Staff reports

ELMSFORD –

It was a dog — and cat — day afternoon at the Pets Alive Animal Sanctuary on Friday as staff and volunteers scrambled to evacuate dozens of their four-legged friends along with food and supplies after an engineer deemed the building unsafe.

"It's tough. It's a tough day, but we'll get through it," Executive Director Erin Guilshan said while an army of volunteers moved pallets of supplies, walked dogs, petted cats and helped people who showed up to adopt or foster animals. "Right now I'm more worried about the animals than the building. This is very stressful for them."

Guilshan said workers repairing the roof caused cracks throughout the 100 S. Warehouse Lane facility. Last week an engineer said there was no immediate danger, she said, but when more cracks were discovered earlier this week the engineer "found serious structural damage to the foundation, which may have been caused by a sinkhole. He said it could collapse at any time."

The decision was made to evacuate and close the shelter on Friday until repairs could be made. About 100 dogs, 80 cats and five rabbits were to be removed. Many will be kept in temporary trailers on property while others are being taken to a Pets Alive facility in Middletown. Guilshan said Mid-Hudson Animal Aid in Beacon, Bronx-based Pibbles and Kits, and the Best Friends Animal Society's New York chapter are all helping out.

"We've called all of our volunteers and we're asking for the public's help to re-home these animals through adoption or by providing foster care," Guilshan said. "Everybody's been pulling together."

She said the shelter will "be repaired or rebuilt as soon as we find out what has to be done," but said there was no timetable for making repairs.

Officials from the Greenburgh Building Department have visited the site, Guilshan said; they could not be immediately reached for comment.

Joanne Baker, a White Plains dentist who has been volunteering at the shelter for about a month, wasn't aware of the problem when she arrived shortly before noon Friday.

"This is unbelievable," she said. "I've been coming for an hour or two each day to walk dogs. I love the animals and now I'm worried about them. I hope they can fix the building quickly."

Those interested in adopting an animal can email adoptions@petsalivewest.org.

Twitter: @RichLiebson