Catnip Acres aims to reopen

WAYNESBURG – Catnip Acres, the nonprofit animal clinic that closed shop in Waynesburg at the end of June, has proposed opening a new clinic at the former Waynesburg Roller Skating Rink in Morrisville.
The organization applied for a special exception from Franklin Township Zoning Hearing Board to operate the clinic in part of the former roller rink building on Wade Street.
The area is zoned for commercial uses, said Steve Coss, township code enforcement officer. In a commercial zone, an animal hospital, or animal clinic, requires board approval of a special exception, he said.
The application for the special exception will be considered Sept. 22 by the zoning board.
Neither Carol Pultorak, the organization’s founder, nor a spokesperson for the clinic could be reached Monday for comment.
Catnip Acres operated its low-cost animal clinic at 678 E. High St. until June 30. The center closed after Pultorak, who just turned 70 announced she was retiring. The clinic also was in need of a new home. Pultorak estimated the clinic had a client base of about 5,000 people. On its Web page, the clinic indicated it spayed and neutered more than 7,276 cats.
Pultorak offered to donate $250,000 worth of medical equipment from the clinic to anyone who would continue the clinic’s practice.
Though the clinic closed the end of June, the organization apparently has continued to operate and, according to its Facebook page, scheduled two cat spay and neuter clinic dates in July.
In July, the group also began soliciting for volunteers to help paint and prepare the new clinic on Wade Street.
The organization’s last Facebook posting indicated the opening of the new clinic had been delayed until the group obtains a special exception from the township zoning board. The organization apologized for having to cancel a clinic set this month.
“By the end of October, we will be back up and running,” the posting said.