After 12 years of working in Pittsburgh to find new homes for dog, cats, rabbits and the occasional pig, reptile and bird, Dan Rossi is leaving Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh. He’s relocating to California where he will be the executive director of the Palm Springs Animal Shelter in California.
On January 21, Mr. Rossi will leave his position as CEO of HARP. That job included operating shelters on the North Side and Homewood, and a wildlife rehabilitation center in Verona.
Long time board member Gerry Delon will serve as interim executive director. Mr. Delon and Mr. Rossi have worked together for more than a decade.
Mr. Rossi had served as the head of Animal Rescue League in East Liberty. In 2016 he oversaw the merger of the organization and the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society on the North Side. The two became HARP, and both shelters and the wildlife center continued operations.
A $15 million capital campaign was headed by Mr. Rossi, to build a new shelter in Homewood, just several blocks down from the old Animal Rescue League building, which had become old and somewhat dilapidate.
The HARP mission extends beyond finding permanent homes for strays and for animals whose owners are unable or unable to care for them. There is also a low-cost veterinary clinic, free and low-cost spay and neuter programs and an array of training classes where owners can learn how to make their pets better canine citizens. There are also pet food give-aways. The staff works with animals to eliminate behavior problems, which is one of the ways dogs and cats end up in shelters.
“The animal welfare community in Pittsburgh has been lucky enough to have Dan at the helm for the past 12 years,” said Mr. Delon, president of the HARP board of directors. “We are thankful for his passion, enthusiasm and commitment to saving the live of animals in the region.”
Not mentioned in the news release is the fact that Mr. Rossi often took his work home with him. He would bring mother-less newborn kittens into his office to bottle feed them every two hours. At the end of the day he took them home to continue the feedings.
In the news release Mr. Rossi said, “I am really proud of what we have accomplished over the years. The organization is in a great position to really take off and build on what we have started. I know Gerry is the right person to take the baton.”
Linda Wilson Fuoco: lfuoco@post-Gazette.com or at PG Pets on Facebook.
First Published: January 12, 2022, 3:35 p.m.
