Published Wednesday, September 25, 2002
Herald Staff Writer
The Humane Society of Mercer County will have new digs to howl about now that the Farrell Zoning Hearing Board has approved construction of a new headquarters, which will include a kennel, an office and a small store.
"We're hoping to have a groundbreaking within the next two weeks," said Rick Harakal, president of the society's board. Harakal, who owns a car repair shop and notary service at 649 Roemer Blvd. in Farrell, has agreed to sell some of his property across the street to the agency via a land contract.
"It's giving the agency a home base in which to operate and make them more effective," said Farrell Mayor Bill Morocco, who Harakal said "went to bat for the agency" during a hearing on Friday. "It's also new construction; it's development; it's showing signs of movement in the city."
Concerns that the kennel would cause noise or odor problems in the neighborhood were also addressed by Harakal and the agency's Executive Eirector Sandi Drabick of Farrell.
"We must follow the Pennsylvania state kennel laws. If at any time, the state dog warden would come in and smell anything on the outside, it would be much worse on the inside, and we would be shut down," Mrs. Drabick said.
Plans call for the kennel to be enclosed, within the two-story building.
Morocco said his worries were eased a bit, "because Mr. Harakal showed up at the hearing with a petition with the names of people in the same neighborhood and the names of at least two council people.
Harakal, who became board president about eight months ago, explained the reason why he was working with the humane society to help it create a permanent home.
"I've always been an animal lover, and they asked me to help out several years ago. Next thing I knew I was on the board," Harakal said. "When I became board president, the one thing I said I was going to do in my term was get them a shelter. It makes it very difficult to operate without one."
Harakal and Mrs. Drabick are also asking for help from the community to support the effort. The project is estimated to cost about $150,000, but both are hoping donated materials and labor and fund-raisers will cover the costs.
A poker run held Saturday in Transfer raised $1,200.
The next fund-raiser is a Sweetest Day Dine, Dance and Doo-Wop set for Oct. 19 in St. Bartholomew Church's social hall in Sharpsville.
"We're going to have the Four Dots, the El Capris, William Dell and the Wee Jams, along with a surprise master of ceremonies," Mrs. Drabick said, referring to the "most well-known and oldest D.J. out of Pittsburgh."
Three hundred tickets are available at a cost $25 each.
"There is an animal shelter on Broadway that has had county support and when Strayhaven was destroyed, the county rallied around and rebuilt it and that was wonderful," Mrs. Drabick said of the Shenango Valley Animal Shelter operated by the Regional Council of Governments and of the fire that destroyed the Hempfield Township animal shelter.
"We're just asking the county to do the same for us."
For more information, contact the Humane Society of Mercer County at (724) 981-5445.