Pepsi grant provides beds for dogs in need

 

EAST SMITHFIELD – Thanks to a Pepsi Refresh Grant, administered through the Animal Rescue Aid organization based out of Georgia, the dogs at the Animal Care Sanctuary in East Smithfield are high and dry – even those who were brought into the shelter following the flooding. The beds, which came in two different sizes, arrived in shipments to the East Smithfield shelter this week, and were soon distributed to some of the dogs housed at the facility.

According to Kellie Roberts, canine care supervisor, 50 beds arrived over the last week. The shelter, which currently houses 90 dogs, and cares for another nine in the recently re-opened shelter in Wellsboro, Pa., has a large kennel area with concrete floors for the dogs within the pens.

Roberts explained that although they had some beds, many of the dogs were sleeping on pallets with blankets. The new beds, she added, are softer, and will keep them higher off the ground.

Animal Care Sanctuary was selected to receive 50 of the 650 beds acquired by Animal Rescue Aid through a nomination process that spanned over a period of several weeks.

“This is a big deal for us,” Roberts said. “A lot of our supporters try to get us things like food, so this is a big deal,” she added.

On Friday, a trip to the sanctuary located on a hill off of Milan/East Smithfield Road allowed for a closer look at the beds, and how the animals reacted to receiving them.

In a busy office area located in a building adjacent to the dog kennels, a frustrated Erin Johnson was fielding calls from people who want to surrender their animals.

As one might imagine, the overpopulation of animals across the nation is not only heartbreaking, its epidemic as shelters struggle each day to find homes for animals, and to make room for those arriving each day.

In this rural Pennsylvania area, the existing problems of pet homelessness were only exacerbated by the recent flooding that was widespread in the area following Tropical Storm Lee in September.

According to Joan Smith-Reese, director at the sanctuary, there were issues prior to the flooding that were leading to overcrowding in area shelters – mainly problems resulting from the influx of gas drilling in the area.

“The big thing is rentals,” said Smith-Reese. She explained that some of the workers in the industry who come to the area to work on the gas wells will bring their animals, and when they find they don’t have a place to keep them – they surrender them. Primarily, she noted, it’s a landlord issue.

“Then,” Smith-Reese added, “the flooding exacerbated things.”

Johnson, who works at the front desk fielding these calls daily, has also been keeping track of the animal surrender calls that come in, and annotating the reasons why the animals are being surrendered.

“Nine times out of ten,” said Johnson, “people are getting evicted, and the landlords out there aren’t accepting pets.”

As of 4 p.m. on Friday, Johnson had taken four calls for the surrender of approximately six dogs. They are also inundated with calls for the surrender of cats.

“Half the cats that come in we can’t even enter into the computer before another one comes in,” Johnson added.

And with rental rates on the rise because of the gas drilling industry, those who are earning less are being forced out of their homes, Johnson explained. “The average rent for one room in Bradford County,” she said, “is about $500 per week.”

Ultimately, when people are forced to move, and are in turn unable to find a place to rent that allows pets, the shelters fill up quickly.

But in spite of the 90 dogs being housed currently at the sanctuary, and the literally hundreds of cats, the staff and volunteers remain focused on the mission to care for the animals who reside within the sanctuary, and within the community.

Following the September flooding, the Animal Care Sanctuary temporarily housed animals for residents who were displaced until they could either return home, or find adequate housing.

On Friday, Smith-Reese was happy to report that the sanctuary was finally able to move the animals back out. “They’re either going back to their owners, or they’re getting adopted,” she added.

The sanctuary also took in an additional 20 cats and 14 dogs recently from Stray Haven Humane Society, located over the Pennsylvania border in neighboring New York.

“They ran out of room,” said Smith-Reese.

But for the dogs at the sanctuary, life just got a little better thanks to the beds received this past week.

Walking out to the dog kennels, a chain reaction occurred as the dogs, of all shapes and sizes, began to communicate with each other. Walking past one kennel in particular, a lovely black dog cowered in the corner of her cage. Her story is just one of many to be told.

In a kennel on the end, Roberts selected a bed to give to a beautiful dog named Bettie. A faithful dog to an aging owner, Bettie found herself homeless when her owner died, and was fortunate enough to have found shelter at the sanctuary.

Described as having “separation anxiety,” Bettie was soon to receive a new bed.

Placing the bed nearby Bettie, she merely sniffed it at first, but then got right up on it. She turned to Roberts and nuzzled her face, as if to say thank you.

Bettie sat on that bed for quite some time, enjoying its newness.

Next, Mecca, an Elderbull, was given one of the beds. Not wasting any time, she immediately sat upon it and gave a similar nuzzle to Roberts.

These animals don’t have much that they can call their own, but just for today they’re a bit warmer, and a bit more comfortable thanks to the help received from rescue organizations like the Animal Rescue Aid, and to projects like the Pepsi Refresh grant for offering this generous assistance to homeless animals.

To learn more about Animal Rescue Aid, visit them on-line at www.AnimalRescueAid.org, or Like them on Facebook. The Animal Rescue Aid currently has a project that allows for small donations to assist in funding more beds for animals.

To learn more about Animal Care Sanctuary, visit them on-line at www.animalcaresanctuary.org, or call them at (570) 596-2200.