Animal Protectors' new shelter, built with $1.8M in donations, to hold open house

It’s not surprising that the owner of the Alle-Kiski Valley’s most celebrated cat, Pudgie-Wudgie, would somehow have had a hand (or a paw) in the making of the Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley’s new shelter in New Kensington.

There is a wing dedicated to Pudgie-Wudgie and his owner, the late Frank Furko of Plum. The renowned feline died in 2001 and was beloved for wearing outrageous costumes with a nonplussed, “cool cat” demeanor.

Now the public will get its first glimpse inside the new Animal Protectors shelter during its open house from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Although the new facility was unveiled last year, it wasn’t open to the public because of covid-19 pandemic restrictions. The newly renovated, 14,000-square-foot space with roomy dog kennels and other amenities for cats stands in sharp contrast to Animal Protectors’ first home on Linden Avenue in New Kensington.

The nonprofit started in the 1980s as animal control for New Kensington and was given a small but rent-free space in the city. Decades later, the nonprofit outgrew the building that had mold and ventilation issues.

“It wasn’t healthy for people or animals,” said board President Phyllis Framel of Allegheny Township.

Framel led other board members and volunteers on a decade-plus campaign to find or build a new shelter and raise money to pay for it.

More than once, Framel didn’t think the project would come to fruition.

She and shelter volunteer Jeanne Lessig looked seriously at more than four sites in Fawn, Lower Burrell, Allegheny Township and elsewhere. None worked out because of lack of infrastructure, or it was too expensive to redevelop, or there was pushback from some neighbors.

“We looked for quite a few years and went through trials and tribulations to convince people it was OK to have a shelter near homes,” Lessig said.

They found their New Kensington site and bought it around 2015.

But converting the former Logans Ferry Presbyterian Church school into a shelter was on hold until money could be raised.

A fundraising consultant conducted a feasibility study on how much money the nonprofit could marshal in the Alle-Kiski Valley and came up with $500,000.

“I thought the consultant was crazy,” Framel said. “We couldn’t raise that kind of money in the Valley.”

Turns out the consultant was right, and then some: Framel and other Animal Protectors volunteers and board members raised $1.8 million.

The success was fueled by two large, unexpected bequests totaling $720,000.

Two longtime volunteers, Evelyn and Marilyn Glass of New Kensington, left money in their wills totaling about $250,000 for Animal Protectors.

Then, in early 2019, Furko called.

“He talked to the board president, asking how the new building was going,” Framel said. “We never heard from him again and then six months later, he died.”

Unbeknownst to the nonprofit, Furko put Animal Protectors in his will. Animal Protectors received a donation from Furko from two annuities from his estate and a portion of the cash that was found in his home safe for a total of $470,000.

Additionally, some individuals donated more than $10,000 each, and the CBB Foundation donated $50,000 in honor of Dr. Betsy Kennon, who volunteers veterinary services at the shelter.

During construction in the past several years, Framel and volunteers and staff worked through roof repairs, soil issues for the addition for the dog kennels, a halt to the work during the covid-19 pandemic and more.

“There’s been a lot of hard work and support from a lot of people who have been involved for years, and finally it got done,” Framel said.

Public events such as educational programs and cat yoga are on hold until the pandemic wanes.

Animal adoptions are by appointment.