Hi tor animal shelter surrender update#

“I don’t think the intention was ever there to do harm.”Īssemblyman Ken Zebrowski, D-West Nyack, has worked on various statewide animal legislation and had a dog, Ernie, who came from Hi-Tor.

“Unfortunately for Debbie, I think her heart has always been in the right place,” Gueits said. Gueits said that when the alleged incidents took place in summer 2020, she was being told by the public the shelter had been turning animals away. “The staff didn’t have the necessary experience in shelter operations,” the New City resident said. Nixie Gueits, a former board member at Hi-Tor for nine years and volunteer, said she recently contacted Day’s office about concerns with the shelter. There have been reports of ringworm outbreaks among cats and overrun trailers. The manager said he had gone to the county offices to inform Day about concerns over safety and working conditions at the facility. In 2018, many volunteers quit after a shelter manager was fired by the board for 'abandonment.' Tension among the board, staff and volunteers have been a hallmark of the nonprofit shelter started 50 years ago. Orangetown stopped contracting with the shelter then. Towns pay fees to the nonprofit's animal services in their jurisdictions. They advocated for a county takeover of the facility. In February, Rockland's five town supervisors expressed concerns about the shelter's management, costs and finances. Troubled historyīut problems have arisen over the years, even before DiBernardo became president of the board. The shelter has been supported over the years by the five towns and some villages. He said Health Department inspectors will visit the shelter twice a day and he urged volunteers to continue supporting the animals.

He is requesting details of their plans to continue the safe operation of the animal shelter.

Hi tor animal shelter surrender update#

'This indictment creates a serious issue for the operation of this facility.'ĭay said he is requesting an update from Hi-Tor board members on Friday. 'We understand that individuals are innocent until proven guilty,' Day said. One-week old kitten Oscar is being bottle fed at Hi Tor Animal Care Center in Pomona on Tuesday, July 23, 2019. He said the county government does not have direct control over the actions of a contract agency. On Thursday, Day said in a statement the county remains committed to building a new shelter for homeless and abandoned animals. He said the county would cooperate fully with 'our district attorney in ensuring whatever concerns are effectively addressed.' When the District Attorney's Office's seized financial records in August, Day said both Hi-Tor management and the county government shared a number of concerns about operations at the shelter. The county has allocated $8.3 million in capital project funding and the center has received additional money from state grants and donations. The county government has been working with DiBernardo and the Hi-Tor board to build a new facility on county land near the Rockland Fire Training Center off Route 45 in Ramapo. 'It is a sad day for Rockland County when an individual who is entrusted with overseeing shelter operations and providing vital services to animals in desperate need stands accused of violating the public's trust.' County committed to new facility 'Many of us have dogs and cats as pets, that become loved members of our families,' Walsh said. The shelter has had many volunteers over the years and its operation and treatment of the animals have created divisions and controversy. Walsh said the investigation into Hi Tor followed concerns from the public.

The documentation, required by the shelter's contract with the county, violated the center's contract with the county.Ī Rockland grand jury returned an indictment charging DiBernardo with one count of first-degree of offering a false instrument for filing and 17 counts of second-degree falsifying business records, Walsh said. Then on July 1, 2020, as part of DiBernardo's submission of animal documentation to the Rockland Health Department, she allegedly filed an animal intake voucher containing false information. On June 25, 2020, DiBernardo, in her role as president of Hi-Tor Animal Care Center, directed the false entry of documents into the shelter's business records related to the intake of 17 animals, the release stated. Rockland County Executive Ed Day, center, Hi-Tor board president Debbie DiBernardo, left, and director of strategic communications John Lyon look over renderings of the new facility during a ground breaking ceremony on the new Hi-Tor Animal Care Center facility in Pomona on Thursday, October 21, 2021.