SYRACUSE -- The CNY Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is finding it tough to continue animal cruelty investigations.
New state rules transferred dog licensing duties to municipalities. The SPCA used to receive money from Onondaga County with licensing fees. Now municipalities are receiving that money.
SPCA officials have contacted towns and villages about using some of the revenue to pay for animal cruelty investigations. DeWitt and Clay have already inked deals with the CNY SPCA, but CNY SPCA Executive Director Paul Morgan says that an agreement needs to be reached with the city of Syracuse.
Morgan says the SPCA is looking for $10,000 from Syracuse. Right now investigators answer about 1,500 calls for animal cruelty cases in the city.
If the CNY SPCA could not handle investigations in Syracuse duties would fall into the laps of Syracuse Police. Morgan says that's okay for charging criminals, but caring for victimized animal in the aftermath could become problematic.
We contacted Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner's office about the story, but it has not returned our call yet.
