April 15, 2011
Glen Cove, Long Island
Private Shelter Rescues Over 100 Animals from Hoarder House
GLEN COVE ANIMAL LOVERS LEAGUE (5013c Non Profit) now in DESPERATE NEED:
Food, Litter, Donations, Volunteers & HOMES!!!!
People can call the shelter and make safe donations by their credit card (516-676-5913), mail a check to Animal Lovers League, 40 Shore Road, Glen Cove, NY 11542, or online at www.animalloversleague.org click on donate button on home page.
3/23/11
Subject: News about town of Hempstead animal shelter-new beginnings on the horizon!
Supervisor Murray requested a meeting today with representatives from Last Hope, Inc. It was an honest discussion of some of the issues and concerns which have and continue to plague the animal shelter. In the next few weeks, we will be formulating a committee of representatives from the animal welfare community and private and public shelters that will review all policies and protocol at the Town of Hempstead animal shelter. I anticipate that we will develop a list of recommendations and a plan for implementation with specific deadlines to be presented to supervisor Murray.
This committee and Last Lope will also act in an advisory capacity to the town and supervisor Murray as the search for a new shelter director is begun.
This is a tremendous step for supervisor Murray to take, and I am most encouraged that change is on the horizon for the animal shelter.
Linda Stuurman
Last Hope, Inc.
A collaborative community effort results in a
POSITIVE OUTCOME FOR 3 Border Collies at TOB Shelter !
by Sass Levine
A local rescue group, MBIN - Mixed Breeds in Need, came to the rescue of 3 Border Collies who are being housed at the Town of Oyster Bay Animal Shelter.
It appears that the Town Of Oyster Bay Animal Shelter was housing 3 Border Collies used by the town for municipal geese control. These 3 Border Collies were housed in the shelter when not being used for that purpose, which is effected by seasons and weather.
This means that instead of going home with their handlers at the end of a day, where they can bond and interact with humans in a home environment, they remained confined to a typical shelter kennel run. The concern was that these 3 dogs were left for hours, days and months confined to a shelter run which offers limited playtime or mental stimulation and not an environment that allows the dogs to calm themselves after a long day.
Mixed Breeds in Need asked professional trainers, Border Collie experts in behavior and rescue, veterinarians and legal representatives to join them in presenting concerns regarding this matter, directly to Supervisor John Venditto of Oyster Bay during a town meeting last month.
I attended this meeting and witnessed the exchange. Supervisor Venditto started the dialog by announcing that no one knew more about dogs or loved dogs more than him! He listened to the community professionals that presented their concerns and responded by saying that his experts have assured him that these Border Collies are living the good life, a dog's dream, running after geese in open fields all day. He added that the TOB shelter environment, although less than ideal, is causing no harm to these 3 dogs inspite of the fact that shelters are to be considered temporary, not permanent housing for all other rescue dogs. The input from his people also guided him to believe that since beagles are commonly kenneled for the most part, as when used for bomb sniffing, that the same holds true for all breeds of dogs.
Here is a collection of input from MBIN representatives during that town meeting. They offer a different perspective than do Supervisor Venditto's experts, and one that you all may find very interesting.
Since this meeting, the dogs have been placed in the homes of their handlers with supportive input from a professional trainer, Katherine Dattoma, who volunteers her time to help them with the adjustment. This is quite fitting, since it was she who brought the situation to the foreground last year and spoke on behalf of these dogs at the TOB meeting.
It's wonderful to see that in spite of differences in perspective that ultimately both sides agreed that they wanted what was best for the dogs and were willing to cooperate with one another towards a solution.
This process is purely American, and we should all feel good about the outcome especially Xena, Skye and Abbey!
Here are some of the articles, letters and speeches that made a difference:
Speech by Katherine Dattoma at Town of Oyster Bay meeting
Speech by Carl Juul Nielsen
Letter from Lorie Holtz of Victory Farm Foundation, Inc.
Article in Massapequa Post
Amityville Record Article
NY Times Article on Border Collies
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