Chester Faces 'Horrible' Stray Dog Situation Amidst Financial Crisis, Volunteer Rescue Group Reports
Amanda April, founder of the nonprofit volunteer rescue group Joyner’s Furr-eedom Rescue, describes a severe stray dog problem in Chester, Pennsylvania. Since January, her group has collected 41 deceased dogs, many found with chains, poisoned, or in trash bags. April also rescued 33 dogs from a single hoarding situation in early September, bringing her total to 70 dogs from Chester in three months. She has reached out to Chester Mayor Stefan Roots, offering to help manage the situation if the city provides a building and covers electricity costs. Chester is currently in a fiscal emergency, declared by Gov. Tom Wolf in 2020, and has been undergoing bankruptcy proceedings since 2022. The city lacks animal control services, and Police Commissioner Katrina Blackwell acknowledges a stray issue but states it is not a 'crisis,' though she confirms calls about aggressive animals and instructs residents to continue reporting strays to the police.
