Delaware Turns To Chester County For Pet Population Help
By David Madden
WEST CHESTER, Pa., (CBS) -- Come January, the state of Delaware is handing off animal shelter operations to the SPCA in Chester County, Pennsylvania under a 3 year, $6.5 million contract.
Delaware will still be responsible for animal control and enforcement of cruelty laws. The Chester County SPCA will work to get strays adopted in Delaware with the help of a couple animal rescue partners and nurse abused pets back to health.
"We are under construction already and a 12, 500 square foot shelter that will act as our main adoption and medical treatment location," Executive Director Adam Lamb tells KYW Newsradio, " (and) that location is located near Battery Park in New Castle County."
Satellite shelters will be set up downstate and upwards of two dozen people in Delaware will be employed as staffers. They'll also work with a pair of animal rescue partners in getting adoptions set up.
Lamb believes his agency's policies played at least some part in getting the contract. "We've been able to achieve the high standards of the "no kill" movement," he says, "but also are still implementing programs and services to align with our mission of not euthanizing any treatable or behavioral sound animals."
The Chester County SPCA has been providing interim animal welfare services in the last couple months for New Castle County and the city of Wilmington.