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animal rescue

Male beagle found on Wortendyke Road, now at the animal shelter

By Billie Owens

This intact (unneutered) male beagle was found July 8 on Wortendyke Road in the vicinity of Bontrager's Auction, Town of Batavia. He was taken to the Genesee County Animal Shelter and a worker confirmed this afternoon that he's still there, waiting for his owner(s) to claim him.

If you can help reunite this friendly boy with his family, please contact the shelter at 343-6410 or email the volunteers who help out there at:  info@vol4animals.org

The shelter is located at 3841 W. Main Street Road, Batavia.

(Photo provided by Russ Marchese, owner of Beds N Bones Pet Lodge.)

'No sign of Garfield' by the animal shelter

By Billie Owens

A few minutes ago, a deputy was dispatched to check on the welfare of a "big yellow cat in the area of the animal shelter" -- to make sure the feline was "by the side of road" -- (as opposed to being in the road, we're guessing). Once on scene, the officer reported "no sign of Garfield east or west of the road" and then went back in service.

Small black and white pooch found on Jackson Street

By Billie Owens

This little black and white cutie was found wandering on Jackson Street in the city this afternoon and is now en route to the county animal shelter.

He doesn't have tags. We don't know if he's a French bulldog or a pug.

Got metal junk? Volunteers for Animals want it on the first weekend of June

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Come out and support the animals of the Genesee County Animal Shelter. Volunteers for Animals are collecting scrap metal to raise money for the animals one weekend only -- on Saturday, June 3rd and Sunday, June 4th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Shelter parking lot, 3841 W. Main Street Road, Batavia.

Metal of any almost kind will be accepted this first weekend in June only: railings, doors, garbage cans, file cabinets, bicycle frames, gutters, pipes, poles, fencing, window frames, lawn furniture, tools, shelving, washing machines, dryers, stoves, wheel barrows, wagons, etc.

But they CANNOT take propane tanks, A/C units, or refrigerators!

Scrap service provided by Ed Arnold EAS Scrap Processors, of Corfu.

All proceeds benefit local shelter animals.

Photos: Firefighters attempt to rescue ducklings from storm drain

By Howard B. Owens

An animal control officer and Town of Batavia volunteer firefighters attempted this morning to rescue three ducklings that fell into a storm drain at Main and Lewiston by House O' Laundry.

The duckling's mother left the area after a passerby tried to keep her and her six other ducklings out of the roadway, so duck calls from smartphones were used to try and lure the ducklings out of the storm drain pipes and to the open grate. They simply wouldn't come out of the pipe, even after attempts to create noises at the drain east of their location.

Their best hope now is to find their way to an opening that drains into the Tonawanda Creek.

UPDATED: Two large black dogs found wandering near steam show grounds in Alexander

By Billie Owens

"These two Great Danes are lost and hanging out in Alexander on Gillate (Road) next to the steam show grounds," according to reader Michele Czekala, who contacted us late this morning.

UPDATE 7:48 p.m.: About 15 minutes ago, an animal control officer was dispatched to 10273 Gillate Road in Alexander to pick up two loose, but friendly Great Danes from the yard. They will be taken to the Genesee County Animal Shelter so their owner(s), hopefully, can retrieve them.

Dog stuck outside on roof on Elm Street, Batavia

By Billie Owens

A dog is stuck outside on the roof of a house at 17 Elm St., Batavia. City fire is police are responding. "The caller tried to help the dog but it growls at her," says the dispacher.

UPDATE 1:45 p.m.: This black, medium-sized dog is now safe inside the house and appeared to be uninjured after falling off the roof. The dog got outside on the roof by going out a door and through a wrought-iron railing of a balcony, perching on a two-foot wide eave of the roof. Police Sgt. Dan Coffey said the dog didn't want to go back through the railing and into the house and kept trying to jump down. Police went to the owner's place of employment and got the owner and brought the owner back to the house to try and get the dog to come inside. When the owner appeared, the dog became more agitated and while trying to get back through the railing, fell off the roof. It stood up as soon as it hit the ground and ran to the owner, who had opened a side door, and the dog ran inside the house. It appeared to be uninjured. The owner went in the house, closed the upstairs door and came back down to talk with the police. 

