Watchdogs and SPCA unite for care of furry friends

Leaving a beloved pet at home is hard. Students looking to fill the void left by their pets can start by volunteering at Cattaraugus County's chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).The non-profit, no-kill animal shelter sits at 2944 Route 16 in Olean. The 11 acres of property serve as a home to roughly 100 dogs and 130 cats.

According to the SPCA's Web site, 70 percent of its funds come from donations and fundraisers, an indication the organization is in need of outside help.

Bonaventure's new animal cruelty prevention group, the Bona Watchdogs, is among the volunteers who give their time to help brighten the lives of animals waiting for a new home.

"I've been there (the SPCA) four times now with different members of my club," sophomore political science major and president of Bona Watchdogs Hannah Flanigan said. "We definitely will keep going back to try and help. This weekend I hope to get a few students to go."

During the past 15 years, the SPCA helped 25,000 of its residents find a new home, according to the SPCA's Web site. This year, the Olean Center Mall is hosting the SPCA's Home for the Holidays. The event raises awareness about the SPCA and its many inhabitants.

"We have dogs for adoption down at the mall. We have a storefront down there," SPCA adoption coordinator Linda Wilcox said. "We'll have cats and dogs in and out of there from noon to 8 (p.m.) on Wednesdays through Sundays."

The event, which began Nov. 27, is open to volunteers, according to Wilcox.

"If (volunteers) went down there, they could do gift wrapping when people give us donations for wrapping their presents," Wilcox said. "They might also help with talking with people about the animals."

Of course, the SPCA will also accept volunteers who can donate their time year-round. The animal shelter is on the lookout for people to walk dogs, pet cats and help organize events and fundraisers.

Signing up to volunteer is easy. Two minutes after signing a waiver, volunteers can find themselves accompanying a wagging tail around the small pond located next to the SPCA's facilities.

The largest animal shelter in western New York's southern tier boasts 60 indoor/outdoor dog kennels, four cat rooms and a barn housing rescued farm animals.

Providing the animals with what they need while remaining a non-profit organization is a struggle.

"Our local shelter is definitely in need of litter, dog food, cat food, treats for both cats and dogs, rags, blankets, bleach and other cleaning products, dishes, toys, brushes, volunteers for the animals, cleaning, landscape and handyman work - pretty much anything you can think of," Flanigan said.

The shelter hopes to expand and improve its Kitty Kingdom, according to the SPCA's Web site. Cats that have been neutered or spayed and vaccinated, lounge about in cage-free rooms that encourage socialization and are more comfortable for the felines. However, the operation procedures and vaccinations cost $60 per cat. With more than 100 cats and more new arrivals each week, the expenses quickly eat away at the monetary funding the SPCA receives.

Bona Watchdogs hopes to bring a little relief to the shelter's various needs.

"Our plans for the future are to continue volunteering at our local shelter," Flanigan said. "We plan to raise money to donate to the shelter. We want to have an animal-goods drive next semester to donate to the shelter and definitely try to get these pets adopted."

Anyone interested in joining Bona Watchdogs can contact Hannah Flanigan at flanighm@sbu.edu.

hayesmr@sbu.edu