Three years ago I started this petition “Shelter Animals are being Terrorized by Fireworks from their neighbor the NY Boulders.” It was directed to one person, Shawn Reilly the Boulder’s Team President, GM, and Managing Partner. This, my tenth update will mention some changes that have occurred. As it has been said “the more things change, the more they stay the same”.
 

What stayed the same:  Shawn Reilly and the Boulders lack of any consideration or compassion for the poor caged animals in the shelter next door, or for our Veterans with PTSD, and other people and pets in the area that are being affected by the fireworks.  They advertise 15 days of fireworks this year.  We did not ask them to stop the “entertainment” but to switch to a laser or drone show, to noiseless fireworks, or other forms of entertainment, all readily available. Why they insist on the loud traumatizing fireworks makes no sense.  This behavior is not new.  In June 2011, when the Boulders first came to Rockland County, a similar petition was started. It too was ignored, and closed with 749 signatures.  That petition was directed to a number of people including: Shawn Reilly and four politicians. I spoke to the one who is still in Office and the successors of the other three. In the last three years I have probably spoke to over 100 people about this petition. Only three people refuse to communicate with me. Shawn Reilly is one of them.  I telephoned, e-mailed, texted, and sent letters to him. Four politicians independently told me they would set up a meeting with me and Mr. Reilly, or have him call me. That never happened.

What changed: In Dec, 2022 Rockland County gave control of Hi-Tor Animal Shelter to Rockland Green the solid waste Management Authority (1). Rockland Green and Hi-Tor signed a two year contract. The Chairman of the Board of Rockland Green is Howard Phillips, who is also the Haverstraw Town Supervisor. He is the second person who refuses to communicate with me.  On his website and in meetings Mr. Phillips was mentioning our petition with over 3000 signatures which he erroneously claimed we wanted Hi-Tor to move, (that  is not the purpose of the petition). After leasing a vacant warehouse at 427 Beach Road in his Town of West Haverstraw for $18,750 a month throughout 2023, Mr. Phillips and Rockland Green bought the building for $3.8 million in Jan 2024 (2).  The total cost, including transforming the warehouse into a shelter is expected to be $18 million (or more).  This building is adjacent to the Joint Regional Sewage Treatment Center.  It is in a designated flood zone. And a 24/7 450,000 square foot distribution center is proposed to be built across the narrow road from the shelter. There has to be a more suitable place for a shelter in Rockland County.  Though not fireworks, that distribution center would produce considerable noise.  No soundproofing is proposed for the shelter (3). Does this make any sense? How simple it would have been to switch to noiseless fireworks or other entertainment and as planned rebuild the shelter where it stands (4). Instead $18 million or more is going to be spent on a new facility and I am very worried that next year, the poor animals may be out of earshot of the Boulder’s fireworks (or out of the frying pan) but into the fire.

What is happening with the Pomana Shelter: Hi-Tor no longer exists. The shelter is called RG CARES Animal Shelter and it is run by Four Legs Good Inc. On Sept 23, 2023 Rockland Green threw Hi-Tor off the premises and signed a contract with Four Legs Good.  There are suits and countersuits about breach of contract (5).  One important change, it’s no longer a no kill shelter and healthy animals may be euthanized (6).  Shortly after RG CARES took over Hi-Tor they gave three kittens (cleared by their Veterinarians), to the Summit School in Nyack for its special education program.  One of these kittens was found to have rabies. About 90 students and staff members of the Summit School had to get rabies shots (7,8) .   This debacle does not inspire confidence in Four Legs Good and RG CARES.  Michael Sanducci , the manager of RG CARES is the third person who is unwilling to communicate with me.

Much of the information for this update was obtained from published articles. The links to which are below

1   https://patch.com/new-york/newcity/county-bows-out-rockland-green-hi-tor-plan-future-animal-control

2   https://monseyscoop.com/rockland-green-acquires-warehouse-for-new-animal-shelter-in-west-haverstraw/

3   https://rcbizjournal.com/2024/01/09/rockland-green-planning-to-spend-upwards-of-18-million-on-new-animal-shelter/

 4   https://hudsonvalleypress.com/2021/10/27/ceremonial-groundbreaking-for-animal-shelter/

5    https://rcbizjournal.com/2024/07/07/hi-tor-strikes-back-counterclaim-charges-rockland-green-with-breach-of-contract/

6     https://rcbizjournal.com/2023/11/08/rockland-greens-control-of-animal-shelter-signals-a-return-to-euthanasia-after-hi-tor-ran-a-no-kill-facility-for-more-than-a-decade/

7   https://patch.com/new-york/newcity/rabies-shots-rockland-shelter-school-caregivers-after-kitten-dies

8   https://rcbizjournal.com/2023/11/12/rabies-incident-at-summit-school-raises-serious-concern-about-oversight-accountability-at-rg-cares-animal-shelter/