Hi Tor board disputes allegations that animal shelter was left in deplorable condition
The board says the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets did an inspection at the facility and passed it with "100% on every criteria."
More Stories
The Hi Tor Board Of Directors is hitting back against allegations that they left the animal shelter in deplorable conditions.
The New York State Animal Protection Federation toured the facility back in May and found that quote "Hi Tor, in its entirety, is an unacceptable shelter to house companion animals."
But the board says the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets did an inspection with very different results.
"They reviewed us just a month ago," said Gary Kogut, the board’s co-president. "And we passed with 100% on every criteria."
The board says they were given no warning that their contract with Rockland Green was going to be terminated.
"We had exactly about four hours to wind down our operation – bring out all of our files, all of our records – and clean the place to the degree that we could in those few hours," explains Kogut.
Michael Sanducci, the new manager at the shelter now known as Rockland Green Cares, says the conditions of the shelter constitute animal abuse.
"This is years of neglect and cruelty towards these animals. This wasn't hours, this wasn't days, this wasn't weeks, I don't even think this was months. This is years," said Sanducci.
Aside from nonstop cleaning, the new management says they also had to hunt down medical records and forms, including finding documents in a freezer for dead animals.
But the board co-presidents say they did no such thing.
"Our reputation has been damaged by everything that's been said about what we did or didn't do and that's a great concern to us," said Kogut.
Both parties will be present to argue their case at next week's board meeting.
