December 5, 2023 By: SPCA Social Media Coordinator Jillian LeBlanc
The SPCA Serving Erie County has been made aware of a recent scam involving missing pets in our area.
With this scam, a caller dials the number listed on a missing pet flier and tells the pet owner they’re calling from a local animal shelter. The scammer claims the pet was found and brought to their shelter; however, the pet has been injured and needs immediate, life-saving surgery. The caller then tells the pet owner that a downpayment of several hundred dollars must be made in order for them to get their animal back after the surgery has been performed. The pet owner is then given the option to send the payment via Apple Pay, Venmo, Cash App, or PayPal.
One Buffalo resident who was on the verge of being scammed visited the SPCA yesterday seeking help finding her missing cat. Fortunately, she sought help before sending any money.
If you have fallen victim to this scam, or a similar scam, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) recommends reporting fraud to the BBB Scam Tracker. To learn more about how you can prevent falling victim to a missing pet scam, please read the BBB’s January, 2022 article BBB Scam Alert: Lost pet? Watch out for this scam.
SPCA foster Hattie Cattie with one of her kittens in a foster home.
Join the SPCA’s Foster Care Department at our Foster Care Open House on Saturday, June 25 from noon to 3 p.m.!
It’s National Foster-A-Pet Month, and it’s no exaggeration when we say that members of our SPCA’s foster team are directly responsible for saving the lives of animals we wouldn’t be able to help otherwise. Join us during our Summer of Love and together, let’s show more love and save more lives!
Animals that routinely need foster care include cats, kittens, dogs, puppies, rabbits, reptiles, rodents, birds, guinea pigs, and more! If you have a spare bedroom, extra love in your heart, and a working vehicle, you’re a prime candidate to be an SPCA foster parent!
Stop by our Foster Care Open House on Saturday, June 25 from noon to 3 p.m. and talk with SPCA Foster Care Employees and one of the SPCA’s most committed Foster Care Volunteers, Judy. Together, they’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have about opening your home to foster animals. They will have applications available so if you decide this is something you’re interested in, you can sign up right away!
May 13, 2022 By: SPCA Vice President of Veterinary Services Melanie Rushforth
The SPCA Serving Erie County has been accepted into the Maddie’s Fund We Foster Challenge!
The We Foster Challenge is meant to help shelter and rescue organizations create or expand community-based foster programs that will get community members involved and proudly saying, “We foster! So can you!” As we shift towards a more community-centric model of animal welfare, it’s important to get everyone in the Western NY area involved. After all, fostering is a job just about anyone can do. Pet owners know the incredible bond that humans and animals have and the importance of keeping families together. Foster care is a powerful way to achieve that. That’s what the We Foster Challenge is all about!
SPIRIT is a Shadow Cat currently in a foster home. He’s made great progress in the home, and his foster mom Erica reports that he approaches her now when she holds a brush so he can take control of his own grooming.
Throughout the month of May, the SPCA Serving Erie County will be highlighting Shadow Cats as our We Foster Challenge project. Shadow Cats is a new initiative which works to meet shy or fearful cats where they are behaviorally to assist them in navigating the journey to becoming adoptable pets living out the rest of their lives in long-term homes. We are seeing a positive response regarding the acceptance of these shy cats just the way they are, so we are expanding the adoption opportunities and housing of these cats to colony settings within the SPCA’s physical shelter as well. While some Shadow Cats need to get out of the shelter to showcase their personalities, some are best kept with their buddies in the colony rooms that we have in our modern shelter. We let the cats help us understand what they need.
SMOOCHIE was the first cat identified as a Shadow Cat. She is the “poster child” for the prestigious title, and serves as the spokeskitty! Her foster mom sent this photo and described the progress she is making in her home. Smoochie is still shy and prefers the shadows of her home, but she does come out to play, and follows foster mom around during meal time, and even approaches her for pets. Smoochie is available for adoption from foster mom’s home.
Shadow Cats are the best friend you don’t yet have. They are quiet, stealth, and maybe just need a little extra time to acclimate into your home before they settle into being a lap cat. Or perhaps they’ll remain the quiet and polite roommate that is grateful for your companionship and company….from a distance. Shadow Cats offer the benefit of companionship without the burden of constant attention. They’re great pets for individuals that work from home, or individuals who might work nontraditional shifts. They’d be great roommates in apartments (they don’t need too much space!)
Pets are like people in so many ways, so why wouldn’t some of them be a little shyer than others?
This exciting Challenge is funded by Michelson Found Animals Foundation, Maddie’s Fund® and Cuddly in collaboration with Adopt-A-Pet.com, Adoptimize, American Pets Alive!, ASPCA, The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement, Best Friends Animal Society, Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity (CARE), Community Cats Podcast, Greater Good Charities, HeARTS Speak, Humane Society of the United States, National Animal Care and Control Association, Petco Love, and PetSmart Charities. We are so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this important shift in the work of animal welfare.
Want to get involved with fostering (or even adopting) your own Shadow Cat? Please contact the SPCA Serving Erie County’s Foster Care Department via email at FosterCare@YourSPCA.org.
The SPCA Serving Erie County has been made aware of a recent scam involving missing pets in our area.
SPCA foster Hattie Cattie with one of her kittens in a foster home.
