By KATHY MELLOTT
PORTAGE — It’s been nearly four years since officials said a Portage Township family was found living with more than three dozen dogs in a filthy, rat-infested home.
After legal wrangling and repeated attempts by township officials to have the house south of town torn down, they soon may be successful.
In a ruling handed down late last year, the state Supreme Court’s Western District denied a petition filed by the Parks family – brothers Donald and John and sisters Arlene, Darlene and Virginia.
The siblings, who own the two-story house on Route 164, were asking the state’s highest court to consider an appeal to a spring 2009 state Commonwealth Court decision denying the Parks’ appeal of a Cambria County judge’s decision that the house be torn down.
The family then asked the state Supreme Court to reconsider its denial to hear the case. The court recently denied that request, township Solicitor C.J. Webb said Tuesday.
“Barring something unusual, yes, this is the end of the appeals,” Webb said.
The Parks saga caught the public eye in May 2006, when a state dog warden filed criminal charges against four of the siblings for keeping 40 dogs inside the small house and seven tied outside.
The house was full of dog feces and overrun with rats. The state Department of Environmental Protection for a time thought the property might be eligible for funding under a special environmental cleanup program. But it was later determined that the house’s condition did not meet the state program’s criteria.
The state did offer a small grant, which should pay much of the demolition costs.
Meanwhile, in February 2007, John, Darlene, Arlene and Virginia Parks were placed on 30 months probation and ordered to pay restitution of nearly $5,000 to the Humane Society of Cambria County for sheltering the dogs removed from their home.
Judge Gerard Long also barred them from having any more dogs or cats in their house.
Two years ago, when the township bid the demolition, the lowest offer was about $8,000.
In late 2008, two days before the house was to be torn down, the family appealed a Cambria County judge’s decision allowing the demolition. The issue has continued in appeals.
Township Supervisors Ken Trimbath and Elwood Selapack said they are eager to have the matter resolved. The house has been a source of complaints from residents in the township’s Puritan area.
“The residence will be taken down as soon as the weather breaks,” Trimbath said.
Selapack said the DEP grant awarded the township two years ago to pay for the demolition will expire if action is not taken.
“Just so we do it before June, our grant is good until then,” he said.
A contractor is attempting to develop a schedule for the demolition, officials said. A date has not been set.
