News About Blue Chip Farms Animal Refuge

Happy hour to help Franklin Twp. animal refuge
By Elizabeth Skrapits (Staff Writer)
Published: March 1, 2010

Blue Chip Farms Animal Refuge in Franklin Township provides a sanctuary for unwanted animals until they find forever homes - or a place where they can live out the rest of their lives in peace and safety.

"The dogs don't get a choice, or the cats. It's sad," Blue Chip founder Marjorie Bart said. "They're so appreciative. You don't know how rescue dogs give back."

Besides dogs and cats, Blue Chip Farms is home to potbellied pigs, bunnies and a horse, Bart said.

At Blue Chip Farms, dogs live in the house with Bart, and the cats have a place of their own. Sordoni Construction donated an office trailer to Blue Chip Farms that can house up to 40 cats, according to Bart. New windows, aluminum siding, a sun room, and heating and air conditioning were added.

A Leadership Wilkes-Barre fundraiser planned for this week will help the dogs get new accommodations.

"When Leadership Wilkes-Barre asked us what we needed, we said a real kennel," Bart said. "Having 15 to 20 dogs in my house creates some issues."

Members of the Leadership group "Helping Paws" pledged to purchase fencing for the kennels, which Bart said is very expensive.

"They're a great group of people," she said.

Blue Chip Farms started about 10 years ago, "rescuing dogs and cats here and there," Bart said. The no-kill shelter has grown and now has 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, she said.

The focus is on trying to get animals that don't fit the normal profile - whose owners died, were placed in a nursing home, or for other reasons are unable to care for them, Bart said. Some dogs are older, have behavioral problems that need to be rehabilitated, or suffer from medical problems, she said.

Bart said lately Blue Chip Farms has been getting a lot of animals because people are losing their homes, or having to move to apartments where pets aren't allowed.

"The economy has really hurt the animals as well as people," she said.

Blue Chip also receives calls from veterinarians who are asked to euthanize dogs because the owners no longer want them, Bart said.

"It is a no-kill, so once they're here, they're here forever until they get adopted or die here," she said.

Many volunteers help out at Blue Chip Farms, and more are always welcome.

"Lake-Lehman (High School) was great last year. We had a lot of seniors come and use us for their class project," Bart said.

Blue Chip Farms has branched out into trapping feral cats, then getting veterinarians to spay or neuter them and give them health checkups before releasing them, Bart said. She said Luzerne County's cat population is "totally out of control." There is a colony of cats at almost every restaurant, she said.

"Those people have a heart and they do feed them, but if they don't get them spayed and neutered, it just complicates the problem," Bart said. "I think a lot of education has to be done. People get tired of their cats and just turn them out, and that's not a wise thing to do."

Blue Chip Farms is also seeking donations for the feral cat project. Even though the vets donate their time, inoculations and supplies have to be purchased, Bart said.