By Debbie Kochems
An 8-week-old puppy, trapped in a crate on a porch, had tried to chew its way out before it froze to death one night last December. At the same Farrell property, an adult dog had starved to death.
It was one of the saddest cases that Sandi Drabick had seen in her 11 years as executive director of the Humane Society of Mercer County Inc.
“This has to be the ultimate,” she said. “It is just evil to leave any animal to starve or freeze to death.”
The owner was cited, found guilty on two counts of animal cruelty in district court, fined and sentenced to 5 days in jail for each count.
The Humane Society was contacted too late to save those dogs, and it’s a situation that Ms. Drabick doesn’t want repeated.
But with donations at an all-time low, the Humane Society is facing at least a temporary shutdown. Less than $1,000 remains to meet monthly operating costs for March.
“If the Humane Society has to be at a standstill for awhile, there will be no one to rescue the starving, beaten, neglected or abandoned animals,” Ms. Drabick said. “We need help now in order to continue. If everyone would donate $1, just think how that would add up and how many animals that could help to save.”
The county’s struggling economy has contributed to the problem.
“There has been a huge increase in abandoned animals,” Ms. Drabick said. “People are losing their homes and just leaving their pets. People are sent to jail and don’t make any provision for their pets.”
The Humane Society is governed by Pennsylvania’s animal cruelty laws and is responsible for the 700 square miles of Mercer County. Without a shelter, it cannot take strays. It is frequently called for injured animals “and we respond out of the goodness of our heart,” Ms. Drabick said.
The Humane Society now serves as a backup for the Shenango Valley Animal Shelter when police or 911 cannot reach one of its officers to help an injured animal or respond when a person feels endangered by a stray animal.
The shelter in Hermitage operates under the auspices of the Mercer County Regional Council of Governments and is funded by member municipalities; the Humane Society operates entirely on donations.
A Humane Society representative is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Humane Officer Renee Dorogy responds to an average of seven calls a week. Her two unpaid assistants are Ted Stefanak in the Shenango Valley and Sherri Kerr in Greenville. On-call staff veterinarians are Dr. Craig Kryger, Hermitage Veterinary Hospital, and Dr. Heather Minot, Greenville Veterinary Clinic.
“The Humane Society is a valuable resource to our police department,” said Sharon Police Chief Mike Menster. “We get animal complaints on a daily basis and the Humane Society has assisted us frequently in resolving some of these problems.”
In a recent case, Ms. Dorogy and Stefanak responded to the scene of a major crime to remove a vicious dog so that police could process the crime scene, Menster said.
Brian Blair, deputy chief of Hermitage police, said the Humane Society has helped his department as well. Being able to call on Ms. Dorogy for animal complaints “frees our officers up to handle other things,” he said.
A humane agent is permitted to issue citations for animal cruelty without relying on police. The owner is given 24 hours to respond in less severe cases. If the animal is in imminent danger, a policeman is called to authorize its removal if the owner refuses to cooperate.
All rescued animals are taken immediately to a veterinary clinic for treatment. The animals that need help come in all sizes – horses to birds. Recent calls to the Humane Society have involved the rescue of 35 cows and 35 cats. In each case, some were so sick they had to be euthanized but homes were found for the ones that could be saved.
In animal cruelty cases, owners are given the option of relinquishing the animal. About half the owners plead guilty and are fined court costs and ordered to pay restitution, and the animal can be adopted. If they refuse to plead, a hearing must be held in front of a district judge. If they are found guilty, they have 30 days to appeal. The Humane Society is responsible for boarding or fostering that animal until the legal process has run its course, and that can take months, Ms. Drabick said. And collecting restitution can take years, she said.
Veterinary expenses and boarding fees take the largest chunk of the Humane Society budget. Ms. Drabick said an average veterinary bill is $3,000 a month. Other necessary expenses are costs to operate and insure its van, supplies and equipment, mandatory training for humane agents and salaries for the two staff members.
In recent cost-cutting moves, the Humane Society board moved from its East State Street office into a board member’s home to eliminate rent, and sold a property it had bought on the Shenango Valley Freeway in Hermitage that it had hoped could be used as an office and kennel. Renovations that would have brought the building up to code and in line with Hermitage zoning requirements proved to be too costly. And a plea to board members and associates resulted in foster homes for all dogs and cats that were being boarded, except for a mother dog and her nursing puppies.
Ms. Drabick said the Humane Society faced similar financial problems about 10 years ago and pulled through thanks to the generosity of the community.
“I hope we can hang in there for the animals that need us,” she said.
Donations can be sent to: Humane Society of Mercer County, Box 1046, Hermitage 16148.
Debbie Kochems is a member of the board of the Humane Society of Mercer County.
