About Us

A black heart with two paw prints on it on a white background.

We’re more than a shelter—we’re a voice and a haven for animals across Bath, NY and the Finger Lakes region.

Who We Are

The Finger Lakes SPCA was founded in 1949 as the Bath Animal Shelter. We are a nonprofit organization supported by private donations and the local community. We serve Steuben County in West/Central New York State and the surrounding communities.


Our Mission

Our mission is to protect animals. We are dedicated to preventing animal cruelty and companion animal overpopulation. Our organization is committed to strengthening and supporting the human-animal bond through education about the humane treatment of all animals and responsible companion animal guardianship.


Our Vision

Finger Lakes SPCA envisions a time when our society celebrates the human animal bond by solving the animal overpopulation problem without euthanasia, ensuring permanent homes for every animal, and all animal suffering ends.

A black and white drawing of a dog 's paw in a circle.

Euthanasia Policy

Are you a no kill shelter?

We follow a no-kill model. We do not euthanize healthy animals, and we routinely provide medical care and treatment for sick and injured animals like a home would do. We routinely treat a variety of illnesses and injuries for as many animals as possible. Additionally, there is not a set length of stay at our shelter.


Sometimes, just like a home and all legitimate no-kill shelters, we see animals who cannot be rehabilitated. We follow veterinary guidance in determining if an animal is nonrehabilitatable and when euthanasia is recommended. This includes animals who are behaviorally unhealthy and too dangerous for our staff and volunteers to care for and too dangerous to place in our community.


Occasionally, like a home, we have to make the difficult decision to euthanize because treatment options for a significantly sick or injured animal may exceed the immediate resources needed to provide care for an animal at a given time. While rare, this may occur when we are faced with a large number of animals in need of significant medical care all at once and/or when serious communicable diseases are involved which could jeopardize the health of our entire shelter population.

Meet Our Executive Director– Michael Hopkins

Michael Hopkins has served as the Executive Director since May 2023. He previously served as volunteer bookkeeper for the FLSPCA while serving on the Board of Directors for six years. He previously served as a volunteer at the Hornell Humane Society and the Verona Street Animal Shelter in Rochester.


Michael grew up in Avoca, New York, where most of his family still resides. He and his husband of 31 years, John Clinton Bradley, live in Hornell with their animal companions Lincoln the beagle, Molly the mixed terrier, and Julius the cat, all adopted from the FLSPCA. Over the years they have lived with five different cats and five different dogs, all adopted from Shelters.


Michael graduated from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh with a BS in Education. He went on from there to attend a seminary of The Episcopal Church and was ordained a priest in 1990. He served parishes in Washington, DC, Glenn Dale, Maryland, and Rochester, New York, before retiring. He currently serves at Church of the Redeemer in Addison.



Michael brings skills in leading non-profits. He believes in a team approach to leadership, and is trained in many areas of leadership and organizational development. He also brings a passion for social justice, which for him includes the care and companionship of the animal world, as well as the whole creation. He is the author of Called to Act: The Origins of Christian Responsibility. He also has an abiding passion for mental health, and believes that even though Shelter work comes at times with great personal sacrifice, those of us who do this work must take great care to tend to our own well-being.

Meet Our Staff


  • Executive Director – Michael Hopkins
  • Executive Administrative Assistant – Janean Knowles
  • Shelter Manger – Kayla Giardina-Robbins
  • Assistant Shelter Manager – Melinda Robbins
  • Operations Director & Staff Veterinarian – Dr. Karen Doucette

Meet Our Board Members


  • President – Jean Peterson
  • Vice President – Bill Decker
  • Treasurer & Secretary – Nancy Latour
  • Board Member – Heidi Stewart
  • Board Member – Kristen Stewart
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The Shelter at River's Edge

Annually, the FLSPCA helps reunite families with lost pets and realize the adoption of hundreds of dogs and cats. Our shelter admits homeless animals from various sources, including private citizens, area dog control officers and law enforcement. Our policy is to hold all healthy animals until they can be matched to their special home irrespective of any set time. Our shelter provides veterinary care, socialization and enrichment opportunities for our shelter orphans while they wait for a family to call their own. To help ensure that our adopted animals do not contribute to overpopulation in our community, our shelter spays/neuters all canines and felines (that are medically approved) prior to adoption.

Annually, FLSPCA also provides for and adopts a small number of equines who have been received from animal cruelty cases or other crisis situations (e.g. - an owner passing and no other option for care). Our organization, in recent years, has also been called upon by law enforcement to assist with the rescue and care of some hobby farm type animals (potbellied pigs, rabbits, ducks, chickens,).

FLSPCA has helped these animal cruelty survivors with our county providing funding for their care until their animal cruelty cases were adjudicated or the animals were formally released by their owner. FLSPCA continues their care until they can be placed with a reputable rescue or into adoptive homes.