EGYPT, N.Y. — According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), animals, especially dogs, are in shelters longer than they were five years ago, creating a surplus of animals, leading to shelters being at full capacity. This article profiles and explores how and if Lollypop Farm may be dealing with this, along with how the nonprofit shelter deals with the concerns.
Nationally, the ASPCA said there’s been a small decline in animals entering shelters in recent years, and the average number of days for animals in shelters until adoption has also decreased in 2025, but shelters have reported longer lengths of stay, especially for larger dogs.
News10NBC talked with Vicky Pape, the director of animal placement at Lollypop Farm for answers.
“We still are having people coming and adopting, but the need for intake has grown so significantly that the adoptions is just not keeping up with the need in our community right now,” Pape explained.
Taking in animals
For context, at Lollypop Farm, animals are more likely to be surrendered, rather than picked up as strays.
Pape said the most common reasons why Lollypop Farm brings in animals is becuase of housing insecurity, along with animals that come from the organization’s Humane Law Enforcement Team, more than strays. “The largest reason right now for our intakes are housing insecurities, so people not having a place to live with their pet, and are animals who come from our humane law enforcement team,” she said.
She said strays are one of the higher reasons, but not the most common. “Strays, one of the higher reasons. But, those two are the top reasons we’re having animals come in,” she added.
The farm’s Humane Law Enforcement Team aims to investigate and enforce state animal cruelty laws. Each county has only one Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) designation, which is a non-profit that works to rescue strays, find new homes for animals, and prevent animal abuse. Lollypop Farm, which has this designation, covers Monroe, Genesee, Livingston, and Orleans counties.
Additionally, the farm’s law enforcement team has five humane investigators and a dispatcher, acting under state law.
Animal placement concerns
The concern over the trends of fewer adoptions compared to animals entering shelters isn’t just a local problem, data shows the trend spans across the country. In 2025, the ASPCA said 5.8 million dogs and cats went into shelters and rescues, however, only 4.2 million animals were adopted into homes. This leads to the concern that many shelters have too many animals because adopting isn’t happening fast enough, overall.
“This is something that is not unique to our community, it’s something that is being seen as, you know, people are looking at their budgets and thinking about the cost of gas, and the cost of food,” Pape said.
“The amount of adoptions we’re doing is still fairly strong, when we compare to other numbers, but it’s, you know, when we compare it to last year, we’re still adopting out the same amount,” said Pape.
Solutions: Fostering, rehoming tools, new dog holding space, and more
Fostering
Pape says fostering is a common solution to fight back against shelter overcrowding.
“Fostering is one of our big ways to move an animal into a foster home to free up a cage or kennel for another animal coming in,” she explained.
She said people can foster for a week, a month, or longer. To see what animals are available for fostering, visit their website here. On the page, it varies how many and what animals are available.
“One thing in communities we see sometimes is long-term fosters. To try and put them in a place while this person looks for a new home, and the need for that is extremely great,”
To sign up and/or learn more about being a foster volunteer, click here and here.
Rehoming tools
She also said rehoming websites are helpful for those who need to give away a pet. Losing a job, moving, divorce, or the death of a loved one can result in owners giving their animals away.
Lollypop Farm works with Home-To-Home, an online pet placement service which aims to help pet owners find new homes for their animals, temporary or permanent.
To learn more about Home-To-Home, click here.
Additionally, Lollypop Farm is also teamed up with adoptapet.com, which works with 15,000 shelters and rescues, aiming to help people find a pet faster with search filters, pet alerts, adoption advice, and more.
Over 223,000 pet adoptions have happened through the service.
For more information on adoptapet.com, click here.
Kindness for All Kind
There’s a Lollypop Farm project called “Kindness for All Kind,” which includes multiple renovations and improvements. It includes:
New animal intake center Enhanced dog holding facilities Karpus Family Foundation Learning Center Welcome center Expanded farm facilities Modernized maintenance barn Donations and support centerFor more information on the Kindness of All Kind project and its progress, click here.
Empty the Shelters adoption event
From Sept. 18 through 30, Lollypop Farm is partnered with Bissell Pet Foundation, hosting its Empty the Shelters adoption event.
In the event, adoption fees are reduced. Adoption fees for dogs ages seven months through six years will be reduced to $70, and cats in the same age range are available for $50. Adoption fees are waived for animals that are ages six and older.
For more information on that, click here.
See our previous article on Empty the Shelters here: Lollypop Farm reducing adoption fees as part of ‘Empty the Shelters’ adoption event
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Lollypop Farm delays non-emergency dog intakes, encourages more people to adopt Good Question: What is Lollypop Farm in Fairport building?Animals spend more time in shelters nationwide; Lollypop Farm navigates concerns WHEC.com.
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