LANCASTER, Pa. — The Lancaster SPCA is over capacity for dogs after taking in some of the 170 dogs rescued last week from a Northeastern Pennsylvania house last week.
The Pennsylvania Bureau of Dog Law discovered the animals on July 14 after a person died at the home in Effort, Monroe County, according to a Pennsylvania SPCA press release. In addition to the dogs, there were 12 cats on the property, as well as a number of chickens, finches, peacocks, rabbits and guinea pigs.
“Just when we thought we had found everyone we would open another door and find more, so it’s kind of all hands on deck and it’s been this way since Friday when these animals started to come in,” said Gillian Kocher, PSPCA’s director of public relations.
PSPCA transported most of the animals to their Philadelphia shelter, but also to other locations like the PSPCA Lancaster Center and their affiliate site Main Line Animal Rescue in Chester County.
The PSPCA Lancaster Center was already close to capacity before taking in 11 of the dogs. Because it doesn’t have a 24-hour medical facility, the center received relatively healthy puppies, all of which are between two and four months old.
“These guys are a little shier,” said Lancaster Center site lead Tyler Lee. “Thankfully they’re still really young, so while they’re showing some fear tendencies, with some practice and work they’ll be able to overcome it.”
Though the sheer number of dogs rescued last week would strain shelter resources at any time, SPCA staff said their shelters have gotten more crowded in the last few years, possibly due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic conditions.
“We’re seeing something that’s unprecedented right now in shelters where there aren’t very many adopters and it seems that people are surrendering their animals at a higher rate,” Kocher said.
To free up kennel space, staff are hoping to get the dogs to families quickly, either by getting adopted or getting fostered until they can be adopted.
“Anything we can do to get these animals into a home, whether that’s permanently or on a temporary basis,” Kocher said.
Before adoption, each dog is checked by a veterinarian and gets spayed or neutered. They are also given all necessary vaccinations and microchipped.
Those interested in adopting can come meet the dogs at the facility at 848 S. Prince St. in Lancaster.