Shelter pets need homes, too

Many Long Islanders were stunned this week to learn that nine workers at the Hempstead Animal Shelter brought home paychecks last year in excess of $100,000 - and that eight of them have ties to the Nassau Republican Party.

The ethical issues raised by this show of political patronage are troubling. But even worse, in the minds of many animal lovers, were allegations raised this fall about possible mistreatment of animals at the shelter. The claims are being investigated by the Nassau County district attorney's office and, if proven, must be addressed swiftly.

But regardless of what's uncovered in this probe, one thing is for certain: It would be a shame if any of this discouraged people from adopting a shelter pet.

When I was a kid growing up in Sea Cliff, we always got our pets through the municipal shelter in Glen Cove. It was 40 years ago, and the place was depressing - dingy, cold and crowded. I couldn't wait to get out of there. But the fact that we were rescuing a perfectly healthy dog from certain death made the experience well worth it.

Unlike many private shelters, most municipal ones are obligated to take in abandoned dogs - which puts them in a difficult position when the shelter fills up. All too often, the result is that healthy animals are killed. The ASPCA estimates that between 5 million and 7 million cats and dogs enter shelters nationwide each year and, of those, 3 million to 4 million are euthanized. On Long Island, most shelters say they rarely euthanize; numbers range from as few as a dozen dogs a year up to around 200.

So why do so many people bypass the obvious choice - saving an animal's life by adopting from a shelter or rescue group - and insist on buying a dog or (much less often) a cat? Many believe that shelter animals are old, sickly or aggressive; that shelters never have puppies, kittens or purebreds, or that buying a purebred is the only way to guarantee that their pet will have the characteristics they desire.

These are all myths, according to Joanne Yohannan, senior vice president of operations at North Shore Animal League America. Along with older animals, the league always has kittens and puppies; about a quarter of the dogs are purebreds. They have vets on staff, as well as behaviorists who know the pets' personality - so they know how to match potential adopters, whether they want a purebred or what she calls a "muttigree."

The majority of today's shelters on Long Island - whether municipal or private - don't remotely resemble the one of my childhood. Oyster Bay Animal Shelter, for example, is state of the art, with a surgical facility on site and a veterinarian on call 24/7. Animals are kept in comfortable cages, with indoor/outdoor runs for the dogs. They're evaluated by the vet and a behavioral specialist, and kept at least seven days before being put up for adoption - and that's only after the animal has been determined to be healthy and nonaggressive.

"Whether you buy a puppy for $3,000 or adopt a stray for $65, you can't guarantee that there will be no issues at all, but we don't adopt out animals that aren't ready," says Tom Licata, assistant director at Oyster Bay.

Animals end up in shelters for a variety of reasons, and most have nothing to do with bad health or behavior. The majority are strays. Some are given up because of owners' allergies. Many are left behind when their caretakers pass away, are deployed in the military or, in this tough economy, lose their jobs and can no longer afford to take care of their pets. Others are rescued from disreputable out-of-state puppy mills, run by people who couldn't care less about the health of their "product."

The Town of Hempstead needs to get to the bottom of its shelter problems - particularly the allegations of animal mistreatment. And Long Islanders looking for companionship should take an opportunity to do something that's rare in this world - the chance to save a life.