Feb 21, 2022 By Harry Funk staff Writer hfunk@thealmanac.Net 5 min read

Washington Area Humane Society’s Reading Tails program involves pretty much what its name indicates, pun and all.

“Kids can come into our building and read a story to cats. And they love it,” Taylor Duda said, referring to humans and felines alike.

Although the society’s headquarters in North Strabane Township has been closed to visitors for the most part during the COVID-19 pandemic, Reading Tails continues virtually, with tablets strategically placed in the cats’ living quarters.

“Cats will sit there and stare at this iPad, and listen to these kids read,” Duda said. “It helps the kids. It helps our cats. So that is a huge program for us, and it’s a way to get those young ones in early.”

As director of development for the society, Duda spends a lot of time increasing community awareness about the no-kill shelter, which has a goal of providing public education about the humane care and treatment of animals.

She recently served as guest speaker at a McMurray Rotary Club meeting in Peters Township, enlightening members with updates about the society, including various initiatives addressing difficulties caused by the pandemic.

In January 2020, the nonprofit organization opened a new 10,000-square-foot building after raising $1.9 million through a capital campaign. Two months later, the shelter was forced to close to the public at large.

“But we’re hoping to reopen in March,” Duda reported. “It’s a wonderful space. It’s bright. It’s colorful. We have 50 cat condos and 50 dog kennels. We have an isolation unit for sick animals. We have a surgery suite. We have a nice lobby and adoption center.”

Plus three play yards were installed in April.

“Dogs can go off leash with staff or volunteers and get some running-around time,” Duda explained.

The hope is that sheltered animals eventually are adopted, but she said that the pandemic disrupted the usual proceedings.

“Last year, we did appointment-only adoptions, so you couldn’t just walk in and look at our floor and leave with an animal the same day. You had to make an appointment, let us know who you wanted to meet, and then we did a meet and greet,” she reported. “That process really drove home who was serious about adopting an animal. It let them think about it, not just make a rash decision.”

During 2021, individuals and families adopted 543 pets. Sixty strays were reunited with their owners, and 20 animals were adopted out for free through the U.S. Pets for Vets program.

Another way of compensating for pandemic-related problems was for the society to increase the reach of its fostering program, with people caring for animals temporarily and often choosing to keep them permanently.

“We supply the fosters with everything they need: food, medicine, beds, treats. Anything you can think of that you need for a pet, we provide that to them,” Duda said. “They just provide that home environment, loving care and attention that maybe we can’t give the dogs every day, 24/7.”

A major consideration is keeping animals healthy, and she reported that the humane society now has a fully staffed medical team.

“Last year, we got a veterinarian on full-time with us, which was a huge accomplishment,” she said. “There’s such a shortage in veterinarians right now, and they’re in high demand.”

All animals that arrived at the shelter are spayed or neutered, if not already altered, and the medical team performed 433 in-house surgeries in 2021. An additional 503 surgeries took place through a low-cost spay/neuter program, one of the society’s community offerings to help cope with the pandemic.

“We really found out that people were having a tough time getting into vets. If they didn’t have an already-established relationship with them, a lot of vets weren’t taking new clients, which poses a problem,” Duda explained. “So we ramped up our veterinarian services. When we were closed to the public, we were doing them curbside so those animals in the community could still get their vaccinations, could still get nail trims, could still get microchipped.”

Her organization employs a full-time humane society police officer, trained and court-appointed to enforce the cruelty-to-animals section of the Pennsylvania Crimes Code, who responded to 303 calls in 2021 and ended up taking 80 abused or neglected animals to the shelter.

“A lot of the animals she brings in need surgery, medical attention, behavioral modifications,” Duda said. “So they’re not easy animals, but they deserve the best care that we can give them.”

She spoke about the society’s pet food bank, offered to the community as a response to COVID’s toll on employment.

“We were seeing in the community that people needed pet food. They needed litter. And they weren’t able to get it because they didn’t have a job,” she said. “So instead of those same people surrendering their pets to us, we were helping them retain those pets through this food bank.”

Along with a wealth of donations received, the pet food bank also receives corporate sponsorship from Cecil Township-based CentiMark.

The humane society also has partnered with Paw & Order Dog Training, which regularly sends a trainer for behavior evaluations.

“So if we get a dog in that’s reactive or regressive, she works with them to help our staff handle them better,” Duda reported. “She also teaches basic commands, and that actually has gotten our dogs adopted out a lot quicker because they know their basic manners.”

As an organization funded solely by private contributions, the Washington Area Humane Society relies to a great extent on the support of volunteers. From Reading Tails for youngsters to a variety of programs for teenagers and adults, numerous opportunities are available for members of the community who want what’s best for their four-legged friends.

For more information, visit www.washingtonpashelter.org.