Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Amid continued concerns about the Buffalo Animal Shelter, Mayor Chris Scanlon and State Sen. Sean Ryan are putting forward different plans to improve conditions and shape the shelter’s future.
Scanlon announced on Saturday that the city has secured a new location for the shelter, set to open in 2026.
The upgraded shelter will feature indoor and outdoor spaces for animals, expanded staff, and a new director position.
The city is also considering a public-private partnership to house pet-related businesses in the new shelter, boosting community value and easing costs for taxpayers.
"One of my top priorities since becoming Mayor has been to take a serious look at the current state of the Buffalo Animal Shelter and accelerate the process of securing a much-needed new location. My administration has moved aggressively to identify a new site and establish a public-private partnership that prioritizes the well-being of the animals while remaining fiscally responsible to taxpayers," said Mayor Scanlon. "I fully recognize what the shelter means—not only to the animals in our care, but to the residents, volunteers, and advocates who are deeply invested in their welfare. We are delivering real results that put animal care and public accountability front and center."
However, Ryan, who's running against Scanlon on the June primary, says ongoing neglect by the city has pushed the current facility into crisis. While he supports plans for a new shelter, he says the priority should be transforming the existing facility into a no-kill shelter, and improving overall conditions for the animals.
"Every year, the shelter takes in thousands of animals, but there's not enough space to hold them all safely, and there's not enough staff to care for them," said Ryan. "Animals are waiting, sometimes for days or weeks for urgent medical care. They're not getting their rabies shots in a timely manner, and the lack of capacity means that too many, far too many, are being euthanized. Last year, 664 animals and cats died here. That's almost a quarter of the animals that came in. It's animal cruelty, plain and simple, but it's a solvable problem."
Ryan says if he becomes Buffalo's Mayor, he will bring in an outside non-profit to evaluate conditions, require staff training, increase staffing, expand shelter hours, and apply for state and federal grants that he says the city overlooked.
"There's only one reason it's not up to standards, but it's the same reason our streets don't get plowed, that our potholes don't get fixed. It's the same reason our pools and our community center aren't open. Why can't Buffalo ever seem to get the basics right? It's a value of leadership," Ryan said. "We've got an acting mayor who's content to do the bare minimum, but that includes perpetuating cruelty to animals, but I guess that's what he's learned after 12 years in city government."
In response, Mayor Scanlon pushed back and questioned Ryan’s track record on the shelter.
"While Sen. Sean Ryan will spend today talking about what’s wrong with the city and stirring emotions, during his 13 years in Albany he hasn’t provided a single dollar or worked with the city to develop any solutions or secure state funding to support the animal shelter. Talk is easy — leadership takes action. And that’s exactly what we’re delivering," Scanlon said.