Oswego pet pantry offers a helping hand to local pet owners

OSWEGO, NY — Oswego County residents are coming together to help struggling pet owners with the introduction of the Oswego Pet Pantry.

This donation-based program will provide pet supplies to eligible families as long as they provide proof that their pet has been sterilized and vaccinated. If the pet hasn’t been sterilized and vaccinated, the owners must be willing to do so.

The pantry is part of Oswego County’s effort to facilitate a safer environment for pets and their owners. Each requirement of the pets has its own way of protecting either the animal or their owner. Animals that are spayed or neutered are less likely to be given to shelters because they have fewer behavioral issues. They are also less likely to wander and demonstrate lower rates of aggressive behavior than intact animals.

SUNY Oswego human development professor David Sargent explains just how dangerous an unvaccinated animal can be.

“It takes just one animal that hasn’t had rabies vaccination to spread and/or saliva anything,” he said. “If they are infected, it can get to epidemic proportions.”

Some of the items being accepted for donation to the pantry include dog or cat food, treats, and cat litter as well as flea, tick, and heart worm preventatives.

The Oswego Animal Shelter is located at 621 E. Seneca St. and is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday with extended hours on Thursdays until 7 p.m. and by appointment on Saturdays for adoptions.