Politics & Government

County Breaks Ground on New Animal Shelter

County officials broke ground on a new municipal animal shelter on Thursday.

Delaware County representatives officially broke ground on the Municipal Animal Shelter in Darby Township Thursday afternoon.

and the agreed on June 30 to extend animal control services to municipalities for six months and continue to accept stray animals from municipalities until Dec. 31.

The SPCA plans to stop taking stray animals from the 49 county municipalities and become a no-kill shelter. It had assured donors that after July 1 their money would not be used for animal control services. But because

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The county-funded extension was agreed upon in order for this

At the groundbreaking on Thursday, members of the Delaware County Animal Protection Board and Delaware County Council were in attendance along with Springfield Police Chief Tom Daly.

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The golden shovels dug into the dirt at the corner of Calcon Hook Road and Tribbitt Avenue across from the County Emergency Service Training Center.

Animal Protection Board Chairman and Upper Darby Chief Administrative Officer Tom Judge Jr. said the

"The Animal Protection Board is charged with a large mission, a mission that some experts said would take normally 36 months. The board has been given much less time to develop a plan and learn the basics about animal sheltering," Judge said.

He said the groundbreaking is only one step in a multi-step program and, "there is a larger road to cover before the ribbon cutting ceremony."

County Councilman Mario Civera Jr. said the animal protection services created a partnership among several organizations.

"This created a partnership in Delaware County. A partnership with county council, a partnership with the 49 municipalities, a partnership with the building trades, a partnership with Darby Creek (Joint Authority), a partnership with Darby Township and Fire Life Safety," Civera said. "It all came together and that's what government is all about."


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