 

Parrot 'as big as a pigeon' found by citizen, animal control is responding

By Billie Owens

An officer just received a walk-up complaint about a parrot. A citizen found a "lost" parrot and wants to help it. An animal control officer is going to the place where the parrot is located, no word on where that is, to get the parrot and try and find an appropriate rescue facility for it. "It's as big as a pigeon," says the officer.

UPDATE 12:30 p.m.: The officer who handled the walk-up complaint says the bird has been confirmed to be a cockatiel, not a parrot, and it's been turned over to animal control.

FOUND: Senior, neutered, declawed black cat on South Main Street, Batavia

By Billie Owens

FOUND: A neutured, declawed senior cat "in not that great shape" that is 99.5-percent black -- he sports a few white hairs on his belly. No collar or microchip.

"He's an old guy; his eyes are watery. He's in pretty rough shape," says Wendy, who is spreading the news of the "Old Tom" in hopes that maybe he somehow got out of his home and his owner is looking for him.

Old Tom was found at a stranger's residence on South Main Street near River Street in Batavia on Friday and was taken to the Genesee County Animal Shelter. A volunteer promises to send us a photo of him tomorrow to post with this announcement.

If his family is not found, maybe a senior would like another senior to bond with and will adopt him, n'est-ce pas

If you can help, please call 343-6410.

UPDATE Monday, Oct. 31, 9 p.m.: So, it turns out, this is "Fatty," and Fatty is 17 years old, has always been an indoor/outdoor cat, and belongs to Mark Fanara. Mark will go to the shelter tomorrow at 1 p.m. to reunite with Fatty.

UPDATED: Boston terrier found on Jackson Street without tags

By Billie Owens

Is your BFF missing?

Brian Kemp, of the Batavia business T-Shirts Etc., wrote to us about this black and white cutie:

"We found a very friendly dog wandering around on Jackson Street. ... We have it here at our shop. He has no tags on him."

The shop is located at 37 Center St. Phone is 345-1993. 

At 3:37 p.m., we received this email:

The dog has been picked up by his mommy. Thank you so much for your help!

Have a great day!

-Tylin

Fur Ball is Oct. 22, new items for auction now being accepted

By Billie Owens

The 13th annual Fur Ball to benefit the Volunteers for Animals' Spay/Neuter Program at the Genesee County Animal Shelter will be held starting at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Days Inn in Batavia. The hotel is located at 200 Oak St. in the City of Batavia.

Tickets are $25. Children 12 and under, $15. Tables of 10 are $250.

Only 200 tickets will be sold.

Fur Ball features food, fun, auctions and surprises.

New items are being accepted for the auction. You can drop them off at the shelter during adoption hours.

The shelter is located at 3841 W. Main Street Road, Town of Batavia.

Adoption Hours:

Sun, Mon, Tues, Fri  --  1 - 3 p.m.
Wednesday  -- 1 - 3  & 7 - 9 p.m.
Saturday  --  11a.m. - 1 p.m.

Email Volunteers for Animals at:   info@vol4animals.org
Phone:  585-343-6410 (phone)

Lost kitty trying to barge in Fordham Drive house

By Billie Owens

(Submitted photo.)

A reader, whose mother lives on Fordham Drive in Batavia, wrote to say this orange and white kitten wandered into her mother's garage yesterday and is desperately trying to go in her house. The feline has a very sweet, albeit persistent, disposition.

Anyone with information -- maybe it's your cat or your friend's cat or you'd like to have this cat or a relative wants a cat-- please call 344-1034. 

