If Supervisor Vecchio thought the Animal Loving taxpayers of Smithtown were going to grow tiresome of board meeting pleas for change at The Smithtown Animal Shelter, he is sorely mistaken. Over the past year, the advocates for animals at the Smithtown Animal Shelter gather in masses at Smithtown Town Hall Meetings. During each Public Portion, outcries acting as voices for the shelter animals grow greater as does media attention. Most recently, concerned community members have expressed outrage over the Shelter Director, George Beatty’s requested raise for $5,000. Fortunately, Councilwoman Nowick, Councilman Wehrheim and Councilman Crieghton voted to table the motion at today’s board meeting, until contracts can be examined further.
Marie Thompson, an avid champion of the movement, spoke at the public portion of today’s meeting. Thompson brought to light concerns regarding a registered Sex Offender, currently employed at the Shelter as well as the issue of four cats being crowded into one cage presently. The Town Attorney, Matthew Jakubowski responded by stating the employed sex offender is the responsibility of The Director of the Shelter, adding that sex offenders are entitled to jobs too. Councilwoman Nowick addressed plans in the works for the Animal Shelter, which include a special advisory committee, a needs assessment, approved unanimously at the meeting, advertising campaigns for adoptions and other promotional vehicles. Nowick added that she has only been liason for four weeks, requesting patience and promising changes in the works.
As many community members have stated throughout the past year, time is of the essence for the safety and hope for better living conditions. During the January 22nd meeting, Supervisor Vecchio stated constraints by the law, bidding processes and request for proposal processes make it difficult to bring about change in a speedy fashion. In that same meeting, another avid advocate, Jan Solomon said, “it’s terrible that a bunch of adults can’t come to a common ground, and think of something bigger than their own agenda.”
What if members of the community reach out in unity to offer a Foster Program? The social media group Smithtown Animal Shelter Needs Change have close to 1500 supporters. If one supporter out of 20 signed up to foster a cat or dog, until they were adopted, the welfare of all the current shelter animals would improve overnight. The Smithtown Animal Shelter already uses Petfinder for adoptions and Petfinder has Foster Network resources available online. Imagine a foster parent, helping one animal find a home… now imagine a group of likeminded individuals doing this. As Jan Solomon put it, we could come to a common ground for something bigger together. At least until the necessary changes to the shelter are made.
Smithtown Today will be reaching out to Councilwoman Nowick and the Animal Shelter about approving a foster program. If approved, we will donate graphic design and marketing staff to create a Foster-A-Pet campaign and publish these advertisements on our website, to help the cause.