SPCA to open inn-take center

PHILADELPHIA - February 20, 2008 Ice Cube, a one year old stray recovering from mange, and Hi Ha, a three-year-old who was suffering from cruelty and neglect, are two of 500 animals that are housed at the Pennsylvania SPCA in Hunting Park.

CEO Howard Nelson showed off designs Wednesday to transform a storage unit into a new rehabilitation center called the "inn-take center". "We'll be able to house, isolate, and care for about 100 animals at any given time and provide the medical treatment necessary to rehome them," Howard Nelson said. Plans for the inn began a few months ago, but a private charitable contribution quickly made the dream a reality. Accommodations include sound proof walls to separate the dogs and cats and isolated cages so their illness doesn't spread. "This will allow us to save more lives, take more animals from area shelters, and adopt more animals," Nelson said. Construction on the inn will begin any day and take only about one month.