Rockland Green Pursues Legal Action Over Alleged Contract Breaches – 10 Separate Counts, approx. $500k each
POMONA, NY — Rockland Green, the authority responsible for animal management in Rockland County, has initiated a lawsuit seeking nearly $5 million in damages from former operators of the Hi-Tor Animal Care Center. This legal battle stems from various alleged breaches of contract that surfaced following a tumultuous longstanding management debacle, and subsequent transition last year.
The lawsuit, filed in Rockland County Supreme Court, targets several individuals including a former executive director, and members of the previous board of directors.
According to court documents, these breaches include “inadequate animal care, insufficient staffing, and failure to maintain essential records or provide contracted services”. Specific accusations detailed in the lawsuit include the mishandling of an outbreak of feline panleukopenia, a severe disease that resulted in the deaths of over 60 animals, and insufficient medical treatment for other shelter animals.
It has been widely speculated that the deaths of the animals was a result of dirty cages and quarantine rooms, as well as a lack of intake protocols.
Rockland Green, which operates under the Rockland Solid Waste Management Authority, took over the Hi-Tor facility after dismissing the former board and executive director in September last year. They have since appointed Four Legs Good, a nonprofit group, to manage the shelter, now rebranded as Rockland Green Cares.
The lawsuit also contends that Hi-Tor’s previous administration failed to disclose vital information regarding the animal shelter’s conditions, including financial mismanagement and the physical state of the facility. Rockland Green’s legal team is seeking restitution for these alleged failings, alongside punitive damages, asserting that the former operators significantly hindered the shelter’s operations and financial stability.
In a related move, Rockland Green has embarked on a project to construct a new state-of-the-art animal shelter in Haverstraw, anticipating its opening in early 2025. This development follows their own financial challenges and escalating costs, with initial project estimates jumping from $8 million to $20 million due to rising construction expenses over the past several years.
As the legal proceedings continue, the defendants have yet to formally respond to the allegations, and a trial date remains to be set.
Rockland Green’s attorney, Lawrence Garvey, has requested a jury trial, highlighting the gravity of the alleged breaches and their impact on both the shelter’s animals and the county’s financial resources dedicated to animal welfare.