If you find a stray pet, immediately take a photo of it and send a Facebook message with the photo, a description, and when and where the pet was found to Erie Animal Network and Erie Lost & Found Pets. Call the Erie Times-News Classifieds department and request a free found pet ad. If possible, take the pet to a veterinarian to have it scanned for a microchip. Call the local animal shelters and rescue groups to let them know you found a pet, along with its description. Always ask for proof of ownership from anyone who claims the pet.

If you find a feral cat, unfortunately it cannot be surrendered to Because You Care. However, we can offer you a voucher to get the animal spayed / neutered and get a rabies vaccine. This will ensure that it is at least not contributing to overpopulation. We recommend that after this is done that you return the cat to where it was found, as this is the cat's "home territory" and where it is most familiar.

Feral cats do not want to be inside — they are happier outside! You can make outdoor living more comfortable for them by providing food, water, and/or shelter if so desired. 

If your pet is lost, start by sending a Facebook message with a description of the pet, a photo, and when and where the pet was lost to Erie Animal Network and Erie Lost and Found Pets. Call the Classifieds department at the Erie Times-News and request a free lost pet ad. Call all the local animal shelters, rescue groups, and veterinary clinics to let them know you are missing your pet, along with its description, so they can recognize it if someone brings it in.

Because You Care does everything we can to keep our adoption fees low. This includes an in-house vet clinic to keep costs to a minimum, fundraisers to raise money for our many programs, and volunteer work to ensure we are keeping our expenses under control. However, we do not receive government or public funding, so we use adoption fees to offset our costs. Please remember that a $250 adoption fee for a dog may seem expensive, but when you consider everything you receive, it is actually quite a bargain:

• Six 1 hour training sessions ($200+)
• Spay/Neuter ($150+)
• Vaccinations ($75+)
• Wellness exam ($50+)
• Flea/tick treatment ($50+)
• Heartworm preventative ($40+)
• Microchip ($25+)
• Deworming ($20+)
• Heartworm test ($15+)

All Because You Care animals start their stay with us in foster homes, so our process requires finding an open foster home before we can agree to take an animal. 

Please note that the waiting list for cats is typically very long, and we do not accept feral cats because we do not have a facility where they can be housed.

The waiting list for dogs can vary, and sometimes we may not be able to find an appropriate foster home for your dog because of a host of reasons, including but not limited to: compatibility with other dogs, compatibility with cats, compatibility with children, or temperament issues related to aggression with people. All dog intake requests must first undergo a temperament test with a representative from BYC before we commit to take the dog.

For the health and safety of the pets in our care, we do not accept animal surrenders at our adoption center.

If you would like us to consider taking an animal from you, please complete a surrender application.

We are in constant need of scoopable cat litter, any brand, as well as cleaning supplies such as paper towels, cleaning solutions and sprays, antiseptic wipes, laundry detergent, bleach, hand soap, hand sanitizer, garbage bags, and similar items.  We greatly appreciate gift cards for Wal-Mart, Amazon, pet supply stores, etc.  Please email info@becauseyoucare.org to have a wish list emailed to you.

In addition, please consider donating items from our Amazon Wish List or our Chewy Wish List.

We can lend you a humane trap if one is available. We require a $25 refundable deposit to use a trap. We can also provide you with a voucher(s) to have the cat(s) spayed or neutered at the ANNA Wellness Clinics in Corry and Fairview. You would be responsible for trapping and transporting the cat and returning the cat to a suitable outdoor location, although we can provide advice on the best practices for performing a successful trap, neuter, and return.

The ANNA Wellness Clinic, AAA Animal Hospital (814-452-2667; 336 E. 12th St.), and the Humane Society of Northwestern Pennsylvania offer basic low-cost vet services. Also, area Pet Supplies Plus and Tractor Supply stores offer periodic vaccination services.

The minimum age is 21.

Our goal is to ensure the best possible match for every pet in our care. Your application will be reviewed by our staff. This includes contacting your landlord, if you have one, to verify that pets are allowed in your home, and contacting your veterinarian to verify that any current pets are spayed or neutered and are up to date on their vaccinations. We will then, if you haven’t already done so, ask that all members of your household visit the pet, either at the adoption center or at its foster home. If you are applying to adopt a dog, we will conduct a home visit and also a meet and greet with any other dogs in the home.

Please go to the “Volunteer” button and complete the volunteer form. Please check all types of volunteer work you are interested in. A volunteer coordinator will contact you after we receive and review your form. Volunteers in the dog center must attend an orientation (offered monthly) before starting.  Volunteers in both the cat and dog center must go through training and we ask that you commit to a weekly schedule.