Pocono News Section

Pet Shop Worries Eviction Could Hurt Animals

Pet Shop Worries Eviction Could Hurt Animals - Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 3:32PM EST

MARSHALLS CREEK - A Poconos' pet store is asking the community for help. Eyewitness News first told viewers about the Animal House Pet Center struggles last month. Generous donors helped them pay some bills but it isn't enough to pay all of the back rent.

With her frequent loud meows it seemed Mouth the cat knew something was wrong at the Animal House Pet Center in Marshalls Creek.

Managers there say customers are spending less than in the past so the cash register isn't ringing quite enough to pay the bills. The landlord is about to evict Mouth and her fellow felines along with the fish, the birds and all of the other animals. Manager Diana Batson can't stand the thought. She said, "It would be like them coming in and taking animals out of my home."

Diana said the landlord told her if he shuts the place down, he'll just bring all of the animals to the SPCA. But she isn't sure the organization can handle the Chinchillas, snakes, tarantulas, scorpions and other pets. "There's animals in here that they wouldn't possibly know what to do with," she explained.

Diana got the eviction notice last month. Customers helped her scrape up enough money to pay a thousand dollars in back rent but the place still owes thousands more. She said, "We feel that it will start to pick up again but we just need that little extra effort right now to keep our store open."

She's asking for donations. Frequent customer Elaine Whittaker gladly gives her spare change because she loves the store. When she needed dog food and payday was a week away, the store gave her the food and let her pay later. Whittaker said, "I think people should come and help them because they've been there to help a lot of people."

But Diana says help only seems to go to fat cats on Wall Street not little kittens at a mom and pop shop.

The landlord did not return calls for comment on this story.