Animal shelter in desperate need of new home for dogs, cats

CANASTOTA, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — Wanderers’ Rest Humane Association in Canastota is working to build a new spacious and comfortable home for its furry friends, but they say need the publics help to do so.

For nearly the past decade, there’s been little rest for Wanderers’ Rest Humane Association.

“As we move, you’ll see why we need a new shelter. The red door is our isolation unit, it’s very small,” said Sarah Murdie, executive director of Wanderers’ Rest Humane Association.

The shelter has been helping animals for 40 years, but it’s taken the past 10 to try and build a new space.

“It was facilitated in the 1980s. We have been in the Canastota area since then, since inception and it is out-dated,” said Murdie.

Outdated, old and falling apart, making it difficult for both its employees and the overload of cats and dogs they continue to see.

“We try to keep things really tidy, really organized, we have very little space to monkey around with like I say,” said Murdie.

And little to monkey around with the budget. The cost of building a new shelter is pretty hefty.

“Our project total cost from shovel to door knobs is about 5.2 million,” said Murdie.

But Wanderers’ Rest still needs about $4,000,000. However, the cost isn’t all that’s caging up for the organization.

“Unfortunately our huge roadblock is working with the local government to get zoning passed land procured that will allow us to do business.=,” said Murdie. “So we’ve done some work with the Village of Canastota that’s not been fruitful. But we’re still exploring the last of an option there and we have one other piece of land in site.”

In addition to exploring land in the village, they are also looking at property in the town of Lenox.

Currently, there’s 86 cats and 41 dogs living on and off site. In total, the shelter is housing 127 animals, and are way over full capacity. However, the new shelter would change that. Instead, it would allow all animals to be housed under one roof.

“The new shelter will be state-of-the-art. It will create flow that is healthy for animals and the staff and the humans that are working in the space together,” said Murdie.

Something its current shelter is far from. Right now, they’re looking for monetary donations, pet necessities like food, blankets, as well as volunteers.

Wanderers’ Rest is hoping to get a shovel in the ground this year, with hopes of opening its new shelter by 2026.

You can click here to learn how you can help.

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