Woman's Harassment Of Animal Shelter Leads To 'Hundreds' Of Court Visits
YUKON (KDKA) -- The Pet Adoption League of Westmoreland County is a place Sarah Jo Smith had dedicated much of her life to, in her mission of finding animals good homes.
But the work has been anything but rewarding.
"It's embarrassing, makes your heart flutter sometimes, and someone bangs on the widows and screams at you," she said.
Smith is talking about Barbara Flanigan. The 68-year-old woman lives next to the kennel. A stack of court orders against her are on clipboard inside the agency's office.
KDKA's Ross Guidotti : How may times have you had to got to court?
Smith: Hundreds.
Guidotti: Hundreds?
Smith: Hundreds.
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The Pet Adoption League used to bring kids in to play with the animals as an activity that even involved reading. Not any more.
"The one time they were here we went out back to watch the dogs and our neighbor was jumping up and down whistling at them, the kids got very afraid they came in side the building, they never came back," Smith said.
Flanigan has been fined, told she'll be found in contempt of court, but the incidents keep happening and it's hurting the agency's mission.
"We've lost adopters before. We've lost donors over it," Smith said.
Flanigan wasn't available for comment. For now Smith will keep doing what she believes is right, with an eye out for potential trouble.
"Sometimes it can get scary, it can be very scary at times," she said.
