Animal sanctuary files report alleging theft

BERLIN CENTER -- The owner of Noah's Lost Ark, a sanctuary for abused and abandoned exotic animals on Bedell Road, has filed a theft report with the Mahoning County Sheriff's Department.
Ellen Whitehouse told a deputy that she gave a fencing contractor a $4,340 down payment Nov. 26 to build two tiger enclosures.
The total price quoted was $5,300 and the work was to be done by Dec. 4. Whitehouse said the check was cashed, the work is not done, and the contractor says he spent the money on other projects, reports show.