Rockland Lawmakers Approve Funding For New Animal Shelter

Rockland County Legislators have authorized financing for the construction of a new animal shelter to house homeless, abandoned and found animals. The animal shelter is now housed in an outdated, cramped building near the county Fire Training Center in Pomona.

The Hi Tor Animal Care Center is run by the non-profit Hi Tor organization, primarily housing dogs and cats, but sometimes taking in rabbits, birds, and ferrets, among other species. The building and the land it sits on are owned by the county.

“I’m thrilled we’re moving forward,” Legislator Alden Wolfe said. “We’ve all been waiting for this for many years.”

The new shelter is to be built on the same parcel, at an estimated cost of $2.05 million. In addition to the $1.2 million to be provided by the county, the shelter has about $350,000 in current funds and a $500,000 state grant to help get the job done. The county would own the building and Hi Tor Animal Care Center would continue to operate the shelter.

The drive to build a new animal shelter has been underway for years, with issues such as location and funding the main challenges.

In 2015 Wolfe, with Legislators Toney Earl and Jay Hood, was behind the effort to add the facility to the county’s Capital Projects list at a $500,000 funding level.

County Executive Ed Day boosted funding for the project in his proposed Capital Projects list in the 2018 County Budget, with the funding level increased by $700,000 to $1.2 million. The Legislature voted 17-0 in December to adopt the budget, including the Capital Projects list.

Still, ensuring an appropriate level of funding going forward remains a significant issue. Shelter representatives say funding is needing for various purposes, including hiring a behaviorist to help make some of the dogs more adoptable, along with hiring several part-time employees, according to published reports.

Wolfe said he was hopeful the challenges could be met to allow the new shelter to be built and staffed at the appropriate level.

“I’m confident that the County Executive will be able to build consensus among the towns and villages so the operational funding needed by the shelter will be provided,” Wolfe said.

Read this Facebook post to get an idea of the shelter's activity level: