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Roving Clover roams no more

By Billie Owens

Clover the rover is back home.

The inky-coated opportunist from the Raymond Avenue area of the city left April 25 to frolic about self-indulgently, thereby trifling with the tender hearts of the two little girls who dote on her. They fretted so about their pet's return.

In an email to The Batavian today, their mom, Bonnie Hoag, says: "Thanks to an amazing community effort (specifically Zachary and his girlfriend on Ellicott Avenue), Clover is finally no longer roaming! Thank you for your help, too!"

The cat's pre-escape modus operandi was self-imposed lockdown; perhaps now that is less a choice and more a rule.

Previously: Clover 'the rover' is roaming around the Raymond Avenue area of the city

Submitted photos.

Tumbling tumbleweed! A 'light rolling mass' of a cat is missing from Pearl Street

By Billie Owens

Photos and information from reader Carrie Farley.

Carrie Farley's friend, Melinda Fenton, is worried about her kitty who has never once stepped foot outside then, you guessed it, up and decided to explore the vast unknown.

That was around 10:30 Sunday night. The female feline lives on Pearl Street "right on the roundabout" in the city.

Farley advises that the pet "may be very skittish and will run from trucks." Who wouldn't, right?

Fenton had an epiphany when it came to naming her cat. Apparently being one who favors understatement, she imaginatively selected "Fluffy" as befitting.

Fluffy. If you sheared this cat in August to help keep it cool, you could make enough yarn to crochet a baby blanket, at least; maybe an autumn poncho.

If you catch a glimpse of this hairball, an unlikely candidate for fleet-footedness, do phone. She needs her brushy-brush and is doubtless missing snacks and nourishment.

Melinda Fenton's number is (585) 831-0401.

Below, Fluffy on her backside, looking nonchalant as she double dares anyone to try and groom her.

Below, Fluffy lounging in a torpor of resigned feline fatalism, courtesy of the pandemic.

Barn homes needed for Precious and George, no adoption fee

By Billie Owens

The Volunteers For Animals need to find barn homes for kitties Precious and George. There is no adoption fee for them.

Precious is a beautiful brindle tiger, sweet and friendly "on her own terms," but like all of us, she "has her moments." Doubtful? Just meet that unwincing deadeye stare of hers.

They say she has really made progress but would probably do best with some independent time on her own. 

George is rather pugilistic looking, a veteran of the strife of survival. He was rescued by some very nice and decent people and came in quite skinny, dirty and sick.

The champ is doing much better but is used to the outdoors and would be happier in that setting.

Both cats have been tested, vaccinated and spayed/neutured.

The volunteers aren't asking for the world, just good shelter, food, water and some human companionship.

If you can do right by these creatures of the good Earth, please call the Genesee County Animal Shelter at (585) 343-6410, option 7, or email:   info@vol4animals.org

The Genesee County Animal Shelter is located 3841 W. Main Street Road, Batavia.

Adoption Hours:
Sunday - Friday 1 - 3 p.m. (closed on Thursdays)
Wednesday 7 - 9 p.m.
Saturday 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

"When you adopt a shelter pet you help to save two lives: the one you bring home and the one who takes its place."

FOUND! Keko the cat is back home

By Billie Owens

Keko the cat, looking nonplussed with a deadpan stare above, is back at her Williams Street home in the city. She had been missing since April 14.

"Thank you for posting," the owner says in an email this morning to The Batavian. "Wiith your help and the help of your readers, we were able to find Keko and bring her home safe."

Face it, we will never know where she went or what she did. It is a mystery.

Is it possible the pandemic holds a clue?

Some dogs, we have learned during the lockdown, think being at home with their best friends 24/7 is a wonderful thing. Most cats? "Leave already. And you're still here because?"

'Spay-ghetti Dinner' March 14 at Notre Dame HS will benefit GC shelter animals

By Billie Owens

Volunteers for Animals at the Genesee County Animal Shelter will host a "Spay-ghetti Dinner" in the Notre Dame High School cafeteria on Saturday, March 14.

Time is 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. -- eat in or take out.

Dinner includes spaghetti with homemade sauce and meatballs, salad, bread, cookies, and a beverage.

Tickets cost $10 each; $5 for children age 12 and under.

There will also be a 50/50 raffle, basket raffles, and fun!

Notre Dame is located at 73 Union St. in the City of Batavia.

He purrs, he growls, Blondie needs a barn home for his 'mixed personality'

By Billie Owens

This hunk of handsomeness is a guy named "Blondie" and he is in need of a nice barn home.

Besides being easy on the eyes, he likes to nibble, we're told, and occasionally growls.

"He also purrs up a storm," say the Volunteers for Animals at the Genesee County Animal Shelter who are soliciting a Good Samaritan to come to Blondie's aid. "So, he has a mixed personality."

Read: He's not all sweetness and light.

He is neutered, tested negative for FIV/FeLV and is up to date with vaccines. There is no adoption fee for him. 

"We ask that he have good shelter, food, water and some human companionship," say the volunteers. "It is also necessary to confine him for a couple of weeks to acclimate him to his new surroundings."

If you can give this guy a home, please stop in the Shelter during adoption hours or email the volunteers at info@vol4animals.org.

(Photo courtesy of Volunteers for Animals.)

Reminder: debut 'Crafting for Critters' is April 4 at Batavia Downs, vendors need to RSVP by Feb. 1

By Billie Owens

The debut "Crafting for Critters" bazaar will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 4, at Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel. All proceeds benefit homeless pets at the Genesee County Animal Shelter.

Admission is free. The event is hosted by Volunteers for Animals.

They would like you to consider being a vendor. For more information and a registration form, please email the volunteers at:   vol4animalscraftfair@gmail.com

Vendors should respond by Feb. 1 to get a spot at this indoor event.

Craft Information Sheet

Craft Registration Form

Woodstock Gardens denizen -- a tiger cat named Chloe -- is missing

By Billie Owens

The insouciant lounger sprawled out in the picture above, unabashedly taking up a lot of space in a primary pathway of her household, is "Chloe" the cat, which is Greek for "small (young) green shoot of a plant."

Although there are nicknames for Chloe -- Chlo, Coco, Clo-Clo, Clo, Clover -- she just goes by small (young) green shoot of a plant ... Chloe.

For reasons known only to her, she opted to leave her cozy abode at the Woodstock Gardens apartments on North Spruce Street in the city on Saturday (Jan. 18).

Actually the publicly posted flier says Chloe "ran out." Hmmm.

She is described as a tiger cat with brown fur and black stripes, a "very friendly" "house cat," which some Brits call a moggy (or moggie).

The owner -- whose name is Dorothy and who is the bowling partner of the mother of the emailer about the missing pet, Chase Winkstern -- is reportedly "distraught over the situation."

Truth be told, this could affect Dorothy's bowling abilities, which in turn could affect the pin-slaying skills of Winkstern's mother, Dorothy's bowling partner.

Sadly, things could go downhill from there.

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, a valued resource for wordsmiths since 1828, tells us the adjective "distraught" means to be "agitated with doubt or mental conflict or pain."

But a closer reading of the entry alarms with the sheer range profered. Oh, yea, it starts off with the mere "agitated" but then kicks into "delirious" then "frenzied" and finally, "hysterical."

The reference work's second definition of "distraught" jumps right to "deranged" and "crazed," and then, as if to drive home the point, simply quotes Shakespeare: "...as if thou wert distraught and mad with terror." (A line from Act 3, Scene 5 of "Richard III" wherein Richard is speaking to Buckingham while both are garbed, appropriately, in rusty hideous-looking armor.)

A positive outcome -- Chloe's safe return -- would, of course, squelch the portent for dreadful escalation.

Any helpful information can be phoned in to Dorothy at (585) 734-4061 or emailed to Chase Winkstern at:   chasewinkstern@gmail.com

APB: 'Chapo' ran off after owner's accident on the Thruway Thursday night

By Billie Owens

A man came into the Genesee County Animal Shelter this morning, according to a reader. He had an accident on the Thruway last night (Jan. 16) and his dog ran off.

The man is heartbroken and has been looking all day for little black and white "Chapo."

The dog ran off near mile marker 392 of the Thruway, between the Kelsey Road and Lewiston Road overpass in the Town of Batavia.

Chapo, which is Spanish for "Shorty," is wearing a black collar with no tags on it.

If you have information about Chapo, please contact the animal shelter at (585) 343-6410, or email Volunteers For Animals at info@vol4animals.org

"Get Shorty!"

Debut 'Crafting for Critters' bazaar is April 4 at Batavia Downs, vendors wanted

By Billie Owens

The debut "Crafting for Critters" bazaar will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 4, at Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel. All proceeds benefit homeless pets at the Genesee County Animal Shelter.

Admission is free. The event is hosted by Volunteers for Animals.

They would like you to consider being a vendor. For more information and a registration form, please email the volunteers at:   vol4animalscraftfair@gmail.com

Vendors should respond by Feb. 1 to get a spot at this indoor event.

Craft Information Sheet

Craft Registration Form

All Points Bulletin: Bella the cat dashed into 'the marsh' after surgery

By Billie Owens

To quote Charles Bukowski, "it was such a delving day" on Thursday, Jan. 2 when Bella the cat went in for surgery at the Perry Veterinary Clinic on (3699) West Main Street Road in Batavia.

Later that same day, owner Elizabeth went to retrieve her post-op pet and take her home. But instead, at the first opportunity, the calico-striped-white-bibbed feline made a mad dash for the marsh adjacent to the facility.

Let's face it, Bella doesn't like surgery or hospitals and she may have been a little foggy from the aftereffects of anesthesia, which may have made the nearby swamp, fen, slough -- call it what you will -- seem like an opportune escape route.

"I try and drive out to search every three hours and was hoping I would have found her by now but unfortunately that's not the case," laments Elizabeth, adding a frown to her emailed missive :(

Bella "is not aggressive at all and will allow being picked up and held if someone spots her."

Elizabeth says she can be contacted "at anytime day or night through phone call or text at (585) 967-7991."

It's very breezy out, cold, with a chance of snow showers to come, weather conditions that cause Elizabeth to fret all the more.

So, if you spot Bella at anytime -- even 3:41 in the morning -- reach out to Elizabeth. Keep your eyes peeled.

Pet photos with Santa will help fund good deeds done on behalf of homeless fur friends

By Billie Owens

Above, file photo of Rocky, the beloved pet of Howard and Billie Owens, who adopted him from the GC Animal Shelter in September of 2015.

Information from Volunteers For Animals:

There are three opportunities this month to bring your pet to Petco for a photo with Santa Claus. You'll get a photo with your $9.95 donation to benefit homeless pets at the Genesee County Animal Shelter.

Sponsored by the Petco Foundation, the photo ops will be available from 1 to 4 p.m on Saturdays, Dec. 7 and 14, and on Sunday, Dec. 15.

Petco is located at 4226 Veterans Memorial Drive in Towne Center at Batavia.

The money from this fundraiser will be put to good use.

Here are some examples of the invaluable work performed on behalf of companion animals needing forever homes in Genesee County.

The Path to Home

In July, 2018 Volunteers for Animals and the Orleans Correctional Facility launched the canine training program. Four dogs were sent to the prison to live in a dorm with their inmate trainer/handlers and the program began. Two weeks prior to the dogs’ arrival trainer Tom Ryan held classes for selected inmates to prepare them for their role in the program. The dogs were greeted by staff and inmates with much fanfare and high hopes for success.

Inmates were selected by the prison staff based on criteria they had established in the months before the program started. Volunteers for Animals provided crates, food, treats, leashes, collars, and other training equipment paid for with money from a grant from Maddie's Fund. After grant funds were exhausted VFA continued to financially support the program.

Classes range from four to six dogs per 12-week session. Ryan and two training assistants hold classes twice a week. The dogs learn basic obedience and are crate- and house-trained. Most of the dogs learn a few tricks, too.

The inmate handlers have become very adept at teaching the basics as well as dealing with dogs who bark at night, chew on socks and leashes, jump on visitors or misbehave in other ways. Inmates see participation in the program as a privilege and always look forward to the next class.

The prison staff has been extremely supportive of the program and on the day after the first four dogs arrived one staff member said it was the first time she had seen a bit of joy in the prison. Many of the graduate dogs have been adopted by prison workers.

This partnership with Orleans Correctional Facility has saved the lives of dogs from overcrowded shelters in the South and some local dogs who needed a little more structure to make them adoptable. It has also been an opportunity for the inmates to learn new skills they might be able to use after release.

In talking to the inmates at graduation, most of them say they have learned patience, problem solving and satisfaction in helping others. They are genuinely pleased when a dog is adopted.

Volunteers for Animals is committed to continuing to support the canine training program. Thanks to supporters, they will be able to provide food, training equipment and medical care when health issues arise.

Ember the Cat's Lucky Charm

Ember (inset photo below) was in pretty bad shape when she came to the Genesee County Animal Shelter. The vet suspected she got caught in an automobile engine fan -- her back legs were degloved, which means the skin was torn away; three of her paws were broken and she had some broken teeth. In spite of her injuries, she seemed like a very nice cat.

