Pomona

Request For Bid Published – Six Week Bidding Period Began 10/20

New City, NY, – County Executive Ed Day, County Legislature Majority Leader Jay Hood, Director of Facilities Management Bob Gruffi and Hi Tor Board President Debbie DiBernardo broke ground on the new $8.3 million Rockland County Animal Shelter in Pomona.

“It brings me great pleasure and immense pride to be here today, moving this process one step closer to its completion. What was once nothing but a dream will soon be a concrete reality,” said County Executive Day. “The new shelter is designed not only to provide a healthy home for the animals but also to promote and facilitate pet adoptions in a warm and welcoming environment.”

On Wednesday, October 20, 2021, the County of Rockland published a Request for Bid for the construction of the new animal shelter building. The bidding period is open for 6 weeks at which point the bids will be reviewed and evaluated before the bid is awarded. The contract will then go through the County Legislature’s review process before being signed and executed. Construction is expected to begin between April 15th and May 1st.

Rockland County Legislature Majority Leader Jay Hood Jr. said, “Rockland County’s animal shelter is about to get a new ‘leash on life’ and I couldn’t be happier that we are finally breaking ground on this long-needed project. The new facility will offer the features needed to properly care for the animals and to better facilitate adoptions so they can find forever homes with families eager to welcome a new pet into their lives.”

County Executive Day shared the details of the design of the new, state-of-the-art 14,000 square foot shelter which will replace the current 4,000 square foot facility. The design is based on a professional needs assessment study which determined exactly what was needed in a new facility.

New Animal Shelter Details:

Visitors will enter under a colorful entry portal and through a vestibule into a Public Waiting Area that is directly adjacent to many of the Shelter’s services:

• a readily available Pet Adoption Counseling Room
• direct access to Adoptable Dogs
• a visible Adoptable Cats Housing area with a large Cat Playroom
• a Small Mammals and Exotic Pets Housing area

Located along the North and South sides of the shelter are the Stray/Surrender & Adoptable areas for dogs and cats, which consist of the following, respectively:

·         Stray & Surrender Dog Wards with a total of 12 indoor and covered outdoor interconnected runs

·         4 Adoptable Dog Housing Wards, containing a total of 32 indoor and covered outdoor interconnected runs

·         a Dog Bonding/Get-Acquainted Cubicle for each of the Adoptable Dog Wards

·         (12) 300 square-foot Exterior Play and Exercise Yards for dogs

·         (7) Indoor Cat Playrooms for Communal Cats — containing wonderful cat play structures including ramps, resting boxes, spiral stairs, and bridges — that are each connected to 7 Outdoor Cat Play Porches

·         (2) Cat Bonding/Get-Acquainted Rooms for potential adopters

·         a Quarantine/Feral Cat Ward with 6 Cat Condo Suites

The new shelter will have improved space to support staff functions and includes the following areas:

·         Temporary Dog Holding with 2 large cages and 2 runs

·         Temporary Cat Holding with 10 cages

·         separate Food Prep and Bathing Areas for dogs and cats

·         multiple Storage Areas

·         Administrative Areas and a Staff Break Room

The new Shelter will also contain a Veterinary Medical Area that contains the following:

·         a Central Treatment Room

·         a Pharmacy

·         a Diagnostic Lab

·         (1) Exam Room

·         and 1 Surgery Room for spay/neuter procedures

To the back of the Shelter, separated from public visitation as well as adoptable animal housing, are Quarantine and Isolation areas for dogs and cats that are accessible via the facility’s Veterinary Medical Area. These areas contain the following:

·         a Quarantine Dog Ward with 2 indoor and covered outdoor interconnected runs

·         an Isolation Dog Ward with 2 indoor and covered outdoor interconnected runs

·         a General Isolation Cat Ward with 10 Cat Condo Suites

·         a Respiratory Isolation Cat Ward with 10 Cat Condo Suites

A total of $8.3 million has been budgeted for the new shelter. Funding has been secured from the following sources:

• $472,578 from the Hi Tor Shelter Fund
• $500,000 in grant funding from Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski
• $500,000 in grant funding from the New York State Companion Animal Capital Fund
• $6.9 million in Rockland County Capital Project Funding

Legislator Hood added, “I want to thank everyone who has been working diligently to get us to this point – County Staff, the County Executive and all of my colleagues on the County Legislature. Chairman Alden Wolfe and I worked to get a new shelter included in the County’s Capital Projects list several years ago and County government has been moving steadily forward on the project ever since. I’m so pleased about the progress, and I look forward to the dedication of Rockland County’s new animal shelter in the near future.”

“Rockland County is taking the lead in this critical shared service. Ensuring that the Towns will not have the burden of building their own shelters or finding alternative plans at a significant cost; a clear savings for residents and a victory for the animals we all care about. And while I know it has taken a long time, this state-of-the-art facility is worth waiting for. Getting it right for our residents, these animals and our taxpayers was worth waiting for,” concluded County Executive Day.