Petition to Save Hi-Tor Animal Shelter

Our great group of volunteers esp. Rachel who crafted the petition, have been working to get as many people to sign the petition to keep the shelter open and more importantly to get the shelter proper funding to fix the building and maintain an adequate facility for both volunteers and pets.

Please take one minute to sign the petition and let as many people as you can know about it.

Meet Hope and Murphy who would love you forever if you would sign the petition if you can't bring them home and give them hugs.

Today's Featured Pet: Angel

I am going to try and feature a new pet each day that is loving and looking for a forever home.

Today is for Angel, the 7 year old female Basset Hound who was used for breeding purposes then surrendered to Hi-Tor. She was recently spayed and is recovering nicely in a foster home. Please contact Hi-Tor if you are interested in adopting this sweet girl.

Upcoming Legislative Review for Funding of Hi-Tor

It appears that the local officials are on the right track. There is a story on the Pearl River Patch about an upcoming public review board. Here is a clip of the story:

Rockland County Legislators Ed Day and Alden Wolfe have called for a committee review of the status of the H-Tor Animal Care Center in Pomona. As of Wednesday afternoon, the Clerk of the Legislature Laurence O. Toole determined the appropriate committee was Planning and Public Works but said the meeting date and time had not yet been scheduled. The main topics of discussion at the meeting open to the public will be Hi-Tor’s funding and the condition of the facility.

Please come out and show your support when the meeting has a set date. The shelter needs all the support it can get, and the animals deserve to have people give them a voice.

Local media coverage

Recently the Rockland Journal News printed a story about the predicament the shelter is in right now and it has pushed all the "troops" into action. We have many committees up and running that you could join to help make a difference and keep the shelter open.

Here is a link to the story on the Journal News in case you missed it.

The Journal News also published a "Community View" written by Hi-Tor's Secretary, Judy Stone. A very on point and well written article that would be a great model letter if you choose to write one to send to the paper or to our elected officials.

Please take a minute if you can to write to our elected officials in Rockland and let them know that you support our shelter and would like to see them receive appropriate funding. (See our Politician List on our Facebook Page under 'notes'.)

How can you help?

Hi-Tor Animal Care Center, Rockland County's only animal shelter has been deemed "not important" by legislator Scott C. Vanderhoef. He claims that the county doesn't have the money "to do the things it's needs to much less what it would like to." No one else in the local government offices has stepped up to defend the shelter or help provide funding.

It would take the local government using the taxes we all pay to give the shelter the correct amount in order to avoid closing the shelter or turning into a high kill shelter. No one will stand for or support a high kill shelter in this day and age. Every animal is a life, and we are obligated to be their voice and stand up for them.

They do not deserve to live in a shack that has cracked floors, no safe place to play- not to mention the countless volunteers who go there daily to feed, walk, clean and maintain the animals and the building. These volunteers pour their heart and soul into keeping the shelter going and the county just continues to dismiss the needs of both the shelter and the residents desire to keep the shelter a safe haven for animals.

How can you help? Start by looking at the Save Hi-Tor Facebook page and getting an idea of how bad the conditions truly are. Then you can navigate over to Hi-Tor's main Facebook page, and see all the beautiful animals that deserve a chance at a forever home.

Please take a minute to write a letter or e-mail to our local government stating they need to support the shelter and that you will not support their closing. Take a minute to see if you can spare a few dollars to donate to the cause on their causes page, all donations are tax deductible. If you can't afford a donation, volunteer to help plan fundraisers, write letters and getting petitions signed by joining the cause here. donate items that are needed on the shelters website. They also have a link on their to the Amazon wish list on there as well.

Lefty is one of the shelter's long tenured residents. Doesn't he deserve a chance to find a family who will love him forever?