Animal rescuers sue Town of Hempstead

Three animal rescue volunteers have filed a lawsuit against the Town of Hempstead, Supervisor Kate Murray and seven other employees after the volunteers were banned from the town’s Wantagh animal shelter — where they had worked for years — for what they say is retaliation for speaking out to shelter employees and town officials about abuse and neglect.

The volunteers, who testified about the conditions at the shelter at a town meeting on Dec. 7, also claim that Murray said she could not comment on the banning because of “an ongoing criminal investigation” involving the volunteers, who said there is no such investigation. One of the town employees named in the suit was Bruce Hallbert, commissioner of the town’s General Services Department, who is responsible for operations at the shelter.

Although the complaint states that other individuals have emailed and called Murray about instances of animal abuse and neglect at the shelter, Murray stated at the hearings that she was unaware of any prior allegations of animal abuse.

According to the complaint, volunteers Diane Madden of East Meadow, Lucille Defina of Merrick and Frances Lucivero-Pelletier of Levittown said they were falsely accused of selling dogs to have them removed from the shelter.

Among other allegations, the women claim that a shelter employee, who was named in the court document, told an animal control officer that the rescuers were selling dogs and advertising them on a website for $400 each, and that he and two other town employees, who were also named, told employees, other rescuers and members of the public that Madden was stealing dogs from the shelter — claims that the volunteers have denied.

According to the women’s attorney, Steven Morelli, they were banned from the facility on Oct. 22 after telling shelter employees and town officials about instances of animal abuse and neglect they observed in the shelter.