This is in response to the March 22 Recorder article “Abutters speak out on proposed dog shelter.” I have been a volunteer at the Franklin County sheriff’s office dog shelter for over 12 years, almost from its inception. I was at the meeting in Deerfield on March 20 and thought I was going to have to stand up and sing the praises of the shelter.
This was not the case. Apparently, everyone knows what an incredible asset the shelter is. They just don’t want it in their back (or front) yard. I get this … to a point.
The main concern seemed to be traffic. It is a very narrow dead-end road. The numbers given to the zoning board and that are printed in the article come from an applied formula. I feel the number of 107 trips in and out is quite a stretch. There is a small staff that comes in at a certain time and leaves at a certain time. Same with volunteers. There is a small shift in the morning and another small shift in the evening.
This is not a shopping center for dogs. People make appointments to meet the dogs, they don’t often just walk in off the street. Some it seemed thought we were opening a race track rather than a dog shelter. The extra traffic will be sheriff’s office personnel, animal control officers, police and staff, not teens in sports cars. We are all animal people and respect the rules of the road if only to avoid hitting squirrels, never mind humans.
One of the other concerns was for the farmland. This piece has apparently been used to grow some things, other than hay I’m not sure what, but it isn’t the best parcel for farming in my opinion. It was for sale, zoned industrial, so here we are.
I can’t think of a better way to use the land than to save dogs and cats to preserve the feel of Deerfield. It could have been something much worse. I hope everyone will take a good hard look at all the information provided and we will end up with a very much-needed new shelter. Everything is in someone’s backyard.
Karen Hathaway
Northfield
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