Dog shelter deadlock

If Niagara Falls is going to contract with Island Pet Lodge for a new animal shelter it won’t be happening quite yet. The city council deadlocked 2-2 in a special meeting last night with Council Chairman Jim Perry and Council Person David Zajac voting for the contract requested by Mayor Robert Restaino and Council Persons Donta Myles and Brian Archie voting no.

Island Pet Lodge, with 10 years of experience as Grand Island’s municipal dog shelter, was offering 10 kennels to the city for $10,500 per month at its 2120 Alvin Road location.

Archie and Myles both had too many unanswered questions to move forward with the plan. Island Pet Lodge would replace Pit Chic, also on Grand Island, which terminated its contract but housed 13 dogs from the Falls.

Most of Myles questions could be easily answered by reading the communication on the topic sent to the council as a supporting document.

When the Niagara County SPCA terminated its contract with the city, it had more than 50 animals from Niagara Falls. Pit Chic, with 13 kennels, is routinely full. The city has one dog control officer. Citizens who call about a stray dog are frequently told to leave it where it is or take it into their home because there is no room at the shelter or the DCO is off duty.

Acting Corporation Counsel Tom DeBoy said the city has also received an offer from the SPCA to handle any overage but when Archie asked for documentation, the counsel could offer none.

Janine Gallo who represents Paws Inn the Falls, a new municipal shelter on Cayuga Drive said the SPCA offer was for neglected and abused dogs, not strays.

Gallo said Paws Inn the Falls bid on the contract but offered the services for $40,000 monthly including enough space for all the city’s stray dogs and the cost of 3 full-time DCOs.

There was one other bid for the contract, $36,805 per month but the bidder has not been identified.

There is a regular council meeting next Wednesday night. The dog shelter contract could be presented again with Council Person Traci Bax present. Bax routinely votes for whatever the mayor wants. https://www.islandpetlodge.com/