County Executive McMahon Announces $150,000 Stabilization Funding for the CNY SPCA
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Onondaga County Executive J. Ryan McMahon, II today announced that it will
provide $150,000 in stabilization funding to the Central New York SPCA (CNYSPCA) to ensure
continuity of essential animal sheltering, veterinary care, humane services, and public safety support
during a period of organizational transition.
The CNYSPCA serves as a critical public partner for municipalities, law enforcement agencies, and
community organizations. The shelter provides a safe, legally compliant placement for stray, abandoned, seized, neglected, and surrendered animals, helping maintain public safety and uphold local and state requirements for animal care and custody.
The stabilization investment will prevent reductions in shelter operations that could affect intake
capacity, veterinary care, humane law-enforcement activity, and responsiveness to urgent community
needs.
“The CNYSPCA plays an important role in supporting our municipalities, law enforcement, and
families across Onondaga County,” said County Executive Ryan McMahon. “This funding ensures the
organization can continue performing essential public health and public safety functions while it works
through its transition. Supporting the stability of the CNYSPCA ultimately supports the stability of our
entire community.”
A reduction in shelter capacity would leave municipalities with fewer placement options for stray and
homeless animals, potentially increasing risks related to bites, traffic hazards, neighborhood safety
concerns, and public complaints. The County’s investment will help preserve timely intake and safer
management of stray animal populations.
Public health protections are also strengthened through this funding. Shelters provide vaccinations,
quarantine spaces, parasite control, and safe handling of animals with unknown medical backgrounds.
Stabilization support will enable the CNYSPCA to maintain veterinary assessments, isolation and
disease management, and timely medical care, helping limit the spread of communicable diseases.
The funding also supports humane law-enforcement functions addressing animal cruelty, neglect,
hoarding, and abandonment. These cases require immediate sheltering, medical care, and
documentation. Maintaining adequate staffing and capacity ensures timely response and the safe
removal of animals from dangerous situations.
“This support from Onondaga County comes at a crucial time for our organization,” said Danielle
Basciano, Operations Director for the CNY SPCA. “It allows us to stabilize operations, maintain core
services, and continue providing safe shelter, medical care, and humane response for animals who rely
on us. We are grateful to the County for recognizing how essential our work is to both animal welfare
and community well-being.”
County officials emphasized that stabilizing the CNYSPCA protects broader community systems—
including rescue organizations, veterinarians, food pantries, domestic violence service providers, and
families experiencing crisis—who depend on the shelter as part of the region’s public safety, public
health, and human services infrastructure.
The County’s $150,000 stabilization grant will be used to maintain staffing, preserve intake capacity,
sustain veterinary care, support humane investigations, and ensure safe and effective operations while
the organization continues its transition and financial recovery.
