By Marley Seaman
But on Nov. 16, Nassau legislators announced that they had awarded a $100,000 contract to the SPCA in a budget amendment. It is the first time the county has funded the volunteer group, which investigates accusations of cruelty against animals, cares for abandoned pets, and runs education programs about animal abuse. The society's members include law enforcement officers, complaint investigators, and the volunteers who care for the animals.
"This is like the new birth of the organization in Nassau County," said Legislator Joseph Scannell, whose district includes Baldwin. "We felt the county really needed to help them."
Great Neck Legislator Lisanne Altmann, who led the effort, said the county would continue to fund the society in the future. "We're going to renew the contract next year," she said.
On Aug. 3, 2004, Justice Anthony Parga ruled that the chapter "shall cease to operate in any manner" until a number of lawsuits were settled. A group of former board members, some of whom resigned and others of whom said they were improperly removed, sued the board and its remaining members. Two members of the Law Enforcement Division, Loring and Ilene Miller, said in their resignation letters that that division of the society was deteriorating into a "gun club and a way for otherwise ineligible people to obtain carry status for firearms and satisfy their 'wannabe' desire to be cops."
A settlement was reached on Feb. 3 of this year, and the society is now once again taking calls. The court appointed Gail Sanger, an attorney, as a temporary receiver of funds. She also has the power to determine who becomes a member. In time, the organization's bylaws will be rewritten and a new board of directors will be elected.
"It's sort of a startup. It's getting better every day," Sanger said. "It's important work and there's no end, but it's satisfying."
Society volunteers were grateful for the assistance, and brought their friends out in support: The audience included a dog named Venus and a female tabby cat named Thomas. "No shelter would take her, because it's too much work," said Freeport resident Kim Meslin, one of Thomas's owners. "They're overwhelmed as it is."
Meslin and Chris Matio explained that Thomas was born in a vending machine, and her mother left her there. Thomas was the size of a mouse when she was found. Meslin and Matio got the call, bottle-fed Thomas for weeks, and decided they couldn't bear to part with the gray tabby when she was finally healthy.
Bob Sowers of Bellmore has taken care of Venus, a blue brindle pit bull, since she was abandoned along Sunrise Highway. Venus, who Sowers estimates is 5 or 6, was used as a sparring partner for fighting dogs. Her right ear is partly shredded as a result. Still, Sowers said, the dog was fortunate.
"Normally, they just kill them when they're done," said Sowers, who has been with the SPCA for about two and a half years. "She was very thin ... the first couple of weeks, I just had to keep her isolated from my other dogs." Finally, Venus returned to health and vigor with the help of Sowers's patience and, he said, "a lot of vitamins" and "love and affection."
Comments about this story? MSeaman@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 282.
