BUFFALO, N.Y. — Some repairs have been made to the City of Buffalo Animal Shelter until the city can find a new location.
The current location on Oak Street downtown is small, outdated, and often overcrowded. Just last week, the shelter announced a promotion to try and get people to adopt pit bulls and pit mixes because there were too many dogs and not enough space.
The city hopes to change that with a new building.
Steve Stepniak, commissioner of public works, which oversees the shelter, said the city has multiple options for new spaces. Among the choices are existing city facilities and open space where a new location could be built. He said it's too early to say where those spots are.
Stepniak said the shelter needs more room for kennels and cages, along with more parking and more green space for the animals to run.
Stepniak said 4 million dollars has been authorized for a new shelter. He said a decision on the location should be made by December.
In the meantime, the HVAC system has been fixed, and crews will repair the exhaust system and doors. Stepniak said the city doesn't want to invest a lot of money into a building that will likely be sold, but added that the fixes that have been done and will be done are much-needed for the comfort of the animals and workers.