Kelly: Beef up the
city animal shelter

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

City Councilman Jack Kelly believes the staff, volunteers and board of directors are all an asset to the Philadelphia Animal Care and Control Association.
Kelly (R-at large), though, wants those folks to be able to work in a better facility.
Right now, PACCA operates out of a building at 111-131 W. Hunting Park Ave. The structure is aging and was refitted when PACCA moved in.
"The facility needs a lot of work," Kelly said.
Last week, the councilman — who based his 2007 re-election campaign largely on improved care for animals — toured PACCA with the city’s new managing director, Camille Cates Barnett.
Mayor Michael Nutter was unable to make the trip on March 6, but Kelly wants to bring him another time.
The councilman said Barnett was impressed with what she saw at the shelter and added that the mayor seems interested in animal care, based on their talk in January during the opening of a Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) adoption center at 100 N. Second St. (at Arch Street).
Kelly thinks PACCA is doing a good job, and he pointed to a decrease of 60 percent in the last three and a half years of euthanizing animals.
The councilman, a Somerton resident, wants to let all the animals live.
"Our goal is to make Philadelphia the first no-kill city on the East Coast," he said.
PACCA serves as a temporary shelter for animals and also provides care and neutering and spaying services. It is open for adoptions, accepts strays 24 hours a day, helps find lost animals and does community outreach and education.
About 30,000 animals a year make their way to PACCA, which teams with other shelters and rescue groups.
At any one time, more than 100 pets are available for adoption. Most are dogs and cats, but there are also rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, ferrets, iguanas and gerbils.
The shelter accepts donations of towels, blankets, toys, food and bowls.
Kelly understands the city’s budget challenges and the need to fund recreation centers and other services. But, he’d like to find some dollars to enhance the city’s care for animals.
Right now, he’s looking for an existing city building in the Northeast for PACCA’s new home.
If no suitable structure exists, he’d look at other properties. The new site would need to be accessible to the public and provide suitable parking.
The present location is a little bit removed from a residential area and not in the best of neighborhoods.
"I want to move that PACCA facility into a more desirable area," Kelly said.
In addition, Kelly is looking at the Northeast and Roxborough as neighborhoods where new PACCA adoption facilities could complement the one that just opened at Second and Arch streets.
"We’d like to open a couple additional adoption centers," he said.
PACCA is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to accept unwanted animals. Employees are also available to pick up strays around the clock. Animal pickups are made from homes daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The adoption service is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It’s closed on holidays. All dogs and cats cost $40 and are vaccinated. There’s an additional $8 charge for a dog license.
PACCA is always looking for volunteers and foster parents to care for animals temporarily.
To look at animals available for adoption, visit http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/PA235.html
For more information, call 267-385-3800. ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com