FALLS TOWNSHIP, WYOMING COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)— A local animal sanctuary is building the first animal care facility of its kind in northeastern Pennsylvania.
Indraloka Animal Sanctuary near Dalton is spearheading on-site construction of the “NEPA Rescue Veterinary Clinic”.
The goal is to increase access to quality veterinary care for animals at Indraloka and those at 35 regional rescues and shelters of the NEPA Animal Welfare Collaborative.
The clinic comes in response to a shortage of veterinarians in the area which poses significant challenges.
“All of us right now are really struggling, and there are many times that we cannot rescue animals that we would have wanted to because there’s no veterinary care available for them,” said Indra Lahiri, the founder of the Indraloka Animal Sanctuary.
“We’ve even had some not only rescues but other sanctuaries already call over here just because they also are finding it difficult to find local veterinarians to take in the animals,” explained Leslie Interlandi, a veterinarian at the NEPA Rescue Vet Clinic.
There’s no indication of how soon the clinic will be completed.
Once finished, it will assist Griffin Pond, the largest animal shelter serving Lackawanna and Wayne counties.