Dogster Eddie Essig Asks for Help Finding Animals Taken from Pennsylvania Shelter
Can you help Dogster Eddie Essig find the dogs taken from a Luzerne Township, Pennsylvania animal shelter?
Hi Joy,
We live in a very rural part of south western Pennsylvania, with only a few animal rescue agencies available unless you travel into Pittsburgh 50 miles away. I picked up the morning newspaper this morning to find something very disturbing to me there. The rescue that both Sammy and Eddie were adopted from, was shut down yesterday by the Department of Agriculture.
Now, I’ve been to this shelter several times, twice to adopt Sammy and Eddie, and on several occasions to take donation items. The shelter was being operated on a 20 acre parcel of land, a farm actually. The driveway to their property ran approximately 1000 feet or better from the main road. I had previously spoken with the owner about her zoning problems. According to the article, the surrounding neighbors are planning a “block party” because this shelter was closed down. They’re saying that the smell and the flies from the shelter were unlivable. Now, if that’s the case, these neighbors are true bloodhounds! If they can smell animals from the distance they live from the shelter, they need to work in an airport sniffing drugs.
The article does not mention where the animals were taken. I seriously doubt they were taken to our local SPCA, because I volunteer there and know they are drastically overcrowded now.
Can you think of anyway to help these poor animals?
Here’s the article about the shelter closure. If you know anything about these animals or have a suggestion as to how to get more information, please bark in!
Animals removed from Luzerene Twp. shelter
By Rebekah Sungala, Herald-Standard
10/26/2007LUZERNE TWP. – Employees with the state Department of Agriculture removed several dogs from an animal shelter that has been in the midst of controversy for the last two to three years Thursday.
The dogs were taken from Faithful But Forgotten Friends and Best Buddies animal shelter on Route 166 in Hibbs.
The shelter was previously named Faithful But Not Forgotten Friends Animal Rescue and Placement Inc. and is located on 20 acres of property in Luzerne Township owned by R. Michael and Paula Barber.
Neighbors said they were glad authorities were finally taking action by removing the dogs.
Bruce Rechichar, who lives at 188 Thompson Road, and fellow neighbors gathered outside and watched from their properties as animals from the shelter were placed in cages and loaded into trucks and vans.
“I’m glad to see this happening, but I doubt if it’s over,” Rechichar said.
Rechichar said neighbors have been fighting against the animal shelter for several years and have testified against it at hearings, both locally and at the state level.
The Barbers applied for a special exception to operate an animal rescue shelter twice, once in June 2005 and again in July 2006. The Fayette County Zoning Hearing Board denied the request both times.
Paula Barber appealed the zoning hearing board’s decision made in June 2005 to Common Pleas Court but the court remanded the case to the board.
According to previous testimony before the zoning hearing board, the Barbers admitting to also operating Spite Ridge Kennels, which they allegedly used to house their own dogs.
In June 2005, Paula Barber testified that the animal shelter had already been operating for five years. She said then that the rescue was a non-profit organization that provides free and inexpensive spaying and neutering of unwanted animals.
Barber testified that the animal shelter took animals that are going to be killed from other shelters and placed them through adoption.
Follow this link to read the rest of the article from the Herald Standard.
How sad. The neighbors should be ashamed of themselves for how these animals are being treated because of them.
Exactly where were the dogs taken??? This is just to sad.
Even IF you were downwind, from the smell, don’t you think you could overlook it? As a neighbor, I might not enjoy it, but I certainly wouldn’t do anything about it, except stay indoors more and light some candles.
According to what the media is reporting, the animals were in deplorable condition and there were dead dogs found. Feel bad for the animals that were there and feel glad they have been rescued from their supposed rescuers. Seems like the family running this “shelter” or kennel or whatever should be ashamed of themselves…not the neighbors.