Some Shaler Township neighbors concerned with vacant house, numerous wild animals living around it

SHALER TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Several neighbors in Shaler Township are fed up with a house they said is being taken over by wild animals.

“I’m very fed up at this point. That’s why I contacted you guys,” said Michael Burroway, a neighbor.

Burroway has lived next door to the home on Virginia Avenue in the heart of Shaler for the last 15 years.

“The house has become a haven for wild animals, raccoons, groundhogs, rats,” Burroway said.

Several neighbors sent Channel 11 photos of raccoons on the rooftop. They say they crawl out of holes in the home and into their yards. They even found dead rats.

“I think it’s becoming more of a health hazard,” said Burroway. “You can look across the street here and there are two dead raccoons.”

Neighbors said they want the property cleaned up.

“It’s just an eyesore,” Burroway said. “The yard is overgrown. The lawn is mowed maybe once a year. I don’t know what else to do.”

A group of neighbors said for the last two years they’ve sent letters to the township, showed photos and called the building inspector but those complaints fell on deaf ears.

“Nothing’s being done,” said Burroway.

Channel 11′s Antoinette DelBel took their concerns directly to the township manager Chris Lovato.

“If anyone feels ignored my door is always open,” Lovato said. “If you can ask for me by name, I will personally return your phone call and make sure it gets the attention it needs.”

Lovato told Channel 11 this is the first time he’s heard about the problem since taking office a year and a half ago. He said the building inspector only remembers complaints from 2021 when an exterminator looked at the property but didn’t find any signs of infestation.

“He did walk the property that time, did speak with the exterminator and did not see any obvious signs, but that’s not to say circumstances haven’t changed and we will certainly take this complaint seriously,” he said.

Lovato said the building inspector would visit the property Wednesday morning. He said, however, there’s not much they can do other than give citations since the homeowner is paying taxes on the property even though she isn’t living there.

Channel 11 knocked on the door up the street where neighbors said the homeowner was staying with her sister but no one answered.

“It’s time to do something,” Burroway said. “I’d like to see the house condemned, quite frankly.”

The township manager said they would look into getting an exterminator.

“If the property has dilapidated to a point, we have the right as a township to condemn it. From what I understand, this particular property is not in that condition,” Burroway said. “My concern is to make sure the residents feel that they’re being heard and that we’re taking appropriate steps.”

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