Call him St. Francis of the Main Line.
As founder and director of the Main Line Animal Rescue in Chester Springs, Smith maneuvers on the front line of the battle against animal cruelty, a rare witness to the often crowded and dirty conditions in private dog-breeding factories. As Smith roams the region, he saves the animals he can, finding them homes. He plucks dogs from death row in city shelters. He scoops up strays and takes in people's unwanted pets. The rescue center's vet bill for last year alone was $180,000.
In his spare time, Smith dreams up creative billboard campaigns to protest "puppy mills," the large commercial breeding kennels for which Pennsylvania, particularly Lancaster County, has become known.
Today, Smith will receive the ASPCA's lifetime achievement award for his rescue work and advocacy on behalf of animals.
Since he's only 46, "we bent the rules on lifetime achievement for Bill," said Matthew Bershadker, the ASPCA's vice president of development. "Here's a guy who finds homes for thousands of animals and who has demonstrated relentless perseverance against the horrors of Pennsylvania's puppy mills."
Dozens of dogs
Main Line Animal Rescue sits on 58 scenic acres in Chester Springs. Housed in the kennel and nearby barn are 100 homeless dogs - plus a dozen cats - of all sizes, each with its own tale of abandonment or abuse. They get first-class veterinary care, along with love and exercise courtesy of 85 regular volunteers.
"Everybody who comes out here has a special gift," Smith said. "We have a woman who loves washing buckets, someone who walks the larger dogs, someone who walks the small dogs."