But it was August and the middle of kitten season, which meant there were more than 80 kittens in the volunteers' care. Ember was in luck -- a staff person from the vet’s office offered to nurse her back to good health.

Ember needed a lot of TLC to recover from her injuries. She needed regular care, especially for her open wounds. And later she would need dental surgery to address the broken teeth.

After six weeks of care from her foster mom, Ember was ready to come back to the Shelter. It was amazing how beautiful she was considering where she started. Lucky for Ember, she did not have to wait long for a home. After a week or so, a family came in looking for a very special kitty to adopted. Needless to say, Ember fit the bill perfectly.

Humane Works By the Numbers

  • In 2018, 419 cats and 198 dogs were adopted from the Genesee County Animal Shelter and the Volunteers For Animals.
  • In 2018, VFA proivded low-cost spay / neuter vouchers for 144 dogs and 654 cats -- including 152 feral cats. That's a total of $65,000 in vet care charges.
  • Since it began in 2015, more than 3,500 cats and dogs have been spayed or neutered through vouchers available in the "Spay It Forward" program and to ensure shelter animals are spayed and neutered prior to adoption.
  • Since the start of Winnie's Fund, the Volunteers For Animals have helped more than 20 animals with serious medical issues get the treatment they need so they could be adopted -- spending more than $12,000 in the process to make that possible.
  • More than $70,000 was spent in 2018 on vet care, surgery, medications and vaccines for more than 800 animals that came through the Genesee County Animal Shelter.

Consider Donating This Season

This 100-percent volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization -- Volunteers For Animals -- uses your tax-deductible monetary donations and donated goods to help save lives and provide comfort to animals who depend on us -- to a degree that is not possible to achieve via the county's operating budget.

To make a monetary donation, click here.

Bring them your empties: Returnable pop/beer/soda/water cans and bottles can be donated at the shelter -- located at 3841 W. Main St. Road, Batavia. Or take them directly to the following three sites* for redemption money that goes directly to VFA:

  • Eastown Beverages in Eastown Plaza on East Main Street in Batavia;
  • Arc Recycling Center (Mon. thru Sat. 8-2, Wed. till 8 p.m.) at 3785 W. Main St., Batavia;
  • Le Roy Redemption Center on Route 19 (8 1/2 Lake St.).

*Note that NONE of the recycling sites accept crushed containers.

To donate goods, here's a wishlist of some useful items needed:

  • Kitten food -- Prefer to have Purina Kitten Chow and Purina ONE Healthy Kitten
  • Canned Dog Food
  • Dry Cat Food -- Prefer to have Purina ONE - Indoor Advantage
  • Dry Dog Food -- Prefer to have Purina ONE - Chicken and Rice
  • Paper Towels
  • Non-clumping Cat Litter
  • Newspapers for the cat cages
  • Cat Litter Boxes (no small boxes, please)
  • Dog Collars and Leashes
  • Kong toys and Peanut Butter
  • Large Nylabones and Dog Treats (no rawhide treats please)
  • Plain Yogurt
  • Cat Toys of ANY KIND
  • Rubbing Alcohol, Hydrogen Peroxide
  • Forever U.S. Postage Stamps
  • Letter-size Copy Paper
  • Gently Used Doghouses
  • Gifts Cards to: Walmart, Tractor Supply Store, Genesee Feeds, or Petco

PLEASE NO FOOD OR TREATS FROM CHINA! In recent years there have been animal-related deaths due to the consumption of food and treats from China. The volunteers just don't want to take the chance.

Black kitty with bell collar found Tuesday in Bethany now at GC Animal Shelter

By Billie Owens

This black kitty with a bell collar that was found Tuesday morning by reader Marcy Ewell at Suicide Corners (Route 20 and East Road) in Bethany was not claimed by its owner.

This afternoon Ewell told The Batavian the cat, which was "very cuddly and very hungry" when found, was turned over to the Genesee County Animal Shelter.

The Volunteers for Animals have posted about the lost pet and hope to find its owner. But if no one comes forward soon, it will be placed for adoption.

Lost cat wearing blue harness ambles by the Reliant Real Estate office in Batavia

By Billie Owens

About 40 minutes ago, reader Amy Chmielowiec sent us this photo of a gadabout cat, replete with blue* harness, that stopped by the Reliant Real Estate Office in Batavia. The address of the office is 340 W. Main St.

