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pet rescue

Kitten was hung up in motor of sedan outside Petco, appears not to be injured

By Billie Owens

A kitten was reportedly briefly caught in the motor of a black sedan parked outside Petco off Veterans Memorial Drive in Batavia. "It's doesn't appear to be injured," relays the dispatcher.

An officer was responding but the kitten has been freed and assistance is no longer needed. The sedan is hitched to a black trailer.

Dog locked inside red Ford Escape in Batavia Downs' parking lot

By Billie Owens

A dog is reportedly locked inside a red Ford Escape in a handicapped parking space across from Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel on Park Road. An animal control officer is responding.

UPDATE 1:35 p.m.: The officer is in the parking lot with the vehicle; she's waiting for a security guard from the Downs and has called for a zone car -- patrol car -- to the scene.

UPDATE 2:23 p.m.: Didn't hear an update other than the officer is clearing the scene at the Downs and heading to a dog-bite call received earlier today.

Caller says pitbull mix tried to hitch a ride in Stafford

By Billie Owens

A caller to dispatch reports that a black and white pitbull mix tried to get into their vehicle when it stopped at a stop sign in Stafford. The dog was laying in a driveway in the area of Sweetland and Transit roads without shelter or food when the vehicle made the stop.

An officer is responding to check on the animal.

UPDATE 1:20 p.m.: An officer is out with the canine in the 6300 block of Sweetland Road.

UPDATE 1:26 p.m.: The animal control officer says the dog has shelter and a water dish. "Unable to make contact with anyone" at the residence. She's en route back to the shelter.

Officer called to Target parking lot for report of dog locked in vehicle

By Billie Owens

An officer is called to the Target parking lot for a report of a dog locked in a Chevy Sonic. "The windows are only down one inch," according to what the dispatcher was told.

The officer on scene reports the air-conditioner is running and the dog appears fine.

But the officer is going inside the store to try and locate the owner.

It's 83 degrees now and overcast, with 55-percent humidity, according to the National Weather Service.

Dog locked in Dodge Caravan for over an hour at Walmart

By Billie Owens

An officer is dispatched to the Walmart parking lot for a report of a dog locked inside a Dodge Caravan for more than an hour.

The vehicle is parked in the last five rows "near the tree line."

It's 47 degrees outside.

'Stitch' needs a new home without little kids; he's sweet, housebroken and has good manners

By Billie Owens

This is "Stitch." He's a 3-year-old blue-tick heeler mix. He needs a new home.

Mixing native dingoes with collies and other herding dogs, Australian George Elliott developed the blue heeler in 1840. The term blue-tick heeler is colloquial; they are also called Australian heelers, Queensland heelers and Australian cattle dogs.

In general herding dogs are resilient and highly intelligent. The American Kennel Club characterizes their temperment as "alert, curious, pleasant."

Stitch is a neutered male that is heartworm negative and up to date with vaccines. He comes from a home with five other dogs and young children. He is currently in a foster home.

The Volunteers for Animal at the Genesee County Animal Shelter do not know how he is with cats. They do know he is a very sweet and friendly dog. He bonds very quickly and closely with people. He loves attention. He is housebroken, crate trained and generally very good house manners.

He responds to commands and seems very teachable. He does get nervous about strangers coming into the house but after meeting them is OK.

He can become anxious with lots of commotion, but will go into his crate willingly and relax. It is recommended that he not go to a home with children under 10 or so. Stitch is not at the Shelter -- please do not call the Shelter for information.

If you would like to meet this sweet pup, email the volunteers:  info@vol4animals.org

Submitted photo and information.

Caller claims neighbor purposely locked pet cats out of house, stranding them on roof

By Billie Owens

A caller to dispatch says a neighbor at an apartment on Chestnut Street in the city intentionally locked cats out of the house, leaving them stranded on the roof. A police officer is responding.

UPDATE 1:39 p.m.: The Chestnut Street resident was home when a police officer and an animal control officer arrived. The resident, who has two cats, says one of them likes to go out on the roof over a room on the first floor. That's why the screenless window is left open on sunny, pleasant days such as this so the feline can survey all and bask in sunlight. The cat can mosey back inside at any point. One of the officers asked the resident if they could bring the cat inside since someone has concerns about it and the resident acquiesced.

Back at Petco: Catties and kitties ready, willing and able to be adopted by YOU

By Billie Owens

Starting this weekend, the shelter cats are back at Petco!

Everyone is welcome to stop by the store in Towne Center at Batavia on Veterans Memorial Drive and take a gander at these furry guests.

One of them is "Chloe" (inset photo left). She is a gray domestic longhair, known to be "quite the character." The intense stare is the first clue, of course. Rescued from the not-so-great outdoors -- for homeless cats anyway -- she was petrified by people (and particularly, it seems, any person wielding a camera).

But Chloe morphs into a social butterfly once she gets acquainted, and likes to get petted and even fetch toys occasionally. Not a big fan of competition, however; it is preferable that no other cats, or young children, or horrors! -- dogs -- get in the way of her bliss -- you.

The Volunteers for Animals at the Genesee County Animal Shelter had to stop taking cats as such as Chloe to Petco for adoption in March​ due to COVID-19.

