Rensselaer County, New York Needs a Countywide Animal Shelter!

Rensselaer County is a growing, prosperous county in New York State. With such growth comes companion animals, namely beloved dogs and cats. For decades, Mohawk Hudson Humane Society in Albany County served as the animal shelter for Rensselaer County. However, the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society no longer has the capacity to serve both counties and has thus severed contracts with numerous Rensselaer County municipalities, leaving the vast majority of our 14 towns 6 villages and 2 cities without an adequate location in which to secure stray, unwanted abused or neglected cats and dogs, to house animal victims of cruelty cases, and in which to adopt, relinquish or identify these pets.

With no central animal shelter in the county, we are facing a growing problem of companion animals running at large, municipalities will be threatened with rabies, toxoplasmosis, threats to human health, safety, and wildlife, and decreased property values.

Current initiatives, such as keeping stray dogs in jail cells, feed stores, garages or other counties are insufficient, dangerous and inhumane.

Rensselaer County constituents have repeatedly voiced the need and desire for a central and county-wide animal shelter 

We the undersigned constituents appeal to the Rensselaer County Executive, Steve McLaughlin, and the members of our County Legislature, to institute a Shelter Committee and draw upon county models in existence, to begin and follow through with a sorely needed animal shelter for Rensselaer County.