• The proposed animal sanctuary is on about 11.5 acres of donated land on Hartly Road.
• First State Animal Center and SPCA plans to provide a home for about 10 animals at a time, mostly older horses and livestock along with a few dogs.
• A public hearing on the plan is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, March 6 at the Kent County Regional Planning Commission meeting in Dover.

A proposed animal sanctuary near Hartly has led to a stampede of questions about how many animals and what kind will be housed at the property.

The plan is on the agenda at the Kent County Regional Planning Commission’s public hearing at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 6, at the County Administrative Complex, 555 S. Bay Road, Dover.

The hearing is also accessible by phone by calling 1-408-418-9388 with access code 23399384113 and online with instructions on the county’s website.

First State Animal Center and SPCA is proposing a home for animals like horses and other livestock and a few older dogs, according to John Parana, First State’s executive director.

The residential and agricultural property, about 11.5 acres at 3048 Hartly Road north of Halltown Road, has been donated to the animal center which operates at 32 Shelter Circle, Camden.

The county’s category for this proposed use is “commercial kennel,” and that has probably led to the speculation about what is planned, Parana said.

Some people on social media have said the sanctuary will be housing dozens of dogs, perhaps aggressive dogs, with concerns about all the barking.

“That’s been the major complaint,” Parana said, adding that the animal center has received dozens of phone calls asking if it’s true. It is not, he said.

“We will have primarily larger animals that have been neglected, abused or are in need medical attention and a place to live out the rest of their life quietly,” Parana said. “A lot of them have been used as work animals, but the owners don’t have the resources to care for them anymore.”

More: Laurel rescue takes in 30-plus animals in seizure case of horses, donkeys, goats, more

County Assistant Planning Director Kris Connelly said the definition for “commercial kennel” comes from the county code: “any building or land used for the housing, breeding, training or care of animals for commercial purposes. This use includes animal hospitals.” 

No limit to the number of animals has been specified in the applicant’s proposal, Connelly said.

Parana said about 10 animals will be at the property at any given time, mostly ones referred to First State Animal Center and SPCA by government agencies like the Delaware Department of Agriculture.

At least one caretaker will be at the site 24 hours a day.

“We will have a few dogs, but they won’t be vicious,” Parana said. “They will mostly likely be terminally ill, and we’ll be keeping them comfortable.”

An example would be a dog with diabetes whose owner can’t afford insulin and isn’t available to give the dog shots at the required times.

“People don’t adopt a dog like that,” Parana said.

More: Delaware man denied request to retrieve horse killed in hit-and-run from landfill

Another main complaint Parana has seen from opponents to the sanctuary is that it will hurt property values in the area.

“We are working with the county to create a park-like setting,” Parana said. “The property is fenced in now, but the county requires a privacy fence around the entire property and over 200 trees as buffers, and we will do it. We need a place for these animals.”

He said the area near the property has multiple commercial businesses, including a scrapyard, a concrete and asphalt recycling center, an automobile body shop and even an Amish kennel that breeds and raises dogs.

While the staff at First State Animal Center and SPCA has received complaints and has seen social media comments against the proposal, they have also received about 300 comments of support from people who think the sanctuary is a good idea, Parana said.

On the center’s Facebook page, the staff posted “an urgent answer to all the phone calls we are receiving” in response to what they described as “misinformation being spread in the Hartly area.” The post gives information about what First State Animal Center is planning at the sanctuary.

The property is in the county’s 6th District, represented by District Commissioner Paul Hertz, who didn’t immediately respond to a call or email Wednesday afternoon about the proposal.

After the public hearing March 6, the Regional Planning Commission is scheduled to make a recommendation about the animal sanctuary at its business meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 13.

Reporter Ben Mace covers real estate, development and business news. Reach him at rmace@gannett.com.