Girls from Le Roy and Bergen sell lemonade and cookies to benefit shelter animals

By Billie Owens

Little do-gooders, from left: Lindsay Heimlich, Lily and Miley Stalica, and Sundae Duyssen.

The girls man the booth and help customers.

Grown-ups Laura and Paul, with Volunteers for Animals, with the team of fund-raising children and their goods for the shelter animals.

Some fresh, cold lemonade would probably taste delicious about right now, with all the humidity and a temperature hovering around 86 degrees. A couple of cookies would pair nicely with that.

This is exactly the kind of weather a foursome of little girls took advantage of recently to raise money for Volunteers for Animals and the Genesee County Animal Shelter. 

Sundae Duyssen (Le Roy School), Lindsay Heimlich (Le Roy School), and Lily and Miley Stalica (Byron-Bergen School) ponied up a whopping $1,000-plus in money and donated goods for the homeless animals by hosting a roadside bake sale and lemonade stand in Bergen recently.

"The shelter was kind enough to give the girls a tour, and tell them about the ways that their donation will be used to help save animals lives," says Lindsay's mom, Crystal Heimlich.

They really enjoyed the project, she said, and they plan to do the same thing next year for a different worthy cause.

(Photos submitted by Crystal Heimlich.)

FOUND: Ferdy is missing in Alexander, may have party plans for Labor Day Weekend

By Billie Owens

This cat is named Ferdy. Ferdy is missing. He is visiting relatives on Brookville Road in Alexander, in the Old Creek Road area, while his mommy is in the hospital.

As you can see, he is a very large, long-haired orange and white male. Would you believe at times, as depicted here, he is not particularly motivated?

But, then again, freedom can be a powerful motivator.

Perhaps we'll never know if he had been hatching plans to leave captivity and for how long.

What it known is that, according to his temporary nanny Elizabeth Crittenden, "he popped the screen out of the window and escaped," in the predawn hours -- between 2 and 6 a.m. -- Wednesday.

Stealthily, in the dead of night, when all were sleeping soundly. This one is clever. Either that, or Ferdy clumsily fell to earth while lolling around on the window sill. He left, but since this is not his regular stomping grounds, he may not be familiar with the lay of the land and how to return, says a worried Crittenden.

The timing is suspect; the feline may have festive plans afoot for Labor Day Weekend. (An anonymous source told The Batavian he has a reputation as a bit of a bon vivant.) 

Crittenden and her kin are hoping you'll report him without hestitation if you should spot him in your environs. This would foil Ferdy's fun, but he and his family and caretakers will be the better for it.

Crittenden's number is 585-590-2657.

UPDATE Sept. 2: At about 10:30 last night, Crittenden says "He just showed up on the back deck as casual as ever!" No fanfare, no "Burning Man" blowout for Labor Day, no tearjerker rescue story. Just chillin' in Alexander and wondering why all the fuss...

Red Hot Deal at the Animal Shelter during the sweltering days of August: $20 adoption fee for adult cats

By Billie Owens

The August Cat Sale is going on now at your friendly, local Animal Shelter.

That's right, folks, the Genesee County Animal Shelter has a special all this month only on the adoption of adult cats for a low, low fee of 20 bucks -- a whopping 50-percent off!

For only $20, you'll get one guaranteed-to-be adorable cat over the age of 1 year. This bargain comes complete with:

  • Rabies vaccine
  • Distemper combo vaccine
  • FIV/FeLV testing
  • Deworming treatment
  • Flea treatment
  • Spaying or neutering, if done prior to adoption. (For unspayed or unneutered cats, there is a $35 refundable deposit upon proof of surgery.)

Did you know that, according to the ASPCA, about 4,000,000 cats and kittens enter animal shelters every year?

Have a heart. Give at least ONE a good home. It's as certain as Mopsus that cats are very bemusing, and they will probably deign to be amused by you. Mutual amusement...more or less.

The shelter is located at 3841 W. Main Street Road in the Town of Batavia. Phone is 343-6410.

