A Lehighton Area High School student is responsible for the recent updating the county animal shelter portion of the Carbon County website.

Sara Martz, a 10th grade high honors student, has been busy lately doing a school project that is benefitting the county operation.She is a daughter of Edward and Lori (Smith) Porambo of Franklin Township and Timothy Martz of Tennessee, and the granddaughter of Jean Smith of Franklin Township, the late Larry Smith and Mr. and Mrs. Edward Porambo of Lansford.Sara began the project earlier this year after meeting with county commissioners, the county's information-technology department and Tom Connors, who heads the K-9 operations. Although she is only a sophomore, she chose to do the volunteer work as her senior project and hopes to remain active with the animal shelter through her high school career.In proposing the website enhancement as her project, Sara volunteered to make information on the animal shelter, and particularly pictures of the dogs available for adoption, available for posting.Previously, that information was limited to a Facebook site.With Sara's help, county officials authorized purchase of a domain that will lead those interested in adopting a dog to easier information access of the animal shelter.Persons who "google" Carbon County Animal Shelter will be directed to a county-owned site that states "The goal of the Carbon County Animal Shelter is to find good homes for homeless dogs."Persons can also access the site by going to carboncounty.com and clicking on "departments," then "Animal Shelter/K9" and eventually "Animals for Adoption."As part of the process, Sara has also become a photographer or sorts, routinely going to the shelter to take photographs of the dogs for posting.Recently, she spearheaded a hoagie sale that netted $917.85 for the shelter. Assisting the project was a dress-down event held at the Lehighton Call Center of Blue Ridge Communications, Pencor Services, Inc.Besides her school project, Sara is a volunteer with the American Red Cross, where she helps in the food bank program.She has also solicited the help of Pizza Hut in Lehighton, which will hold a "Fun"draiser Night on Jan. 6 from noon to 8 p.m. The restaurant will donate 20 percent of its proceeds that day to the animal shelter.In addition to Martz's efforts, the shelter is also holding a Picture with Santa day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., on Dec. 21. Families can bring their children or pets to the shelter to get their photo with Santa taken for free. The staff asks that people bring their own camera.Meanwhile, under the county's adoption fee program, the adoption fee for all dogs that are already spayed or neutered upon entering the shelter is $100. The fee includes deworming and bordetella, DA2LP+CPV and rabies vaccines.Additional costs include a $50 deposit for any person who adopts a dog from the shelter that is not spayed or neutered. Upon the dog being sterilized within 45 days of adoption, the adopter's deposit is returned. If a person adopts a dog that is under six months of age, he or she will have until the dog turns seven months old to have it spayed or neutered. Upon spaying/neutering, the adopter's deposit will be returned. If the dog being adopted has been spayed or neutered by the shelter, there is an additional $100 fee to cover this cost.The shelter is located at 63 Broad St. (on the Broad Mountain), Nesquehoning. It is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The telephone number is 570-325-4828.