That put the brakes on an avenue of adoption that began when the store opened in September 2008 -- the ability to adopt cats and kittens directly from the store.

The six cages provided by Petco exponentially increased the chances of finding homes for homeless felines. Petco staff also assists with their daily care and the adoptions.

So it's easy to see why the Volunteers for Animals say they are excited to be able bring them back to Petco.

"We have several beautiful kittens at the store now with more to come," they wrote in an emailed bulletin. "Help get our shelter kitties home!"

You can visit prospective adoptees during regular store hours. Hey, Petco doesn't close until 7 tonight -- that means there's still time to meet-and-greet today!

You can check the Volunteers for Animals website and see the "candidates." If a cat is at Petco, the description will say so. Otherwise, they're at the shelter.

Since June 2, all animal adoptions at the shelter itself continue to be done by appointment. Please email the volunteers at info@vol4animals.org for an application and to set up an appointment.

Anyone coming into the shelter must wear a face covering and will be asked about current health and recent possible exposures to COVID-19. If you are sick, please do not come to the shelter. They also ask that you limit the number of people per family coming to the shelter to adopt animals.

For adoption, there is a $60 NONREFUNDABLE FEE for all animals, which needs to be cash or a check -- NO CREDIT CARDS. If the animal is not spayed or neutered there is a $35 REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT upon proof of surgery.

An adoption application must be filled out by the person wishing to adopt the animal. Once the application has been reviewed and approved, the potential adopter may visit and meet any of the animals. All cats must leave the shelter or pet store in a cat carrier. Please bring a cat carrier.

All animals older than 3 months of age are given rabies vaccine. Unless there is proof of a prior rabies vaccine, the vaccine is good for one year. All animals are given at least one dose of deworming medication. All cats receive a feline distemper combo vaccine (good for one year) and are tested for FeLV/FIV.

FYI: You may want to take the time to read up on Adopting a Cat.

Remember: Volunteers For Animals is always in need of monetary donations for the animals at the Genesee County Animal Shelter.

Their largest expense is veterinary care for sick and injured animals. A great deal of their money is spent spaying and neutering as many animals as possible BEFORE they leave the Shelter. Spaying and neutering animals is the ONLY way to reduce the number of homeless animals.

In addition to vet care, they also purchase FIV/FeLV tests for cats and heartworm tests for dogs. Please consider making a donation today. All donations to Volunteers For Animals, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, are tax-deductible.

You can make a donation through the Paypal button on the Volunteers for Animals home page, or by mailing a check to: 

Volunteers For Animals
PO Box 1621
Batavia, NY 14021

Petco Hours

(Phone: 343-1426)

  • Sunday -- 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Monday through Satruday -- 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

GC Animal Shelter, 3841 W. Main Street Road, Town of Batavia

(Phone: 343-6410)

Adoption Hours

  • Sunday/Monday/Tuesday/Friday -- 1 to 3 p.m.
  • Wednesday -- 1 to 3 p.m. & 7 to 9 p.m.
  • Saturday -- 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Closed Thursday

Photo of "Chloe" courtesy of Volunteers for Animals.

Dog locked in Dodge minivan outside food entrance at Walmart

By Billie Owens

A dog is locked inside a Dodge minivan outside Walmart on Veterans Memorial Drive, in the fourth parking row from the food entrance. The plate returns to a Dellinger Avenue address in the city. An animal control officer is responding.

It's 73 outside and somewhat muggy today.

UPDATE 1:01 p.m.: The officer went through the parking lot a couple of times, but was unable to locate the minivan and is back in service.

Walmart dog-in-hot-car rescue in Batavia July 27 prompts PETA to issue urgent warning

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Batavia, N.Y. – Following recent reports that  a dog had to be rescued from a hot car in Batavia, PETA -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals -- is issuing an urgent warning about the importance of  never leaving animals in hot vehicles.

Twenty-four animals have  already  died  this year  from heat-related causes, and because COVID-19 is prolonging store wait times and errands, PETA is concerned that  this summer could see an unprecedented number of hot  weather–related animal deaths.

On a 78-degree day, the temperature inside a parked car can soar to 100 degrees in just minutes, and on a 90-degree day, the interior temperature can reach as high as 109 degrees in less than 10 minutes.

Dogs, who don’t sweat and can cool themselves only by panting, can rapidly succumb to heatstroke, even if a vehicle is parked in the shade with the windows slightly open, which has little to no effect on lowering the temperature inside.

Anyone who leaves animals outside to suffer in severe weather may be  prosecuted for cruelty.

The following tips will help keep animal companions safe in hot weather:

  • Keep animals indoors, and leave them at home when it’s hot outside.  Unlike humans, dogs can sweat only through their footpads and cool themselves by panting, so even brief sun exposure can have life-threatening consequences. Anyone who sees animals in distress and is unable to help should note their locations and alert authorities immediately.
  • Never leave an animal inside a hot vehicle.  Temperatures can quickly soar in parked cars, and a dog trapped inside can die from heatstroke within minutes—even if the car is in the shade with the windows slightly open, which has little to no effect on lowering the temperature inside the car. PETA offers  an emergency window-breaking hammer  for help with intervening in life-or-death situations.
  • Avoid hot pavement. When outdoor temperatures reach the 80s, asphalt temperatures can climb to 140 degrees, causing pain, burns, and permanent damage to dogs’ paws after just a few minutes of contact. Walk dogs on grass whenever possible, and avoid walking in the middle of the day. 
  • Never run with dogs  in hot weather—they’ll collapse before giving up, at which point, it may be too late to save them.

