03292016 - News Article - Humane Society puts Porter County on notice - Hobart site won't take Portage's animals once facility is built

Humane Society puts Porter County on notice 
Hobart site won't take Portage's animals once facility is built
Post-Tribune (IN)
March 29, 2016
www.newsbank.com
Officials with the Humane Society of Hobart have given formal notice to the city of Portage and the Porter County Animal Shelter that once the county has a new shelter, the Humane Society no longer will take in Portage's animals.

The letter notes that it's been "many years" since the Humane Society signed a temporary agreement to assist with animal control in Portage, and the city was asked in December to begin making plans for another place to take their animals.

"Now that Porter County is building a new shelter, this is the perfect time to say that the Humane Society will no longer provide animal control services for the City of Portage once the new facility is built," the letter states. "If the city of Portage will not be using the Porter County Shelter, please make plans for a facility of your own or another entity."

The letter says that the Humane Society will continue serving Portage for the time being "but this contract with Portage cannot go on indefinitely as this was supposed to be temporary."

Officials with the Humane Society could not be reached for comment.

As plans for a new county animal shelter move forward with a tentative spring groundbreaking and completion early next year, Porter County Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, said county officials are in ongoing talks with the city of Portage about being included in the new shelter, and City Councilwoman Sue Lynch sits on an advisory panel for the new facility.

"We don't have a contract hammered out yet but I think all sides are in agreement that we have to be working together," Blaney said, adding the shelter is being built to handle the additional animals from Portage.

The letter, which was signed by Hobart Humane Society Director Brenda Slavik, Board of Directors President Laura Labadie and Treasurer Carol Konopacki, was sent to Porter County officials dated Feb. 18.

Unlike other Porter County communities, Portage has its own staff of animal control officers and has long been taking its animals to the Hobart shelter instead of the county facility.

Portage will retain its animal control officers under the agreement being worked out with the county, Blaney said. "I think we're all expecting Portage to be there from Day 1."

County officials have long considered the existing county shelter, at 2056 Heavilin Road, outdated and too small to handle the number of animals the no-kill shelter receives, and it is not large enough to handle an influx of animals from Portage at its current size.

The new shelter, on Indiana 49 between the Porter County Sheriff's Department and the Expo Center, is expected to be 10,000 to 12,000 square feet with room to expand, according to a request for proposals released in late February by the Board of Commissioners.