Perhaps the feline wanted to see if mom or dad was inside, or wanted to make itself known to other humans there.

You know, ones like Amy who are known to reflexively reach out to The Batavian, in case mom or dad, or a friend of mom or dad, happened to be looking at the site and see the photo.

If this cat is yours or you know whose it is, please call Amy at 585-297-2315.

*(Editor's Note: We originally posted that the cat's harness was green -- because it looks green to us. Alas, Amy says it is actually blue!)

Lost kitty found at Suicide Corners

By Billie Owens

Reader Marcy Ewell wrote us this morning about the adorable black kitten in Bethany and said:

"Found this morning by the side of the road near (Route) 20 and East Road (Suicide Corners). Has collar with bell. Checked with houses and farm near intersection -- no one claimed it was theirs. Very cuddly and was very hungry.

"Please text 585-813-1025 if you know or are the owner."

Lost dog found near Stafford Country Club this morning on Route 237

By Billie Owens

This friendly dog appears "to have broken free of his dog run," says Marianne Newmark, who found the pet this morning on Route 237 near the Stafford Country Club.

He was running soutbound at about 8 a.m., then turned over to the custody of an animal control officer around an hour later.

"He had to run errands with me!" Newmark wrote in an email, and by his looks, he appears to have been on board with the task. Seems he made friends in the process.

If this dog is your best friend, please call the Genesee County Animal Shelter at 343-6410. It is located at 3841 W. Main Street Road, Batavia.

(Photo courtesy of Marianne Newmark.)

Annual Fur Ball is Sept. 28 to benefit GC Animal Shelter, some money will also help animals in the Bahamas

By Billie Owens

Volunteers for Animals (VFA) is preparing for the 16th annual Fur Ball to be held at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28. The event has been moved to a larger venue this year – Slomba Hall at Ascension Parish (17 Sumner St., Batavia).

The Fur Ball is the largest fundraiser for the VFA with proceeds going toward spays/neuters, medicine and the health care of the animals.

In addition, a portion of this year’s proceeds will be donated to an animal rescue program in the Bahamas. Parts of the Bahamas were devastated by Hurricane Dorian earlier this month with animal care shelters also bearing significant damage and loss.

The Fur Ball will feature food catered by Main Street Pizza Co. There will be 200+ baskets along with a silent auction and a 50/50 raffle. Ticket are $25. each (children 12 and under $15).

The volunteers will give a review of the past year’s work and programs as well as an update on the canine "graduates" from the Path to Home prison-based dog-training program.

Tickets are available for purchase at the Genesee County Animal Shelter. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door.

The VFA is a nonprofit group that works in partnership with the Genesee County Animal Shelter. For more information about Volunteers for Animals and the work they do please go to: www.vol4animals.org/

UPDATED: Senior cat with tortoiseshell coloring lost on East Main Street

By Billie Owens

This is a senior cat on the lam from her newly adoptive home on East Main Street in Batavia.

The new owners adopted her about a week ago, and she managed to slip out the front door Wednesday morning and has not returned.

They were trying to teach her her new given name -- "Terrapin" -- which may have confused her since she's not a turtle. But the moniker was intended to be a nod to her unique mottled coloring, you know, tortoiseshellish (gray and brown). She may not answer to it yet, though.

She has yellow eyes and a little notch in her left ear.

Her adoptive papa confirmed that she played it real nonchalant, seemingly unfazed by her new digs, and looking for all the world as if she were bored and ready for a long nap in the sun -- the kind real tortoises especially love.

But it is more likely, say cat people, that the 10-year-old was scheming and biding her time for the first opportunity to beat it to nowheresville PDQ.

If you see Miss Speedy Boots, AKA "Terrapin," please call Gregory Lebens-Higgins, who's new in town, at (585) 690-2044 or email him at:   glebens@gmail.com

UPDATE 11:07 a.m. Friday, Aug. 23: The cat named after a turtle returned home late last night, her owner says. She was lured back, perhaps, by their cleverness of leaving food out on the porch for her. All is well. 

EMS tech rescues dog suffering from heat stress in vehicle outside UMMC Emergency Room

By Billie Owens

An animal control officer for Batavia Police Departmart is called to the parking lot by the UMMC Emergency Room for a dog showing signs of heat stress.

An EMS technician removed the dog from the vehicle after finding it locked inside. The rescuer is out with the canine awaiting the officer's arrival.

According to the National Weather Service, it's mostly sunny and 79 degrees in Batavia.

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