BY: Keith S. Shikowitz
Rockland County’s ongoing dispute with Hi Tor Animal Care Inc. has escalated into legal action, with Rockland Green filing a lawsuit against the nonprofit animal shelter and several of its former leaders. Hi Tor has subsequently filed a countersuit.
The Rockland Green vs. Hi Tor lawsuit, which has brought a year-and-a-half-long controversy into the courts, names individuals associated with Hi Tor, including former executives and board members, alleging multiple breaches of contract.
However, personal lawsuits against former Board members were recently dismissed, as they were deemed protected under their assigned roles within the Hi Tor Corporation, amongst other Judicial determinations.
Rockland Green, the county’s environmental management authority, took control of animal sheltering services in 2022 after terminating its contract with Hi Tor. The lawsuit alleges that Hi Tor failed to comply with key contractual obligations, including record-keeping, financial transparency, and proper care of animals housed at the shelter.
According to the complaint filed by attorney Lawrence Garvey, Hi Tor did not provide requested policies and procedures despite multiple formal demands from Rockland Green officials. The suit references a contract signed on December 20, 2022, which required Hi Tor to make all financial and operational records available upon request. Rockland Green representatives claim that repeated attempts to obtain these documents were ignored or denied.
Concerns over animal welfare also factored into the lawsuit. A June 2023 site visit reportedly found animals without food and water, with Hi Tor’s shelter manager at the time acknowledging that tending to nearly 200 cats at the facility was a challenge. Further reports from independent evaluations, including one from the New York State ASPCA, criticized shelter conditions, with one evaluator describing the facility as a “cruelty center” rather than a proper animal shelter.
Haverstraw Town Supervisor and Rockland Green Chairman Howard Phillips recently outlined the challenges leading up to the legal battle, citing operational failures, overcrowding, and mismanagement at the shelter. Phillips also detailed how Rockland Green had to step in to stabilize services for animal care and control.
Related: Rockland News visited the shelter after Four Legs Good took over the animal shelter. Here is a tour.
One of the primary concerns voiced by Rockland Green is that taxpayer dollars allocated to Hi Tor remain unaccounted for. Phillips said that the lawsuit seeks to recover potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer funds. As indicated prior, a separate legal effort targeted former Hi Tor Executive Director Rick Tannenbaum, but a judge ruled that employees could not be personally sued for the organization’s actions, shifting legal responsibility back to the nonprofit itself.
The legal dispute has been accompanied by public scrutiny and media controversy. Phillips – on a recent Rockland News podcast – recently criticized coverage from journalist Tina Traster on the Rockland News podcast, alleging bias in her reporting due to her personal connection to someone that presided over the shelter in the past—her husband, Tannenbaum, served prior as Hi Tor’s executive director.
According to Tannenbaum in a subsequent email to Rockland News on 2/15/25, the eleven counts specifically against him have been dismissed.
Related: Rockland News Interview with Howard Phillips at 11 minute mark:
Despite the legal battle, Rockland Green remains focused on the future. The agency is moving forward with plans to establish a new animal shelter facility on Beach Road in Haverstraw, which Phillips said would better serve Rockland County’s needs while complying with evolving state regulations. The new facility, located near the Haverstraw Bay Park and the Rockland Green transfer station, is expected to provide improved care for animals and a more sustainable long-term solution for sheltering services. The price tag, $40 million over 30 years, has been contested by various local community members, but has been nonetheless – thus far – been touted by Rockland Green as a necessary step to properly protect Rockland’s numerous stray animals.
The lawsuit remains ongoing, with a court conference scheduled for later this month. Rockland Green officials say they are committed to ensuring transparency and accountability in the county’s animal care operations, while the legal process will determine the resolution of financial and contractual disputes with Hi Tor.