PETA has released a hot-car public service announcement featuring Mckenna Grace. For more information, visit  PETA.org.

Duster is dandy and home again -- thanks to Jay Gsell, county manager and, now, pet finder, too

By Billie Owens

So dig this, Duster the cat, who has been on the lam since Thanksgiving night, doing God knows what, has been found thanks to a high-profile tipster, the intrepid Genesee County Manager Jay Gsell.

Duster's momma, Melissa Barone, who lives on Tracy Avenue in the city, gives credit where credit is due. But she also thanked The Batavian for the APB published Nov. 29th.

She enlisted not only our readers' help but her momma's, too, who Barone says has been "scouring" the area near Barone's home on a daily basis. This kind of resolute undauntedness is the very essence of intrepidity.

So Barone's momma, and Gsell, renowned for his institutional knowledge of the arcane bowels of county government and his pet- and people-friendly bonhomie, were in cahoots, in a manner of speaking, on the recapture of the cat.

By the way, it didn't wander very far from home sweet home, in fact, Duster was just around the kitty-corner.

Word on the street was that Duster the defector liked to hang around in the vicinity of Batavia Middle School, which is inarguably heavily populated by pals of pets.

Sure eough, Barone's momma was heading to her daughter's for dinner yesterday (Jan. 16) and she spotted a familiar-looking feline following a young miss walking in the area of the school.

"She stopped and sure enough it was Duster," Barone wrote The Batavian in an email. "He came right up to my mom purring away."

His purr reportedly sounds like the world's most expensive car -- that would be the Swedish-made Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita ($4.8M), owned by the likes of Jay Leno and Floyd Mayweather. Not too shabby for a domestic tabby-ish cat with a white bib and front-paw gloves.

Duster prolly figures if he can't have celebrity-caliber fun money, he can at least sound like millions of bucks. He can also check off 15 minutes of fame -- à la that prescient Andy Warhol -- from his bucket list.

FOUND: Big and brawny 'Giovanni' is missing from area around Liberty and South Jackson streets, Batavia

By Billie Owens

A big bull-mastiff-type dog named "Giovanni" is missing. He became lost this afternoon in the vicinity of Liberty and South Jackson streets in the City of Batavia.

The owner, devoted reader Bernie Thompson, emplores citizens -- "DO NOT CHASE." We're guessing that to do so with this large, hunky charcoal-brindle-coated canine would be to risk possible injury, if not, daresay, worse.

He is most assuredly male, neutered, and microchipped. Giovanni was last seen wearing a robin's-egg-blue collar and leash.

If found, or if you have information about him, call 813-3087.

His left front paw, curiously, has two middle toes that have white tips. And he has a small white patch on his stout chest.

UPDATE June 24: This morning owner Bernie Thompson reported Giovanni is home safe and sound!

Mark Your Calendar: 'Hogs for Paws' to benefit shelter animals is Aug. 12 at Stan's H-D

By Billie Owens

Hogs for Paws, the annual fundraising event for the Genesee County Animal Shelter, is set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 12 at Stan's Harley-Davidson, located at 4425 W. Saile Drive, Batavia. 

Attendees are asked to please bring an item on the shelter's Wish List or make a monetary donation. All monetary donations will go toward the spaying and neutering of shelter animals prior to adoption.

Wish LIst items include:

  • Canned and dry cat and dog food
  • Small blankets and beds
  • Bleach
  • Laundry detergent
  • Paper towels
  • Non-clumping (plain, old-fashioned) cat litter

The event at Stan's will features vendors, a T-shirt sale, 50/50 raffle, the opportunity to buy pet ID tags, microchipping and much more!

Stan's is sponsoring the event along with Volunteers for Animals.

Questions? Contact Ashley at (585) 343-9598.

Spring cleaning? Volunteers for Animals wants your good junk for big June garage sale, but no clothes or TVs

By Billie Owens

Items are now being accepted at the Genesee County Animal Shelter for the Volunteers for Animals' big annual garage sale next month to benefit homeless pets.

NO CLOTHES OR TVs will be accepted! 

Drop off items at the shelter, located at 3841 W. Main Street Road, Batavia, during its hours of operation:

  • Monday -- 1 to 3 p.m.
  • Tuesday -- 1 to 3 p.m.
  • Wednesday -- 1 to 3 and 7 to 9 p.m.
  • Thursday -- CLOSED
  • Friday -- 1 to 3 p.m.
  • Saturday -- 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Sunday 1 to 3 p.m.

The garage sale will take place at The Storage Mall, located at 3566 W. Main Street Road, Batavia, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, June 15-17.

All proceeds go to aid shelter animals.

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