The Committee to Save Hi-Tor Animal Shelter, the county’s only animal shelter, plans a demonstration at the Rockland County Office building before Tuesday’s legislative meeting. Committee members want to alert the legislators to the “public outcry over the possible closing of the shelter.”
The protest scheduled from 5 pm to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 20 is expected to draw a large turnout of demonstrators, some with their dogs. Supporters state in Pomona does not receive sufficient financial support to provide needed services and maintain a safe facility.
According to the committee’s statement, “The ASPCA states that $8 of every taxpayer's money should be going towards county animal shelters, last year in Rockland, about $0.64 of every taxpayers money went to Hi-Tor. It is no wonder that the shelter is in extreme danger of shutting its doors and leaving the homeless animals of Rockland with nowhere to go.”
The grassroots organization’s mission is to make the public aware of the shelter’s financial situation. Shelter staff has said it could possibly close in the summer due to a lack of funding and running out of reserve fund. Committee members have contacted local and county officials by email and phone asking for their position on the future of the shelter. Only County Legislators Ed Day and Joe Meyers and Clarkstown Town Supervisor Alex Gromack have responded to the request.
More information is available at www.Facebook.com/SaveHiTorAnimalShelter. The online petition for the shelter can be found at http://www.change.org/petitions/help-save-hi-tor-animal-shelter
