Pa. provider to take over animal control shelter services

State officials announced Nov. 23 that Pennsylvania-based Chester County SPCA will provide shelter services for Delaware's Office of Animal Welfare starting in 2016.

Stray and abused animals will be housed at satellite locations in Kent and Sussex counties, and a new facility to be located in New Castle County.

"I think there might be some misunderstanding that animals are leaving Delaware and that's just not true," said Office of Animal Welfare Director Hetti Brown. "In fact, this is very exciting for Delaware."

Animal-control enforcement, including rabies control and animal-cruelty complaints, will be handled by the office's Delaware Animal Services, beginning Friday, Jan. 1. Chester County SPCA will handle the care and housing of animals brought in by the new state enforcement unit, as well as rabies quarantine and adoption services.

There were only two applicants vying for the 3-year, $6.5 million contract to begin in January 2016: Delaware SPCA and Chester County SPCA.

However, the only Delaware provider applying for the job may have disqualified itself after starting an online petition.

Last week, Delaware SPCA posted a petition letter addressed to Gov. Jack Markell at www.change.org, pleading for support to award the statewide contract to an in-state provider, not Pennsylvania-based Chester County SPCA.

"Please sign this petition and contact Gov. Markell and help us keep our tax dollars in state and create a greater good by rescinding the contract offered to an out-of-state vendor before it is signed, and award this contract to The Delaware SPCA,” the letter stated.

Division of Public Health spokeswoman Andrea Wojcik said in a Nov. 19 email that, according to rules for requests for proposals for state contracts, it's prohibited for an applicant to attempt to influence the bidding process.

"The communications recently posted by the vendor in question could fall into this category," Wojcik said. "We agree that tax dollars should be spent locally and on animals being kept close to home. The potential contract dollars support services within the state, and Delaware animals will be cared for in our own community."

The petition, which is now inactive, gathered nearly 800 online signatures in a 24-hour period.

Delaware SPCA Executive Director Andrea Perlak did not respond to requests for comment.

Chester County SPCA, a no-kill shelter based in West Chester, Pa., has been handling animal-control duties in Wilmington and Kent County on an interim basis since Sept. 15. Executive Director Adam Lamb said the nonprofit has been successfully operating in Delaware since then, thanks to an alliance with local animal organizations, including the Delaware Humane Society and Faithful Friends.

Chester County stepped in after Camden-based First State Animal Center and SPCA terminated some of its contracts early. Chester County has been working with area kennels to board animals in-state for the required 72-hour holding period.

First State board members voted in June to terminate contracts with the City of Wilmington and each of Delaware's counties after learning that, in epilogue language in the state budget, state legislators handed over animal-control duties to the Office of Animal Welfare. The legislators called for the office to incrementally assume animal-control responsibilities as contracts expired.

Since that decision was made, First State agreed to continue serving New Castle and Sussex counties, while the state contracted Chester County SPCA for Kent County and Wilmington and handled other statewide responsibilities in-house, such as rabies control and animal-cruelty enforcement.

While Lamb could not confirm Chester County SPCA won the contract prior to the state's Nov. 23 announcement, he said his nonprofit has plans to expand services in Delaware.

Lamb said Chester County is planning a new 13,000-square-foot facility at an undisclosed location in New Castle County.

“The Delaware community is great, but the state is lacking without a partner,” he said. “There's a need for stability.”

Brown said Chester County SPCA's plan to build a new facility in New Castle County is a positive move for business development.

"Because Chester County SPCA is building a permanent facility, they'll be  paying Delaware taxes, hiring Delaware employees and buying goods and services in Delaware," Brown said. "We're very excited and we think that the Chester County SPCA is going to provide excellent services."

Sussex County residents with animal-control complaints should call First State at 302-698-3006, while residents who need assistance with rabies control or animal cruelty should call the Office of Animal Welfare at 302-255-4646.

Starting Friday, Jan. 1, any Delaware resident with an animal control, rabies control or animal cruelty complaint should call the Office of Animal Welfare at 302-255-4646.