Rotary News October 18, 2016

Rotarian, Bill Olivett, introduced guest speaker, George Sowers, Jr, PA State Human Police Officer, Borough Animal Enforcement Officer and President of the local SPCA, spoke at the 

Rotary luncheon October 18th.

Before taking on his role, George went through a strict training program. He also works closely with the state & borough police. George spoke of the dog laws in the Emporium Borough, the problems he encounters with dogs and cats and various solutions to the problems, which can result in fines. PA Dog laws and the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement fall under the PA Department of Agriculture.

The kennel is located at South Mountain Road is a “no kill” shelter. With the help of the Emporium Foundation and volunteers from Rescue You, a volunteer organization outside the county who came up for several weeks providing materials and labor and expanded the kennel which can now house up 5 dogs and 15 cats. The local SPCA also receives funding from the Emporium Foundation and various fundraisers throughout the year. They also have a pet food bank at the Emporium Shurfine Food Mart where you can make donations to the local SPCA to help feed the animals. George stressed that people need to be responsible pet owners by spaying and neutering and making sure you have the financial means to take care of the animal.