08/29/2026
There is something I would like to speak about because I think a lot of people do not know or understand. This year, the agriculture and market laws in NYS when it comes to animals, rescuing and shelters enacted some changes to article 26. Municipal shelters are now under the same strict rules they enacted on rescues as well. Before this year, there were probably only about 3 or 4 towns in Chautauqua county that had a legitimate “municipal shelter” or “holding center.” A dog control officer’s job is to pick up the dog and take them to the holding center or municipal shelter. That is it. They do not have anything to do with the shelter or center unless they were running it out of their garage like I do. That means, I have to hold the dogs for 5 days, find a rescue for them after 5 days. I am not a nonprofit, I don’t get funding to take them to the vet, I can’t get them shots or fix them. I am supposed to release them to a rescue after day 5, or the law says it is legal to euthanize them. I have never euthanized a stray dog. But now, since the laws have changed, my garage shelter is not up to standard and legally I cannot use it. By 2027, out of standard shelters will be fined, and guess what? My municipality won’t get fined, I will. So now pretty much every municipality is outsourcing holding centers, at boarding facilities or vets. That means an extreme up charge of costs, for the boarding, the vetting, the food. Most of these small towns are putting in the contract to euthanize after 5 days because they are not going to keep continuing to pay hundreds of dollars for a stray dog to be in boarding. people have asked me about the black dog I picked up yesterday for pomfret. I do not work for pomfret. I was doing the town a favor bringing the dog to their holding center which is fredonia animal hospital. I have no idea what will happen to the dog after 5 days, I have no clue what pomfret and fredonia animal hospitals contract looks like. I know they do contact rescues, but a lot of rescues are full. And yes we are still continuing to bring dogs from other states while dog control is quietly euthanizing dogs after their stray holds because they can’t find anywhere to place them in rescue, but they have plane rides and transport vans for hundreds of dogs from Texas. Everyone better be ready for the outrage come 2027 when the euthanasia rates will skyrocket, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. 🙏
