`Building shelter isn’t easy`

By Kim Curry
Herald Staff Writer
While debate continues over proposed animal control ordinances among the six municipalities that belong to the Mercer County Regional Council of Governments, a bone of contention has popped up in a neighboring township.

The Humane Society of Mercer County has for several years planned to build a shel-ter for abused, abandoned and neglected dogs and cats.

The society, which does not collect strays, currently has $15,000 in a shelter fund, said Tammy Treimer of Sharon, who has been the society president since 1993. But that will pay only for a small-flow septic system required by the state Department of Environ-mental Protection, Meadville office.

They are trying to raise at least $85,000 worth of building funds through donations, alu-minum can collections and an all-terrain vehicle raffle.

The society is also hoping to get donations of materials and labor for the building Brett Treimer, Tammy’s husband, drew up the shelter plans himself. The main part is going to be at least 3,300 square feet and will include 10 outdoor runs. Inside will be a room for stackable cat cages.

But they’re working against the clock and a couple of stone walls. They need a building permit from Jefferson Township before they can build the shel-ter on land they own on South Bend Road.

But they need the septic permit first and that could take at least another two months, Mrs. Treimer said.

And last month the town-ship sent the society a letter about a steel building on the site which houses dogs. It’s in violation because it’s a kennel that stands only 10 feet from the property line instead of the required 100 feet.

Mrs. Treimer, who notes the abutting property is a field, said the society was given a one-week extension that ex-pired Friday.

She said Friday night she had left calls for the township zoning officer and solicitor but didn’t know where the case stood.

“Obviously the animals aren’t going to be out of there by tomorrow,’’ she said. Township zoning officer Gregory Zahuranec wrote a warning letter April 15 that said on March 27 he saw seven dogs in the pen at-tached to the house and an-other five in the shed, Mrs. Treimer said.

The Humane Society is not allowed to keep dogs on the property in its present condi-tion, the township zoning hearing board ruled in 1992, the letter said.

“The township doesn’t want to put them out but the law is the law,’’ said township secre-tary Sandra Durney. “I believe the township and humane society are working together.’’ Zahuranec echoed that sen-timent. He noted that Mrs. Treimer need not worry about a deadline because no citation has been issued. Zahuranec added he would talk to the township solicitor to determine if and when one might be issued.

Besides the 100-foot prop-erty line requirement, kennels must include a fence or wall at least six feet tall.

The society has used the steel building on the site for about a year, Mrs. Treimer said, noting that most of the dogs were previously kept at the house of the society’s former police officer but she retired.

Moving is not an option, Mrs. Treimer said, because the society owes about $50,000 on the property, which in-cludes a house as well as the steel building.

“Hopefully we can get a loan to cover both the house and shelter,’’ she said.

Last week she counted about a dozen dogs in the steel building and three in the house with society police offi-cer Elke Quinby who is also a police officer for the Jefferson-Clark Regional Police Department.

Until a couple days ago the society counted 30 dogs spread among members’ homes and at the South Bend Road site.

“And that’s definitely a low number,’’ Mrs. Treimer said. “We have other abuse cases we can’t go on until this is resolved. We obviously can’t afford the fines they want to fine us.’’ She said she was originally told they could be fined $300 a day but was later told they might total $300.

The good news is that nine dogs were adopted a couple of days ago, including five from the steel building.

However, Ms. Quinby found a dog tied to the build-ing Thursday night and state police asked her to pick up another one, Mrs. Treimer said.

“We are the only policing organization who can remove animals and prosecute the people who abuse them,’’ she said. “And if we don’t have a building to take them to until we get our shelter built then who is going to do the job?

“We need someone in Mer-cer County to make an excep-tion to the zoning.’’

Those wishing to donate to the Humane Society of Mercer County Building Fund, can send checks in that name to P.O. Box 331, Sharpsville, PA 16150. Aluminum cans can be taken to the Agway in Hermit-age or to 955 Pearl Street, Sharon. Call 346-3917 or 981-5445 for ATV raffle tickets.

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Updated May 22, 9999
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