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STATE BUREAU OF DOG LAW CEASES ANIMAL CONTROL CONTRACT IN WARREN COUNTY
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January 19, 2012 (Warren, PA) Paws Along the River, Humane Society Director Karen Kolos reported that Dog Law Enforcement Director, Lynn Diehl, contacted her last week to inform her that the Dog Control Contract was cancelled immediately, due to budget cuts.
The Humane Society has been responsible for picking up stray dogs in Warren County for 11 years. In the past, the State offered a contract in lieu of Warren County not having a resident dog warden, or one that was close to our county. The contract allowed the Humane Society to pick up animals, house them, reunite them with owners, protect them from predators, being hit by a car, or biting people. Picking up stray dogs quickly also helped prevent the spread of rabies. Kolos said, "Our cruelty work in Warren County is funded completely by the Humane Society, primarily by donations and fundraisers, with some funding coming from local governments, grants when available, and pet adoptions. The loss of the Dog Control is devastating to our budget and the services we provide in Warren County."
Kolos explained that the payment received from the state contract enabled Paws Along the River to help care for and keep a place for stray dogs - 269 in 2011 alone. Though the state has offered other programs to shelters taking in strays, the contract recently cancelled required the Humane Society to be Animal Control for stray dogs in Warren County. "Without the contract," Kolos said, "not only did we lose a substantial amount of funding, we also lost our legal mandate to pick up strays; we are not allowed to pick up strays. I am concerned how the strays are going to get here. It will affect everything we do."
Of the two replacement programs offered by the state, one would require Paws Along the River to accept animals from any area of the state, for far less compensation. Kolos does not see this program as a viable replacement. "We would not have any control over the number and timing of dogs brought to our shelter. This would cause issues with the space available when new dogs arrive. The other program would pay an unknown amount at this time, for dogs leaving the shelter. These other programs are being scaled down and evaluated at this time and will not come close to our financial loss of this contract."
Kolos explained that Warren County government has not taken on the responsibility of animal control, or hired anyone to do the job, as other areas in the state. "They have not funded our efforts to help with doing our cruelty work or helping with the huge numbers of cats we take in yearly. Paws Along the River did a great job and assisted the local police picking up stray dogs. The law states that police in Pennsylvania can and shall enforce the Dog Laws; picking up strays is part of that; however, they are kept busy with people calls. We invested in equipment and a vehicle to do the job; we have trained professional people to do this difficult job."
With the loss of the contract, Dog Enforcement told Kolos that the Dog Warden, the police or the public can bring in strays. "However," Kolos said, "we know from experience that strays can be dangerous. Our current Dog Warden is located in Kane, 40 miles away. She handles 2-5 counties at a time, depending on whether she is covering for other wardens. It would be impossible for her to pick up all the strays in Warren County."
Kolos stated that Paws Along the River is trying to digest this very serious situation. "The public must realize what would happen if we were not there to take unwanted and stray animals." Yet the fight for funding has been ongoing. "We have tried for years to present our services to the townships, boroughs, city and county. Eight of these townships have never funded the Humane Society for animal services, though these outlying townships are where many strays and abandoned dogs are found." The eight non-funding areas are: Columbus, Eldred, Elk, Farmington, Freehold, Spring Creek, Sugar Grove and Bear Lake Borough. "Everyone needs to take responsibility for Animal Control," stated Kolos.
According to Kolos, the remaining governments have taken responsibility for some amount of funding. She said, "They give what they want, not what is requested. The City of Warren has always responded to our requests. And at this time, the County funds us $1,000 annually, a considerable difference than the $5000 they used to fund. Our funding is variable, which makes it difficult when planning our annual budget. The Animal Control Contract with the State Bureau of Dog Law contributed to our annual funds, allowing us to maintain our wonderful shelter."
Despite continual loss of funding, Kolos said that, "Like the police and fire departments, or the hospital, the Paws Along the River shelter must be there when needed. We are here for the people and animals that need us. While we wish to be able to continue to pick up strays, we cannot afford to do it for free. Therefore, it is with regret that we must inform all Warren County residents that Paws Along the River is unable to pick up stray dogs."
Kolos explained that the difficult decision had to be made to use what funds they still have to keep the shelter open and continue to provide cruelty services. "We hope in a time of declining government support that we can afford to continue at least that work."
Residents who have a stray, or want to report a stray are asked to call the Dog Warden in Kane at 814-837-7813. You can also call your local police, but you are advised to be cautious and report any dangerous dogs to the official Dog Warden. In closing, Kolos emphasized, "Everyone needs to take responsibility for animal control. What if it was your dog?" She encouraged all comments on this issue be directed to your state and local representatives.
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