American pit bull terrier mix Einstein is one year and 7 months old and available for adoption at the Chenango SPCA. Now through June 30, adoption fees are 50 percent off, making dog adoption fees just $77.50. (Photo from the Chenango SPCA Facebook page)

CHENANGO COUNTY — The Chenango SPCA is running an adoption special now through June 30 that cuts the price of adoption in half, making cat adoption fees just $50 and dog adoption fees $77.50.

Chenango SPCA Executive Director Patrick McLaughlin said the idea was proposed by Shelter Manager Kathy Wyder, to help address the over capacity, with 18 dogs and 116 cats in their care and in foster care.

"The adoption fees that we charge don’t really cover the cost of housing our animals anyway. So if we can make adoptions happen faster by reducing our prices, it’s ultimately worth it," said McLaughlin.

"Compared to previous years, the cat population we have right now isn’t crazy. It’s been higher at this point in the year [in] previous years. But it’s still a lot, to be clear. We have plenty of cats ready for adoption," he continued. "The dog kennels, though, are quite full and that makes it hard because you just never know when a town’s dog control officer is going to bring you more dogs. And so having full kennels already makes that very hard."

He said the influx of animals is partially due to kitten and puppy season, as more animals being born simply means a greater chance of strays who are picked up and brought to the shelter.

The high number of dogs is especially difficult, McLaughlin said, as the shelter isn't able to turn away dog control officers, meaning their numbers could increase at any time. Plus, the lack of room can force the shelter to house sick dogs next to healthy ones rather than in isolation until they recover.

"We’re not allowed to turn the dog control officers away. So what that means is we have to sometimes find creative alternatives to the dog kennels and temporarily shuffle animals around until we can make these adoptions happen," he explained. "It’s especially tough if we have a dog who’s sick or something like that and needs isolation because we usually like to keep them in a different part of the building than the others as much as we can. But when all the dog kennels are full, there's going to be a dog right next to that one, which may not always be the best thing."

"It’s operating without a buffer. Every kennel is spoken for at the moment, so if we could free up a couple of them by increasing the adoptions that’s a huge help," he added.

Adopting a dog or cat from a shelter can greatly change the life of the animal, McLaughlin said.

"People should adopt from a shelter for a couple of reasons. One is just the knowledge that you are genuinely providing a safer and better life to an animal that really needs it," he said.

"Sometimes maybe there’s the perception that shelter animals are going to come with the animal equivalent, I guess, of emotional baggage. I understand that," he continued. "But what we call emotional baggage, or just the animal having a personal history, to me is one of the things that means this individual animal already has a story, and that story may have been sad up to now. Wouldn't it be great to be the person who gives them a happy ending?"

Additionally, animals housed at the Chenango SPCA are microchipped and spayed or neutered, which improves the health and safety of the animals before they're placed in their forever home. They also receive consistent and attentive veterinary care to keep them healthy, treat illnesses or injury, or manage chronic ailments.

"What’s different about us then is the dog you get from us is going to be microchipped, spayed and neutered, and if it has an illness or an injury, or some other kind of chronic condition, we’re going to know about it and we’re going to be able to provide you with the information you need to keep them healthy," McLaughlin explained.

"An animal you get from a different source might still have those issues, but you may not know about it before you get the animal. And that’s the kind of thing that can be a financially burdensome surprise, to say nothing of potentially a very sad situation if it’s something beyond the means of the family."

Adoption applications are available at ChenangoSPCA.org/adoptions and at the Chenango SPCA, located at 6160 County Road 32 in Norwich.

Before an application is approved, references will be contacted, as well as the adopter's veterinarian to make sure their current pets are up to date on vaccines and spayed or neutered, if applicable. Once the application is approved, adopters can then visit with the cats and dogs at the shelter to pick out their new companion.

Individuals can also support the Chenango SPCA by visiting their summer garage sales from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 15 and August 5. Donated items are set up in the SPCA parking lot and sold for any reasonable donation, meaning there are no set prices on items.

Donations to the Chenango SPCA garage sales can be dropped off at the shelter during their visiting hours of noon to 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, and noon to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays. The SPCA does not accept furniture, clothing, or unusable items such as VHS tapes for the garage sales.

All proceeds from the garage sale go toward the $370,000 annual cost to run the shelter and care for the animals.

More information on the Chenango SPCA and their adoptable animals can be found at ChenangoSPCA.org or on the Chenango SPCA Facebook page.