The Delaware SPCA has decided to reopen its Stanton animal shelter less than four months after closing its doors.
The Stanton facility closed abruptly in mid-July because of mounting debt, but Saturday morning during a cleanup of the Stanton facility's pet cemetery, Delaware SPCA Board President Diane Ferry broke the news of the reopening.
She told volunteers the Delaware SPCA board had voted unanimously to reopen the Stanton facility.
Kathie Herel is one of the volunteers who has been working for the past four months to convince the board to reopen the Stanton shelter.
“It was quite a surprise I think for everybody,” she said about Ferry's announcement.
Since the closing in July, Herel’s group, the Delaware SPCA and Citizens United to Save the Delaware SPCA Stanton Shelter, had started a petition on change.org that got more than 2,500 supporters.
The group has also started the Save the Delaware SPCA Facebook page, rallied state legislators and took out a full page ad in the Sunday edition of the Delaware News Journal.
“I think it made a difference in the decision because otherwise I do believe they would have closed the doors, sold the property and that’s it,” she said.
Delaware SPCA Executive Director Tiffany Briddell said the organization was able to reopen the Stanton facility after reorganizing its priorities and shifting some budget items.
"We realized we were stronger together having both a Sussex and New Castle facility," she said, referring to the SPCA's other facility in Georgetown.
The Stanton facility won’t open at full capacity immediately and there are no plans to shelter animals there. All animals will be sheltered at the Georgetown SPCA.
Vaccine clinics will begin this month with one on October 22. One each will also be scheduled for November and December.
And in 2017 wellness visits will resume, followed by spay and neuter services.
