ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Following significant renovations, Whitehall’s Peaceable Kingdom reopened its doors to a plethora of pet fans eager to check out the new look of the no-kill shelter Sunday.
Peaceable Kingdom’s parking lot was packed to the gills just before the ribbon cutting to celebrate the reopening of the newly renovated space, with plenty of guests eager to meet new furry friends.
As Peaceable Kingdom board member Janet Dorwart described it, the rescue at 1049 MacArthur Road was in dire need of a revamp, as the building was constructed in 1955 and served as a market and pet store before the volunteers leased it in 2004.
"For us it's a dream fulfilled, because we can now serve the animals that we rescue better for a couple reasons."Peaceable Kingdom board member Janet Dorwart
“What we're celebrating is that we have completely remodeled the building, stem to stern, top to bottom," Dorwart said. "Everything from HVAC to plumbing to new kennels, to new floors to everything.
“And for us it's a dream fulfilled, because we can now serve the animals that we rescue better for a couple reasons.
"One, we have brand new kennels, and the other one is we've also upgraded and remodeled our vet clinic. So now we're able to do more services, not only for the dogs and cats and bunnies that we rescue, but also we can offer low-cost vet visits to neighbors.”
Thanks to donations from the public, the Peaceable Kingdom board was able to upgrade and expand its space into corners of the building once deemed unusable, making even more room for furry companions.
Tours and tails
Volunteers happily led tours of the building throughout the afternoon, with groups of visitors falling in love with cats, dogs, kittens, rabbits and even one ham of a guinea pig.
The first stop on the tour was the cat room, which can accommodate up to 50 felines thanks to innovations during the remodel and a careful cleaning protocol.
"And take a smell —you know it really doesn't smell like cats or litter boxes."Cat volunteer Anita Sergent
“The builders, they took a lot of our suggestions into consideration, so the edges, they're seamless so this way the pee can't drip behind that sort of thing," cat volunteer Anita Sergent said.
"The bedding gets changed every week to a different color, so it helps keep down illnesses. It just keeps everything clean and also looks nice. And take a smell —you know it really doesn't smell like cats or litter boxes.”
Most of the cats already had staked out their preferred spots, of which there are many.
Particularly social kitties such as Clifford and Tux already had garnered a few inquisitions about adoption as tour groups poured through the room.
And even the more reserved members of the bunch attracted attention — including the legendary Diaper Dan, who has an affinity for a running wheel in the sanctuary.
Puppy love
And while the dog room was certainly louder, the pack of pups within seemed to enjoy soaking up all the attention.
From some high-energy boxers and huskies to some more reserved floofs, the crowd was more than happy to pal around with all the visitors.
Within one cell sat Dusse, a confirmed “couch potato” pit-mix who was surrendered recently.
Volunteers have been especially accommodating to rescue animals with special needs like her, as Peaceable Kingdom aims to find homes for every resident.
“She was surrendered by a woman who was in a home with two sisters and her mother, and the mother was moving to a trailer park and she found homes for two, but not for her," cuddle buddy and volunteer Terry Sywensky, who helps out with Dusse, said.
"She is just devastated… she is a totally sweet girl.”
Over in a smaller room sat a group of kittens in a special enclosure, happily snuggling amongst themselves until visitors would request their attention, at which time they would bop about to attack a teaser or just pose for the crowd.
And based on the reaction of just about every guest, not a single person left that room without plans to put in for an adoption.
Small, but still lovable
Just a short stride away sits the small animal section, where little fellows such as Chuck the guinea pig and Ivory the rabbit had ample space to be themselves.
“So we custom built our entire room based around the unique needs of small animals," Small Animal Program Manager Katie Smits said.
"They're very different than cats and dogs, and so we had to make sure to incorporate all of that.
"We're very excited. I mean, you saw it. It's good and people are enthusiastic.”Peaceable Kingdom board member Janet Dorwart
“We finished yesterday, technically, and they moved in this morning, and they are extremely happy. They've been lounging around exploring and loving everything.”
The last stop on the tour — prior to the refreshments section to celebrate the big event — visitors had an opportunity to meet with the clinic staff members who offer low-cost basic treatments to help the public care for their furry friends.
“We offer low-cost spay and neutering, we offer low-cost vaccines and we offer low cost dental as well,” clinic staff member Nicole Messick said.
“About 80 percent of our work back here is public, as well. So we do the spaying, neutering and stuff for the public.
"It’s more if people don't have the means to go to their vet, they can always come to us, and we're a better financial option. We also do the outside TNR cats as well. We offer that service so that way we don't have kittens everywhere.”
With the new renovations all set, Dorwart said she is looking forward to maintaining, if not increasing, the rescue’s stellar adoption rate.
“It's a dream come true. We've worked so hard for this, and the turnout has been great,” Dorwart said.
“We've got a lot of interest in our dogs, and the ultimate goal is to have everybody have a family. So this has gone a long way to helping us get towards that goal.
"We're very excited. I mean, you saw it. It's good and people are enthusiastic.”
