A barbed wire fence now encircles the Windermere Court building. Photo by Julija Kulneva

A rally is planned from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday outside the Windermere Court Apartments at 48th and Walnut to gather support for former residents, who still don’t have access to their belongings and pets more than a month after the fire.

Residents say they are staging the rally to make people aware of the lack of information and cooperation from the building’s owners.

The building had been deemed unsafe to enter, but residents have reportedly been told by the city that permission has been granted to the owner to allow people in. It’s the miscommunication that has former residents angry.

“It’s so frustrating,” said former resident Lara Figueroa. “Everything we find out, we find out a week after the fact.”

Residents have been told that the building will likely be at least partially demolished. The building’s owners were not available for comment.

Residents have also organized their own security of the building day and night to watch for potential looters and pets still stranded inside. The building is now surrounded by a barbed wire fence and has been padlocked.

“My biggest frustration is that we know that there are still pets in there alive,” said Figueroa. She said pets have been spotted in windows in the building, but no one has been allowed inside to rescue them.

West Philly-based feline rescue group City Kitties is joining the protest as well to help with recovering residents’ stranded pets.

City Kitties organizers write:

Despite obvious signs of life inside, no one took action–not the owners, not L&I, not the fire marshal, not the insurance investigators who all had access to the building. Just two days after this disaster, fire fighters said there was nothing more they could do and no possibility that cats could have survived.

Now the Windermere owners claim that the buildings’ exterior doors are sealed and that L&I [The city office of Licenses and Inspection] won’t allow anyone inside ever again–and yet a maintenance man, security guards, and insurance company investigators have accessed the building as recently as today, Wednesday February 9th. Meanwhile, the owners are moving forward with demolition, knowing full well that there are still pets inside!

Neighborhood resident Katie Bonier has temporary custody of a spayed female shepherd mix named Missy. She relays the story below:

I found her wandering around Chester and 46th on Saturday, she had a  tag with her name and address. Through interviewing neighbors and a web search I found that a young woman named Vanessa has owned her since birth, had two dogs, fell on hard times and had to move away 3 weeks ago, to an apartment where dogs aren’t allowed. She left Missy with her parents on 50th and  Kingsessing a few weeks ago asking them to find someone to adopt her. The parents kept her in the yard, and she escaped. I talked to Vanessa, and she needs help finding a home for Missy.

I’ve got an elderly 100 lb dog. I  don’t want a second dog as Lula goes into old age. Lula has been tolerant because Missy is polite and submissive, but she clearly doesn’t want another dog in the house. Missy weighs about 40 lbs, spayed female shepherd mix. Seems well-trained, not familiar with dog cookies or human food, sits, comes, behaves well  with other dogs. Seems trusting and even-tempered, and like maybe she’s used to being left places. She seems quite happy with everyone she meets.

Thanks!

Katie

Here is Katie’s e-mail address:

catherinebonier – at – gmail.com

This was sent to us by Lina Lee and originally appeared on Craigslist:

Lost, 2 Family Pet Dogs

I’m looking for my 2 male dogs that got out from the back yard at 51st and Chancellor. Butter is the oldest. He’s a Lab/Pit mix with light brown hair, medium weight. Dallas is a younger Pomeranian mix, light blond hair, Small/medium weight. I miss my dogs. Please, if anyone has them or has seen them please let me know ASAP. A reward will be offered. Call BJ at 215-239-0230 and leave a message.
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Here’s a story from NBC 10 on the tireless work by City Kitties, a West Philadelphia based feline rescue organization, to help cats lost and found from the Jan. 10 Windermere Court Apartments fire. The organization has a list of recovered and missing cats, including photos when possible, on its website here. Well over 100 people were made homeless from the fire at 48th and Walnut Streets.

We’re a little late on this but… the Chester Avenue Dog Park, the private dog park at 48th and Chester, is taking membership applications again. The park had been full and closed to new members for several months. Starting in November the park will open 10 spots every two months. The November/December and January/February spots have been filled. There are still slots for March/April, but Christina Bach from the dog park said those are filling up fast.

For more information go to the park website.

At least three or four surviving cats have been pulled from apartments devastated by fire yesterday at Windermere Court Apartments. The feline aid organization City Kitties is offering help to pet owners whose cats survived the fire. The West Philadelphia-based organization has established an emergency fund for boarding, pet sitting, follow-up veterinary care, food, litter, carriers, and other basic needs.

For those affected by the fire, a form is available here to apply for funds. That same link provides a Pay Pal button for those who want to donate to the fund.

They write:

“We will not be able to write checks directly to victims, but will be able to purchase supplies for you, reimburse expenses, or pay vendors directly (veterinarians, boarding facilities, etc) up to a specific amount.”

Many residents were able to take their pets with them when they evacuated, but don’t have a place for them now. The PSPCA is housing many of those and the vet hospital at Penn is providing free medical care.