Scranton leasing out old fire station to animal nonprofit

SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — The City of Scranton is looking to lease out an old fire station for just a dollar to a local non-profit to help with shelter capacity issues.

The former Engine 15 Fire Station for the Scranton Fire Department has been out of service since 2011.

Recently, animal control has been using it, and now it could be a place for Street Cats to use.

“They don’t charge for this, it’s not like it’s a clinic or a veterinary center,” said Scranton City Council President Gerald Smurl.

Street Cats, the 100% volunteer center in the old Nay Aug Zoo that uses the Trap, Neuter, Release method to control the feral cat population, will soon be in need of a new place to do the TNR method.

“This vet does it out of a motor home that she owns. Once this vet resigns or retires permanently, that motor home goes away,” Smurl explained.

The possible solution? An old firehouse building.

“They simply don’t have the room at nay aug to put in a facility like that so the city would still keep possession of the property which is an asset, and lease it to Street Cats,” Smurl continued.

The building could be used as an operation, recovery, and temporary holding center.

“This would be almost an ideal situation where the catch, spay, neuter, and release from that building, 24-hour recovery or however long it takes, and then they would be able to take them back to the neighborhoods,” Smurl added.

It would be a temporary lease for the next seven months.

“We have an MOU with Street Cats right now, through I believe the end of the year, so it’s a trial period to see if that works, see if it the best place for them or not,” said Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti.

The City of Scranton knows that Street Cats is a huge benefit to the community, and wants to see their work continue

“We know Street Cats well, we trust them, we know they’re doing a great job in really helping to keep that population of cats spayed and neutered,” Mayor Cognetti stated.

“Cats multiple so many times a year, but if you spay, neuter, and release them back into the areas they were, we are controlling it,” said Smurl.

Smurl emphasized that this would not be a new animal shelter opening up, just a space Street Cats can use for the next seven months and possibly continue using if it’s the right fit.

The council will vote to approve the matter in next week’s meeting.

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