A follow-up review of an audit released last year regarding recommendations for the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter revealed that the shelter has not followed through on a critical operational review of the facility.
The review, released by Nassau County Comptroller Jack Schnirman, recapped the concerns and recommendations from the June 2019 audit and provided a status report for each one more than a year later.
According to the review, the original report featured 13 findings which resulted in 37 recommendations. Of that total, 50 percent have been implemented and 35 percent appeared to be in the implementation process, according to the review.
“…the Town has not taken our recommendation that there should be an independent review of its animal care policies and practices conducted by subject matter experts,” Schnirman said in a statement. “The sheer volume of complaints going back for many years and prior administrations illustrates that the well-being of animals is of great concern to the public. The Town needs to address the concerns of its residents with direct action.”
Efforts to reach Town of Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin for comment were unavailing.
“As it was pointed out in the County Comptroller’s audit report of the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter, the findings occurred entirely under previous administrations,” Town of Hempstead Spokesman Greg Blower said. “What’s more, year after year, the experts from New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets have given the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter the highest ratings in all categories. Despite the fact that the audit covers previous administrations, Supervisor Don Clavin’s administration continues to make significant progress at the Animal Shelter, including a focus on implementing efficiencies, enhancing care and finding forever homes for loving cats and dogs.”
More than 29,000 people, as of Friday, had signed a petition on change.org demanding insight as to when the shelter will reopen its doors to the public, aside from animal adoptions, and resume programs such as the Trap Neuter Return. Spay and neuter services were permitted to resume in the state’s second reopening phase.
“Have you ever seen kittens lose their eyes to infection? Have a URI so bad it could barely breathe? Have [its] little body devoured by worms and parasites from the inside out? [Trap Neuter Return] is the only humane way to control the feral [cat] population and reduce the suffering,” the petition reads.
“As I said when we launched this audit, our Office doesn’t have veterinarians or animal experts,” Schnirman said. “What we do have is a team of financial professionals who spent thousands of hours combing through hundreds of documents and put together the financial report that we released last year.”
According to the comptroller’s initial audit last year, the town’s “Tails of Hope” charity program to finance animal care operated with a “lack of transparency.” The report found that even though the program is not a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, it was receiving private donations to provide funding for animal care outside of the town’s approved operating budget for the shelter. These donations were not tax-deductible.
“We found serious financial issues with how taxpayer funds, fees, and donations were collected, tracked, and spent,” Schnirman said in a news release.
The funds for the program were not deposited in a shelter bank account but instead were combined with other town funds in one bank account. That could create a scenario where funds meant for the “Tails of Hope” program could be diverted to other activities, according to the comptroller’s report.
The office also had trouble examining financial activity in the donation-based program, as no separate financial funding had been done, so a report had to be done based on an analysis of balance sheets and general ledgers. The audit revealed that cash collections for the shelter in Wantagh and the “Tails of Hope” program totaled over $337,000 during the audit period, 2015 to 2017. These collections lacked documented reviews.
In 2017, the shelter’s expenditures were $4.25 million and exceeded the budget by $428,893, or 11 percent. Actual personal services expenditures stood at $3.23 million, which overshot the budget by $260,904 and accounted for 76 percent of all expenses at the animal shelter. Contractual expenses were $1.01 million, surpassing the expected amount by $167,989, or 24 percent. The fees and structural expenses were over budget by $194,483, including $184,972 that was spent on legal fees.
The comptroller’s report recommended that the town immediately undertake its own operational audit of the shelter, including a detailed internal review of staffing, purchasing, and the care of animals. It also said the town should establish a registered 501(c)(3) charity to provide transparency and accountability with donated funds and adhere to the town’s collective bargaining agreement, among other recommendations.
The report said the Town of Hempstead had thanked the county comptroller for making the comptroller office’s resources available to conduct a financial review and noted the findings offered the town an opportunity to take a “broader look” at its actions and make changes to “strengthen their internal controls.”
