Shelter is forced to relocate some animals

June 08, 2003|by SCOTT BUTKI

MARION, Pa. - The Greener Pastures No-Kill Animal Shelter next to the Conococheague Creek probably will need to move to greener pastures - or to higher ground - after being flooded for the fifth time since it started in 2000, its director and founder said Saturday.

Saturday's flooding is by far the worst as it destroyed barns, which floated away, and forced the relocation of some of its animals, Samantha Frey said.

Three shelter animals died when the 10-acre property was flooded in January.

The shelter is at 924 Social Island Road in Marion, Pa., about four miles from U.S. 11, Frey said.

On Saturday, while a historic bridge nearby was on the verge of collapsing and some cars appeared to be floating away, Frey's focus was on finding temporary homes for 40 of the shelter's animals, including cows, horses, pigs, goats and donkeys, she said.

Most of the animals were being moved to the properties of friends, but some couldn't be moved because they were sitting in mud and would not budge, Frey said.

While some shelter property on higher ground was not damaged by the storms and flooding, damage to the other property - and the repeated flooding problems over the years - probably will force the shelter to find a new home, she said.

Frey asked people interested in helping the shelter to call 1-717-375-2644.

When Frey's mother died about six years ago, she left money to Frey and her brother to buy homes and help animals.

Frey brother, Kurt, bought a home in Newville, Pa. He met his responsibility to his mother's wishes by becoming the shelter coordinator for the Helen Krause Foundation, a no-kill dog and cat shelter in Dillsburg, Pa.

Samantha Frey bought a Civil War-era house and 10 acres on Social Island Road and turned the property into a sanctuary for farm animals.

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