Apr 28, 2002 By Jennifer Harr 4 min read

That is the hope of those who worked at the soon-to-be-defunct Fayette County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). Robin Moore, former humane control officer and animal control director of the SPCA, said she received a letter dated Friday that indicated the shelter would stop accepting animals Tuesday and permanently close its doors May 15.

Concerned for the animal population of the county, Moore already has taken steps to incorporate a new shelter, Noah’s Ark of Fayette County Humane Society.

“We don’t want the public to panic,” said Moore, noting that the SPCA takes in about 5,000 strays a year.

While she did not want to reveal the proposed location of the shelter, Moore said it will be in the city of Uniontown, and she hopes to have it up and running within a few weeks of the SPCA’s closing.

Moore said the plan is to use an existing building for about a year and then have the shelter converted into a literal Noah’s Ark for the animals of Fayette County. She said she hopes the multimillion-dollar project will attract visitors nationwide.

Noah’s Ark will be a “no-kill” shelter, Moore said, making it the one of the first in the state to operate in that manner.

She said she already has the support of Commissioner Ron Nehls and the Eberly Foundation, as well as shelters outside the area and organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

“We can’t just let this go,” said Moore. “Fayette County has a real problem with pet overpopulation. Without a Humane Society, the animals would be dead along the roadway.”

The letter notifying shelter employees of the SPCA’s closing indicated that the board of directors met and voted to dissolve the group “due to various factors beyond the control of the current board of directors and staff.”

While the letter did not specifically say so, Moore said the closing had to do with a recent lawsuit filed against the shelter after officials illegally entered the property of John J. and Ruth A. Tabaj on April 27, 1993.

Earlier this year, jurors awarded the Tabajes $96,000 from the SPCA for invasion of privacy and malicious prosecution. Allegheny County-based Tri-County Humane Protection Inc., which assisted when officials went onto the Tabajes property, was ordered to pay the couple $105,000.

At the time of the ruling, officials said they were unsure how they were going to pay the award. Because she is not a member of the SPCA board of directors, Moore said she was unsure how or if the shelter was going to pay the award, but she said it was her understanding that they had declared bankruptcy.

With the shelter closing, 42 municipalities in Fayette County and West Brownsville in Washington County will be without animal control officers.

The SPCA, which had contracts with those municipalities, receives 300 to 500 animal control calls monthly, Moore said.

When Noah’s Ark opens, Moore said, the shelter will offer to take over the contracts formerly held by the SPCA.

As for what residents of those municipalities will do with strays in the meantime, Moore said calling the police or 911 may be the only option.

The SPCA is home to 100 dogs and cats. The shelter will neuter or spay those animals and try to get them placed into homes, said Moore. If they cannot be placed, Moore said, the SPCA will try to send the animals to other shelters.

Since the court decision that awarded the Tabajes nearly $100,000 from the SPCA, Moore said she’s felt “devastated.”

Noting that she and other

employees at the shelter have worked diligently to improve the SPCA’s reputation, Moore said this most recent setback is difficult to accept.

“But I will not let any animals suffer because Mr. Tabaj’s case has kind of been hanging here for eight years,” said Moore.

To stop any future problems like the one at Tabaj farm, Moore said she wrote up a mission statement for Noah’s Ark that tells future employees to know their jobs.

In part, the mission statement reads: “No animal in this county shall fall victim to human error so that they shall be driven to fend for their self’s (sic) with no safe haven to protect them from abuse or other inhumane treatment and because of human error that the shelter (SPCA) will be no more.”