Reserves can protect animals from abuse, but not from climate change.
About 18 months ago, Catskill Animal Shelter in Saugerties, NY, rescued 42 neglected and sick sheep. Many were anemic and had foot rot, a contagious bacterial disease that can be life-threatening if left untreated in wet environments.
For the animals to recover, they need to be in a clean and dry place, said Kathy Stevens, founder and executive director of the 150-acre sanctuary. But the sheep and their new caretakers faced a rapidly developing problem: waterlogged pastures and flooded stables.
Increased rainfall, in addition to weather disruptions caused by climate change, ultimately forced the sanctuary to look for a new home, a predicament shared by a growing number of animal sanctuaries across the United States.
“It is absolutely untenable to stay here and wait for a real disaster to happen,” said Ms Stevens, who fears the regular flooding the reserve has experienced could soon become dangerous.
Climate change has resulted in warmer and wetter weather across New York, where annual precipitation has increased by 10 to 20 percent over the past century, according to a state report. The study predicts that the largest precipitation increases in coming years will occur in New York City, the Catskill Mountains region and the Lower Hudson Valley.
On the Catskill Reservation, flooding and constant humidity have led to soil erosion and tree loss. Animals' hooves often sink into saturated soil as shelter staff members undertake efforts to mitigate flooding, including installing culverts and curtain drains, but to no avail.
Ms. Stevens and the shelter's board of directors have seen changes accelerate in recent years. Now they are looking for higher land with better drainage within a 50 kilometer radius of their current location.
As it searches for higher ground, the Catskill refuge joins a number of other sanctuaries across the country that have been relocated due to climate change. Some fled forest fires and drought in western states; others on the Gulf Coast have had to contend with it hurricanes.
The exact number of moves is difficult to determine. The Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries, an accreditation agency, does not track the reasons for such steps. But the nonprofit did report an increase in the number of shelters to strengthen their disaster preparedness plans from 2022 to 2023, said Valerie Taylor, its executive director.
“Reserves that previously did not have to worry about bushfires, severe flooding or extreme heat and cold are now facing these new challenges,” Ms Taylor said. Last year, about a third of all shelters seeking accreditation strengthened their disaster plans, a 4 percent increase from the previous year, the federation said. (Some 186 animal shelters in the United States are accredited by the group.)
After entering Catskill Animal Sanctuary, about 110 miles north of New York City, the road descends into a rural valley and leads to a main farm with stables and pastures surrounding it. Animals like Buddy, a geriatric, blind horse, and Mario, a 400-pound pig with a foot injury, roam freely among chickens, ducks and cows rescued from abuse or slaughter.
It is an idyllic scene. But upon closer inspection, visitors may notice the tree stumps and exposed rocks caused by erosion, or feel their shoes sinking into boggy fields.
“Essentially, that property is in a bowl,” said Jake Wedemeyer, executive director of the Ulster County Soil and Water Conservation District, a government agency that advises farmers on agricultural practices.
Another problem, Mr. Wedemeyer said, is that the valley's clay soil retains water and drains poorly. He added that the area had not experienced sufficient frost for about five years. When the moisture in the soil freezes, it expands, breaking the compaction caused by people and livestock and improving drainage.
Ms. Stevens remembers when she first bought the Catskill property in 2002. “We only had a small number of animals, it was August and the grass was lush,” she said. “I didn't ask about the composition of the soil.”
The changes were gradual, she said, from dry summers to a few years when the property's pond remained full until about three years ago, when extreme rainfall became more common.
This year, much of the Northeast recorded one of the warmest and wettest Januarys on record, said Art DeGaetano, the director of the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University.
“I think what you're seeing is just the broader impacts of climate change,” said Dr. DeGaetano.
Several wildlife sanctuaries fleeing drought in the West are willing to take a chance on New York's wetter weather, even as they move to corners of the state that may be less affected by climate change.
Sweet farman animal shelter that also grows produce and supports climate-related technology has moved 140 animals from California's Silicon Valley to New York. Finger Lakes region in 2022 after a close call with a wildfire.
“This region was identified as the most stable on climate forecast maps,” said Nate Salpeter, who runs Sweet Sweet Farm with his wife Anna.
The area, about 75 miles south of Lake Ontario and a few hours' drive from the Canadian border, sees extreme rain, like much of New York, but also sees moderate rainfall. microclimate because of the deep bodies of water, which cool slowly in winter and warm up slowly in summer. In addition, the terrain around the lakes often slopes towards the water, which is ideal for drainage.
About 60 miles south of Sweet Farm, in The Southern Tier of New Yorkis Happy Compromise Farm + Shrinewhich relocated from Oregon in 2021.
Trading concerns about drought in the Northwest for extreme rainfall in New York brings its own challenges, the owners said. But it was a trade they were willing to make.
“We're dealing with an abundance of water here in New York,” says Eryn Leavens, founder of Happy Compromise. “But climate change is affecting every corner of the planet, and you really have to pick your battles.”