Discovering Buffalo's Heartwarming City Animal Shelters

Often celebrated for its architectural gems and rich history, Buffalo is home to more than just landmarks and lakefront views. Nestled within are heartwarming city animal shelters that genuinely express the Spirit of Buffalo's community: a profound love for animals. Discover the animal havens in and around Buffalo and see firsthand its unwavering commitment to animal welfare.

City of Buffalo Animal Shelter

380 N Oak Street, Buffalo, NY 14203

Working hard for the Queen City, the City of Buffalo Animal Shelter provides shelter, food, and care to its abused, injured, lost, and abandoned animals. It reunites families with lost pets, keeps potentially dangerous animals off the streets, and finds forever-loving homes for adoptable animals. This shelter has various animals for adoption, such as dogs, cats, bunnies, horses, birds, and even fish and barnyard animals.  If you want to help their four-legged friends, you can sign up for volunteer work.

Learn more about the City of Buffalo Animal Shelter

Tabby Town Cat Adoption Center

3701 Mckinley Parkway 830, Buffalo, NY 14219

Calling itself a Cat Adoption Center and Rescue Cooperative, Tabby Town is managed by dedicated volunteers who love and care for these kitties. It is also known as a "rescued cat's home between homes" because of its relentless efforts to bring cats and kittens closer to the public in the hopes of finding them forever families. Aside from its growing foster programs, Tabby Town also rehomes cats that were surrendered for various reasons.

Learn more about Tabby Town Cat Adoption Center

Buddy's Second Chance Rescue

415 N. French Road. Amherst, NY 14228

Saving as many dogs as they can from city animal shelters in Buffalo and its surrounding areas, Buddy's Second Chance Rescue believes that all dogs matter regardless of location. Hence, the volunteers go out of their way to give them a second chance at a beautiful life. Inspired by the real-life Buddy rescued before his scheduled euthanasia, this animal shelter places these rescued dogs in foster homes until they find fur-ever homes. It has adoptable dogs in their care if you're looking for your new BFF or take advantage of Buddy & Friends, the shelter's doggie daycare.

Learn more about Buddy's Second Chance Rescue

Feral Cat Focus

P.O. Box 404, East Aurora, NY 14052

Founded in 2003, feral Cat FOCUS, Inc. is dedicated to helping end the feral and free-roaming community cat overpopulation in Western New York. It advocates using TNVR (trap-neuter-vaccinate-return) as a long-term solution. It believes this is the most humane and effective way to stabilize the population, improve cats' lives, and help the entire community. This 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization also offers high-volume, low-cost spay/neuter surgery, guidance, and long-term care and management for feral caregivers. It also educates the public about the importance of TNVR.

Learn more about Feral Cat Focus 

Second Chance Sheltering Network

PO Box 175, Spring Brook, NY 14140

A no-kill, foster-based organization, Second Chance Sheltering Network, Inc. helps stray, orphaned, abandoned, and abused cats. It spays/neuters the animals it takes in, gives them all the required shots and deworms, checks them for feline leukemia, and then places them in foster homes. They do this by showcasing at a local adoption center to help them find loving families of their own. It also works hard to reduce the number of unwanted animals and stop the killing of excess pets. It focuses on "street rescue" by establishing maintained and supervised feral cat colonies.

Learn more about Second Chance Sheltering Network

Niagara SPCA

2100 Lockport Rd., Niagara Falls, NY 14304-1156

A non-profit city animal shelter located in Niagara Falls, New York, the Niagara County SPCA offers a wide range of services, including temporary shelter for abandoned, abused, surrendered, or rescued animals and helping them get adopted into loving homes. Additionally, this shelter investigates reports of animal cruelty and abuse and provides pet licensing services.

Learn more about Niagara SPCA

Joyful Rescues

Cuba, NY 14727

Proud to claim that they will never euthanize to give space, Joyful Rescues takes in cats, kittens, dogs, and puppies in need. They save them from puppy mills, high-kill shelters, and other dire situations. It then provides housing for them, food, and medical care, including vaccinations, flea treatment, and spay/neuter. It is also active in educating the public on the importance of controlling the animal population, the horrors of puppy mills, and pet store/internet puppies for sale.

Learn more about Joyful Rescues

Ten Lives Club

3741 Lake Shore Rd, Blasdell, NY 14219

Another city animal shelter focusing on helping cats and kittens in need, Ten Lives Club (TLC) is dedicated to reducing the number of kitties euthanized due to lack of shelter space. It was founded in 2001 and has since saved the lives of and helped over 40,000 cats via rescue, adoption, spay/neuter services, or feral feeding assistance. It has a main shelter and several satellite locations where they house their adoptable cattos. It was recognized by Best Friends Animal Society as having a No-Kill Shelter Status in 2023, thanks to its 98% save rate.

Learn more about Ten Lives Club

SPCA Serving Erie County

300 Harlem Road  |  West Seneca, NY 14224

Working tirelessly to fulfill the dream of every furry friend having a loving home, SPCA Serving Erie County provides a safe haven for homeless animals in the area and beyond. It provides compassionate care, unconditional love, and support to rescued, abandoned, lost, and surrendered pets. It gives them temporary homes, quality food, and medical care while working to find them forever homes. This local animal shelter also holds educational programs, community outreach, and cruelty investigations.

Learn more about SPCA Serving Erie County

Pets Alive WNY

7007 Campbell Blvd., Pendleton, NY 14120

With the primary goal of saving animals from euthanasia, Pets Alive WNY has raised over a million dollars in 2024 alone, and their best is yet to come! Founded in 2006, this shelter was born out of the strong urge to fight against kill shelters, especially those that allow only 3 days for animals to be claimed, otherwise, they will be destroyed. Formerly known as Buffalo Humane, they have opted for rebirth, aptly calling themselves Pets Alive.

Learn more about Pets Alive WNY