TinyCause in Vandergrift has received a state certification to hold stray dogs, allowing more lost or abandoned pooches to avoid euthanasia by the borough’s animal control service.
The nonprofit along Columbia Avenue can hold up to three at-large dogs, according to longtime volunteer Cindy Richard. Strays will initially be held in quarantine in case of disease.
Since adding a rescue component in 2018, TinyCause has been the temporary drop-off spot for strays found by Vandergrift police, who do not have kennels of their own.
Most of the time, according to Chief Joseph Caporali, the dogs are lost, having slipped through a collar or out an open door, rather than abandoned.
From there, the dogs would quickly go to Hoffman Kennels, the borough’s animal control service, per state law.
“We’d be like, ‘yeah sure, we can’t hold the dog, but we can help you locate the owner, if that’s possible,’” Richard said.
The dogs currently in the long-term care of TinyCause arrived mostly through voluntary surrenders by people who are moving, have lost their jobs or otherwise find themselves unable to care for their pets.
As was the case before, dogs will go directly to the Salem-based animal control service if they’re aggressive.
TinyCause is a crucial asset for the three or four times a month officers pick up a stray, Caporali said.
“We’ve had a longstanding relationship with TinyCause, and they’ve always been very cooperative with the police and the community,” he said.
Hoffman is a kill shelter. State law allows shelters to adopt out, transfer or euthanize unlicensed strays after a two-day hold.
Licensed dogs, meaning they have a tag or microchip, must be kept for five days after a certified letter is delivered to their owner.
Though owner Gary Hoffman has taken some heat in other communities for his business’s limited hours and lack of online presence, which some advocates argue leads to fewer reunifications, Richard had nothing negative to say.
“Everybody gives him a bad rap for what he has to do,” she said. “It’s not his fault.”
TinyCause is at 131 Columbia Ave. In addition to connecting dogs with foster families, the rescue provides a microchip scanner and grooming services.
Jack Troy is a TribLive reporter covering the Freeport Area and Kiski Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on Penn Hills municipal affairs. A Pittsburgh native, he joined the Trib in January 2024 after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh. He can be reached at jtroy@triblive.com.
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