Pennsylvania: Angel Ridge Animal Rescue "no kill" shelter, owner Nancy Shannon cited by state dog warden

PENNSYLVANIA -- A Chartiers Township rescue kennel and its owner/director were cited by the state police dog warden after violations were found during an inspection this month.

Nancy Shannon and Angel Ridge Animal Rescue at 390 Old Hickory Ridge Road were cited Friday for failure to keep the kennel in sanitary and humane condition in regard to temperatures and pests, failure to keep proper kennel records, not having a health certificate for importation, failure to produce a bill of sale for a dog and dealing with an unlicensed out-of-state dealer. The citations were filed at the office of District Judge David Mark.

Dog law enforcement officers responded to the kennel Jan. 9 after receiving a complaint about the conditions at the no-kill shelter and sanctuary, according to a spokeswoman for the state Department of Agriculture.

The inspection report submitted by the dog wardens indicated that the fencing was pulled and damaged, allowing for the potential of the dogs housed there to be injured.

The temperature inside the kennel was about 32 degrees with no additional measures taken to help preserve the body heat of the dogs. Staff and volunteers told the wardens that heat had not been working since the previous day and the water pipes had been frozen since Jan. 6, according to the report.

Shannon said Wednesday that there was a problem with a gas line on the property. She said that two plumbing contractors worked around the clock to make the repairs to the lines. She said staff and volunteers purchased dog shelters and brought in straw and blankets for the animals.

“It was during the bitter cold,” Shannon said. “We did everything we could.”

“It was taken care of within 48 hours. The heat was restored an hour after they left the property,” she added. “The temperature inside the kennels was 32 degrees while the requirements are 50 degrees.”

She said water was hauled to the kennels.

Shannon called the citations an overreaction and questioned whether there is a double standard in enforcement, noting some animal control officers keep animals in outdoor runs.

The dog wardens also noted food and water receptacles for the dogs were contaminated with bird excrement.

The floors of the kennel also were stained with excrement because there was no access to hot water to clean them, according to the report. There also was bird excrement on the kennel fencing, support beams, floors and walls in areas housing the dogs.

The wardens also observed an infestation of birds and damage to the ceiling and insulated walls where birds made nests.

The report also indicates that the wardens saw records that were missing pertinent information, such as dates and addresses. The wardens also noted that the kennel was receiving dogs from an unlicensed, out-of-state dealer and that several dogs were brought in without a bill of sale.

The wardens also indicated that there were at least 24 dogs brought into the kennel from other states without health certificates.

A follow-up inspection of the kennel will be done at a later date.

Shannon faces fines that will be determined by Mark. She said that she plans on requesting a hearing. Shannon resides out of state and has not yet received the citations.

(Observer-Reporter - January 28, 2015)