Pets Alive to Close Westchester County Shelter

Animal welfare group Pets Alive is closing its Westchester County location in Elmsford because of “skyrocketing repair and maintenance costs” due to the building becoming unsafe, officials announced.

The exact date of the closure was not disclosed, but officials said it will remain “open for several more months to rehome the animals already housed in the building.” The group is consolidating operations at its Middletown facility in Orange County, and will take all new animals at the Middletown location. No new animals will be taken in at the Elmsford facility.

“Although closing the Westchester location was a very difficult decision to make, the reality is that no amount of money is going to make this building safe in the long term,” said Erin Guilshan, Executive Director of Pets Alive Westchester, in a statement. “There are issues that cannot be fixed. We have to think about what is best and safest for our organization and our animals.”

The building, located on South Warehouse Lane in Elmsford, has become “structurally unsound” and was closed for more than four months in the spring and summer of 2014 due to cracks discovered in the building’s structure. Officials spent most of the last year exploring options to permanently repair the structure with multiple experts but “estimates to save the building total well over a million dollars with no guarantee that the building will be safe.”

In addition to the building problems, Pets Alive also found that the operating costs for the building, which exceeds 30,000 square feet, also became too difficult because much of the space goes unused but still needs to be heated, cooled and cared for.

“The Pets Alive organization believes we have a fiscal responsibility to our donors,” added Chief Financial Officer Jenessa Cutler. “Although the decision was difficult, we cannot continue to spend our donor’s funds on a building that cannot be properly repaired and costs a phenomenal amount just to maintain. This restructuring will allow us to focus more on our mission to save the lives of the animals that need us.”

Board President John Sibley said the group understands the importance of a location in Westchester and hopes to return in the future. “We are committed to exploring options to maintain a future presence in Westchester County.”

Greenburgh Town Supervisor called the decision a sad one. “Their volunteers were passionate and dedicated and thousands of happy matches took place - thanks to the shelter.”

Both Pets Alive locations have temporarily waived the adoption fee, a decision that will go on for the immediate future. The two facilities will be offering animals for adoption to qualified adopters for a donation of the adopter’s choosing. If any animals remain in Westchester over the next couple of months, they will be transferred to the Middletown location.

Pets Alive is a no kill shelter, and “wishes to emphasize that absolutely no animals will be euthanized because of this transition, and all animals will be safe.” Pets Alive remains “extremely committed to the welfare of the animals in their care and their no kill policy, and careful consideration will be paid to their stress level and health during the transition.” Enrichment programs are being developed to ensure a smooth transition for the animals. Rescue efforts for community animals will continue in the Middletown location.

The group is still receiving financial donations and volunteer help at both sites to prepare for the transition of the animals. Donations can be made at www.petsalive.org or mailed to Pets Alive, 363 Derby road, Middletown, NY 10940. Pets Alive is a registered 501c3 not-for-profit.