Hempstead animal shelter seeks volunteers

The Hempstead Town Animal Shelter has started a new volunteer program and will begin a trap, neuter and release program for feral cats on Oct. 1, officials said Tuesday.

Free training for the trapping program will be offered to shelter staff, volunteers and interested participants, including veterinarians. In addition to spaying or neutering as many as 20 cats per day, five days per week, the program will provide vaccinations and flea preventatives, shelter director Cynthia Iacopella said.

"We want it to be a community-based program," said Iacopella, the assistant director who was named director after completing her bachelor's degree last month.

The shelter hired a full-time volunteer coordinator who will start on Sept. 20, Iacopella said. A group of volunteers were interviewed and went through an orientation last week, she said.

Volunteers will walk dogs, socialize cats and assist with the shelter's foster program and off-site adoption events.

"As the program grows, we are going to be implementing training with it," said Iacopella, who started as assistant shelter director on July 12 after working at zoos and animal welfare organizations in California, New York City and Wantagh.

But former animal shelter volunteer Diane Madden said the volunteer and trap, neuter and release programs were far from functional.

"These are not programs that are up and running," said Madden, who has been banned from the shelter. "A volunteer application does not make a volunteer program."

Anyone interested in becoming a shelter volunteer can pick up an application from the shelter. Volunteers must be age 18 or older, Iacopella said.