11-01-10 -- Shelters' New Rules on Strays Have Towns Scrambling
By: Mari A. Schaefer, Philadelphia Inquirer
When the Delaware County SPCA recently served notice that starting in July, it will no longer accept stray cats and dogs from the county's 49 municipalities, it joined a growing list of shelters across the state - and country - that have made the same choice.
Six other animal shelters in Pennsylvania, including those in Berks and Lancaster Counties and one in Harrisburg, have made similar decisions as they try to cut back on euthanizing animals and focus on education, addressing overpopulation, animal abuse, and animal rights.
The change has created a dilemma for hundreds of townships that must find a new way to deal with stray animals, said Sue West, director of the state Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement.
"It is a very difficult juggling act for everyone right now," said West, who plans to convene a summit with private shelters in November to try to resolve some of their issues before more turn their backs on townships. Even now, she said, some humane officers must drive more than an hour to reach a shelter that will accept a township stray.
"It is...
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