Sheriff: $500K state grant will overhaul county animal shelter, bringing it into compliance
Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke
ALBION – We are pleased to announce that the Orleans County Animal Shelter, operated under the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, has received a $500,000 grant under the 2025-2026 New York State Companion Animal Projects Funds Grant Program.
The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Inspectors issued reports in 2024 and 2025 indicating that our shelter was not in compliance with current and newly enacted standards with respect to the infrastructure and animal housing areas of our facility. Undersheriff Donald Draper Jr., along with our Animal Control Officers, worked with the NYS Ag and Markets Officials to identify the areas of our shelter in need of improvement The Companion Animal Projects Grant application required a tremendous amount of work including identifying contractors to provide quotes for the mandatory upgrades to bring us into compliance with state standards.
The Orleans County Animal Shelter needs concrete replacement, drainage repair and replacement, new inside and outside kennels and related equipment, a new HVAC system for proper temperature control, electrical work and lighting, resizing the inside housing areas for dogs and cats to meet new standards along with other structural work.
The Orleans County Sheriff’s Animal Control Officers will continue to respond to calls for service regarding issues with dogs and cats. We will temporarily house cats when necessary pursuant to the NYS Public Health Law and the Agriculture and Markets Law. We currently have very limited suitable space for cats.
Our Shelter cannot be a drop-off location for cats, but we are working closely with our cat rescue partners locally and in Western New York to find suitable placements for cats in need of care and housing. We are also in the process of rebuilding our shelter’s volunteer program along with partnering with local rescues to ensure we provided the opportunity for as many animals as possible to find new homes. Our goal is to serve our community and care for our animals to the best of our ability.
