Animal shelter problem appears solved

Niagara Falls has been trying to leave the Niagara County SPCA for a few years now, and is on a temporary agreement for the shelter to house stray dogs captured in the city.

The topic is on the agenda for 6 p.m. tonight at City Hall.

Tonight the city council will hear a proposal from Mayor Robert Restaino to enter into a new agreement with Pit Chic, a municipal animal shelter that lists a Grand Island Boulevard, Grand Island place of business.

Pit Chic is already contracted with the City of Tonawanda and offers training for good dogs with bad habits. The proprietor is Kelli Swagel.

The SPCA has been consistently overwhelmed by pit bulls rescued from Niagara Falls and seems to usually be at or above capacity.

Pit Chic’s Facebook page leads to Rescue Buffalo which 6 days ago posted a story about 8 dogs turned over from Niagara Falls that were “altered.” (A polite way to say spayed or neutered.)

According to reporting by Rick Pfeiffer in this morning’s Gazette, the deal, with Pit Chic Inc., would run through Dec. 31, 2024 at a cost to the city of $20,270 a month for the sheltering of up to 17 dogs, Any additional dogs would be taken in at a rate of $37 a day.

Pfeiffer reported the mayor said the city has agreed to pay Pit Chic a rate of $675.60 a day for sheltering services until the proposed agreement with the company is executed. The city has also agreed to purchase 14 kennels to house seized dogs, on an emergency basis, at a cost of $13,000. Once the proposed agreement is approved, the city will purchase another 31 kennels for the shelter. Under the terms of the deal, Pit Chic will maintain the kennels, but the city will continue to own them and they can only be used to house dogs seized by the Falls.

Dogs from Niagara Falls already at the SPCA will remain there under an agreement that expires at the end of the year.

Nowhere in the article does it mention where the dogs will be housed. The article also contained this sentence (sic), “once the preposed agreement is approved, the city will purchase another 31 kennels for the the shelter.” (It likely means a burned out editor who doesn’t really read or edit copy was on the desk. I never blame Rick.)

In other items on the agenda:

• Restaino is proposing $300,000 be allocated from American Rescue Plan funds to emergency demolitions.
• The city will accept a $1.24 million grant for the GIVE initiative which targets gun involved violence.
• Regional Environmental Demolition will be awarded $1.281 million in ARP funds for 2023/24 sidewalk replacements.
• Unexpended community development block grants funds from 2020, 21 and 22 totaling more than $400,000 will be allocated in the amount of $100,000 for NACC facility improvements, $100,000 for Christ Redemption roof replacement; $100,000 to first-time homebuyer programs and $50,000 for owner-occupied rehab.
• The council also is being asked by Kenny Tompkins to approve an agreement with the state to shift bike infrastructure in LaSalle to better connect a rideable path between LaSalle Waterfront Park and the pedestrian bridge over Cayuga Creel.
• Last item on the agenda is issuing a positive declaration of environmental impact for the US Bitcoin data mining facility on Buffalo Avenue.