'Cassie' and 'Dibs' need barn homes

By Billie Owens

Cassie

Dibs

Photos and information from Volunteers for Animals:

The Volunteers for Animals at the Genesee County Animal Shelter are in need of nice barn homes for a couple of kitties.

"Cassie" is a beautiful calico that is sweet and friendly on her own terms, but like all of us, she has her moments. She came to us with a litter of kittens and was quite scared. She has really come around but would probably do best with some independent time on her own.

"Dibs" is a beautiful orange and white long-haired guy that was rescued by some very nice people.

He came in quite skinny, dirty and sick. He is doing much better, but again, is use to the outdoors and would be happier in that setting.

Both Cassie and Dibs are tested, vaccinated and spayed/neutered. There is NO adoption fee for either kitty.

If you can give either of these kitties a nice home, please:

  • Stop in at the shelter, located at 3841 W. Main St. Road, Town of Batavia, during adoption hours (Sunday/Monday/Tuesday/Friday -- 1 to 3 p.m.; Wednesday -- 1 to 3 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m.; Saturday -- 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; closed Thursday.);
  • Or email us at info@vol4animals.org

Thanks.

Female dog found in Batavia today

By Billie Owens

Submitted photos and information:

Lost Dog. Found today on East Main Street in Batavia. Female, approximately 30 pounds. Very friendly, at some point had puppies. No tags so she is at the Genesee County Animal Shelter.

Microchipping to be offered at Hogs for Paws at Stan's Harley Davidson on Aug. 13

By Billie Owens

Information provided by Volunteers for Animals:

Volunteers For Animals will be offering a microchip clinic during Hogs for Paws at Stan's Harley Davidson from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 13th. The motorcycle dealership is located at 4425 W. Saile Drive in the Town of Batavia.

Cost of microchipping is $30 per animal, which includes the injection, a collar ID tag and national registration. Accepted payment is either cash or checks (made out to Volunteers For Animals), sorry no credit cards. No preregistration necessary.

Each dog or cat must be accompanied by someone who can control it. Cats MUST be in carriers. You will need an email address for registration purposes. Free registration is done through FoundAnimals.org

What is a microchip?
The microchip is a tiny computer chip which has an identification number programmed into it and is encapsulated within a biocompatible material. The whole device is small enough to fit inside a hypodermic needle and can be simply injected under the skin of our pets, where it will stay for the life of the animal.

This provides a permanent, positive identification which cannot be lost, altered or intentionally removed - a safe, simple and inexpensive way to protect your pet against loss or theft. The computer memory in the microchip contains a unique number -- no two animals will ever have the same number. A radio signal is used to read this number through the skin of your pet. It is routine for animal shelters and veterinarian offices to scan pets for microchips.

Real stories about local pets...

Molly the dog, pictured right, was found in Oakfield after being missing for TWO YEARS. After setting traps, leaving food and lots of patience, they were finally able to catch this bedraggled pooch.

Molly was taken to the Genesee County Animal Shelter and that is when they found she was microchipped.

They called the owner and gave her the incredible news that her dog who had ran away two years ago was at the Shelter. It was quite a reunion which never would have happened had Molly not been microchipped.

Microchips talk for animals when collars and tags go missing.

Chevy was a stray cat, pictured left, that came into the Shelter from Summit Street in the City of Batavia.

She had been on her own throughout the winter. She had a BB lodged in her side and patches of fur missing, most likely from a car engine fan.

She was posted for adoption on our website and within days her family spotted her on the website. They came into the Shelter and sure enough it was her. They lived a block away on Tracy Avenue.

Chevy had bolted from the house in the fall. They were lucky in many ways: the nice person on Summit took her to the vet for her care and brought her to the Shelter and they spotted her on the website.

Had Chevy been microchipped, the folks at the shelter could have found her family more quickly without risk of her being adopted by someone else. Even house cats need to be microchipped!

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