military ID or DD214 will need to be presented. If an individual is currently serving outside of New York State, that individual’s spouse can adopt during Vets & Pets if a military spouse identification card is presented. Adopters can apply the Vets & Pets waived adoption fee promotion toward a total of two animals.
Please contact SPCA Adoptions Supervisor Zak Sprowls with any questions: (716) 875-7360, ext. 203.
The SPCA extends a patriotic thank you to Kristen and Tom Pulvino for allowing veterans and current service members the opportunity to adopt a beloved animal companion at no cost, creating life-changing bonds built on healing, hope, and unconditional love!
*Adoption hours are 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The SPCA will be closed Sunday and Monday, May 24 and 25. Potential adoptions must be started by 5 p.m., at least one hour prior to closing. Some exceptions to the program will apply concerning If The Fur Fits trial adoptions; see an Adoptions counselor or contact Sprowls with questions.
#SPCACompassionInAction
HUNGRY PETS: Too many holiday treats won’t only pack the pounds on us…they’ll pack them on our pets. Many pets are on standard, limited diets; feeding them large quantities of food they don’t normally receive could cause abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea, none of which are welcome during this festive holiday…or at any other time, for that matter. Use discretion. Turkey bones are also dangerous for pets. A brittle, spiky bone could cause irritation of the stomach or intestines, or could lodge in your pet’s esophagus.
POTPOURRI PROBLEMS: Of course we want our homes to smell nice when guests arrive…but be mindful that liquid and other types of potpourri, especially sprinkled into rugs, along with many scented essential candles and oils are toxic to dogs, cats, even birds and other animals.
On warm days, a vehicle acts like an oven. It holds the heat inside, and that heat becomes very intense even on days that don’t seem too warm. On an 85-degree day, 
leave them outside extended periods of time. Ensure appropriate shade and water are always available. Keep close supervision of your pet when outdoors on hot, humid, sunny summer days, and around inground pools. If you see an animal left on a porch or in a yard with no access to shelter or water, or with inadequate shelter or water, the SPCA may be able to intervene in accordance with New York State’s Animal Shelter Law.
Contact the SPCA immediately if the location is within Erie County Monday – Saturday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., at (716) 875-7360, ext. 214.
products purchased from deep discount stores were applied. The SPCA has already received several phone calls this season from people who misapplied flea products to their pets. DO NOT APPLY PRODUCTS MEANT FOR DOGS ON CATS, AND DO NOT APPLY CAT FLEA PRODUCTS TO DOGS, AND FOLLOW DIRECTIONS CONCERNING THE VOLUME AND MANNER OF APPLICATION! Read the directions carefully PRIOR to application, not during application. The application of improper flea products, low-quality flea products, or products applied incorrectly, can cause internal damage or death to your pet. Always consult a veterinarian before purchasing and applying flea products.
BUNNIES NEED TO KEEP COOL TOO! Pet rabbits who live indoors with no air conditioning can benefit from an easy cooling technique. Rabbit owners can freeze a filled water bottle. Once the water bottle is frozen, it can be wrapped in a cloth and placed on the rabbit’s cage floor. If the rabbit becomes too warm, she’ll instinctively know to lie next to the bottle. Fans can also be pointed in the general direction of a rabbit cage, and rabbits will raise their ears (their natural cooling system) to catch the breeze and cool off. On hot days, pet owners with rabbits living in outdoor pens will want to ensure their pets are cool enough in outdoor locations; if not, rabbits and pens should come indoors.
SPCA officers as a result of cruelty investigations, and speaking with the officers emphasizes the importance of the work being done. Visions of nighttime raids, doors being kicked in, and on-the-scene chaos compete with the reality of the investigation and the emotions experienced by cruelty officers when abused animals in appalling conditions are finally found…animals that can be saved by the SPCA, and especially animals who are past the point of being saved.
“On February 3, the SPCA received a call from Homeland Security Investigations,” Wood explained. “That morning, officers had executed a warrant for narcotics at a Marion St. residence, and while they were there, they saw three dogs unproperly cared for, malnourished, with scarring.” As HSI officers arrested five people at the property, SPCA officers worked to obtain their own search warrant, allowing them to enter the property to check on the dogs.
headed to the CBAS and found two dogs there that fit the description of the dogs HSI officers originally found on February 3. The dogs, like the dog rescued from the location, were also in poor condition, emaciated, and severely neglected. HSI officers confirmed that the two dogs were, in fact, the dogs they saw on Marion St.
Two of the three dogs, Zoey and Dozer Brooks, came from the St. Landry Parish Animal Control to help alleviate some of the stress of over-population in their shelter. Tequila came from another shelter in Louisiana that does not adopt out pitbull-type dogs.
