Carbon County animal shelter advisory commission accepts resignation, reviews operations and fundraising

The Carbon County Animal Shelter Advisory Commission on Aug. 5 accepted a board member resignation and reviewed shelter operations, staffing shortages and recent fundraising that paid for facility improvements, commission members and the shelter director said.

The director's monthly reports for June and July, submitted by Tom Connors, showed continued donations and activity alongside staffing shortfalls. For June, the report listed food donations of $3,640, supplies of $15.35, 16 kennel panels, seven adoptions, six owner surrenders, five holds released to owners and a peak of 18 animals in care. Police calls for June were recorded as six and after-hours calls as seven. The July report showed $3,906 in donations (including a Freshpet contribution), supplies of $1,281, 16 kennel panels, four adoptions, one owner surrender, eight holds released to owners and a peak of 15 animals in care; police calls and after-hours calls were listed as five and four respectively.

The reports also covered facility work and outstanding maintenance. A new meet-and-greet room — funded in part by earlier grant money — has been completed and includes a ramp; shelter staff said the ramp needs staining. Shelter staff reported outstanding work orders for ceiling repairs in the kennel area (leaks), a camera installation in the ceiling and replacement of a bathroom light fixture. A county heating and air-conditioning unit was repurposed from another county building for the shelter’s shed, a step staff described as saving money. Staff also said a vehicle inspection was due and that four remaining kennel doors had been ordered and were in production.

Fundraising highlights included an art sale that raised more than $6,000 and a recent yard sale; the commission said those proceeds will be earmarked for shelter needs. Community fundraising partners noted in the meeting included Freshpet (donation), the Knights of Columbus (which offered to pay half of the adoption fee for dogs adopted during the month, listed in the report as $50), and a local event hosted by a group called Bikers Against Cop Killers scheduled Aug. 14 in Palmerton as a dine-and-donate. The commission also reported that heavy-duty indoor furniture for the meet-and-greet room has been ordered through Amazon and was approved for purchase.

On governance, the commission moved and approved acceptance of Peggy’s resignation from the advisory board. After the motion passed, members noted there are now two open board seats (the commission said the advisory body is intended to have five members) and encouraged interested residents to submit a cover letter and résumé to the county commissioners. Members observed that a quorum of at least three is needed for votes and that the panel currently has three active members.

Other business and follow-ups included a previously submitted recommendation for a fenced exercise/enrichment area for dogs (submitted after the June 3 meeting) for which the commission said it had not yet received a response from the county commissioners. Members also recalled that, several months earlier, a county maintenance employee had solicited a generator price but that no follow-up price had been reported to the commission; members said they would reach back out to ask about its status.

The commission recorded routine operational metrics and community outreach items during the meeting and directed members to continue outreach efforts to fill the two open advisory seats. The commission scheduled its next regular meeting for Oct. 7, 2025, at 6 p.m.; the meeting location listed was 44 Susquehanna Street in Jim Thorpe.

The meeting included routine roll call and the chairperson’s remarks thanking donors and volunteers. No formal ordinances, statutes or external legal actions were discussed or decided at the session.