Over the summer, the county SPCA announced it would get out of the business of euthanizing animals by July this year. It will no longer take strays from the municipalities and instead will focus on programs to reduce overpopulation.
It also raised its rates for taking in strays from $15 to $116 for dogs and from $20 to $116 for cats. The fee covers vet care and room and board.
As a result, 20 of the county's 49 municipalities have not renewed contracts with the privately run SPCA. Shelter officials are holding firm in turning away strays brought in from municipalities that won't pay. People who bring in such animals are told to take them to their police station or municipal offices.
All of this raises the specter of stray animals left to roam portions of the county or meeting with inhumane ends.
On Thursday, a group of state, county, and municipal officials, police, and rescue groups met with the SPCA board to try to find a solution. They appealed to the society to reconsider its timeline.
"It has become a statewide issue," Tom Hickey Sr., a member of the state Dog Law Advisory Board, said afterward.
Gov. Rendell, before he leaves office Tuesday, is expected to address animal-control issues, Hickey said, "not just locally but across the state."
Member Jo-Ann Zoll said the SPCA board would not make any decisions until after Rendell's announcement.
In the meantime, SPCA officials said, they have already turned away a number of animals brought in by Good Samaritans.
"People are still thinking this is an idea we are talking around, not a decision we have made," said Justina Calgiano, SPCA spokeswoman. "We are getting out of the animal-control business."
