Easton Animal Control Officer Settles into Her New Digs

Easton Animal Control Officer Kelly Fitch walked through the new animal shelter at 385 Morehouse Road one bright, sunny afternoon last week. The bulk of the move from the older facility was complete, but there was still some work to be done.

A feral cat growled from a top cage in the cat room, while Lucky, a black and white mother of five, purred as she nursed her kittens in a cage down below.

After checking on her feline tenants, Fitch walked past the kitchen on her way to the dog runs in back of the building. A dozen kennels, two of them for animals in quarantine, ran the length of the wall.

"This is my favorite thing," Fitch said, sliding down a weighted doggie door for one of the runs. While the older doors had to be tied, Fitch said the weighted ones can stay open.

The new oversized doors, which can accommodate the largest breeds, open up to a fenced in area outside that gives the dogs ample room to play and do their business.

The new facility has generators, air-conditioning and energy-efficient motion sensor lights throughout.

Fitch showed off a community room where she can meet with Girl and Boy scouts and prospective adopters can socialize with animals one-on-one.

There is an office and visitors have to be buzzed in for safety reasons. Stray animals can be brought into the building through an enclosed garage, making it harder to escape if a large dog manages to pull Fitch to the ground.

"I have inside storage and now here's my favorite room ... the bathroom," Fitch said with a grin. "The last place didn't have a bathroom. I used to have to run to the police station."

A donation bin for dog biscuits, kitty litter and other needed items is outside the front entrance. Fitch said Girl Scouts built it a few years ago.

"I'm very pleased," she said of her new digs. "I can't believe it finally happened. The only thing I'm sad about is Bud Jennings, because he did so much to get the ball rolling and it saddens me that he wasn't able to see the completed building — but I think he's here anyway."

Clarence "Bud" Jennings, a longtime Easton resident, died last year.

Fitch also expressed her gratitude to all of the members of the building committee and to the men of the Highway Department.

"The Highway guys helped move most of the stuff here," Fitch said. "The guys at the Highway Department have been saints. Anything I need, they're here. They're just wonderful."