New Kennel, Newish Board for Humane Society
A circle of tree stumps marks the place where a long sought new kennel will soon be built at the Humane Society of Port Jervis/Deerpark, thanks to a $345,000 grant from the New York State Department of Agriculture. For a while, the shelter’s kennel barely passed, and sometimes failed, that department’s inspections with its cracked floors and other scars from dog traffic and age, built in 1959.
Asked to describe its novelty, Claudia Nicosia, shelter manager and adoption coordinator, said, “It’s new. It will hold 40 dogs and have boarding capacity.”
The kennel grant application was written by former board member JoAnn Vicaretti. The kennel fund is now at $367,500, including funds added from the endowment and fundraisers.
Conflict has intermittently upended the shelter’s boards, but the current board is comprised of people from professions requiring well-honed people skills. As they met around a table in the cat building on a sweltering day this week, they introduced themselves.
Chairwoman Deb Cassara said she has been teaching trigonometry and calculus at Port Jervis High School for 42 years and was “recruited” by the shelter board about three years ago.
“I’d like to integrate the humane society into the community more,” she said. She aims to attract more humane society members and volunteers, more social media shares of animals needing homes. Puppies and kittens go fast, but others may linger. Some are expected to be “lifers”—to live the rest of their lives at the shelter because of behavioral difficulties.
However, some of those were adopted despite their idiosyncracies. Nicosia has assisted adopters who fell for them. She recalled Jojo, whom she described as a large mutt with some problems.
“She was protective and possessive,” said Nicosia.
A father and son adopted her, but the father couldn’t get past the son’s room, where Jojo slept, to get to the bathroom at night. Nicosia went to their house and worked with them. Some kind of harmony seems to have resulted, as later it was the father who brought Jojo for training or boarding at the shelter, she said.
“We need to find the right situation for each animal, though sometimes saying no doesn’t go well,” said Cassara.
A visiting food truck and car show are avenues the board has pursued to engage the public. In the near future, the Port Jervis Fall Foliage Festival and fundraisers will be outreach activities, Cassara said.
Jody Case-Kennedy, of Montague, a board member for two years, retired from teaching in Port Jervis, where she did fifth grade intervention services.
“I’m a cat person,” she said.
She has taken in cats who showed up at her door and spayed and neutered them.
Board member Melissa Newhauser is a Port Jervis paralegal and former math student of Cassara. She is a dog person, “big dogs,” she said. Her boxer/shepherd mix, Chonk McGuire, has his own Instagram page.
Lori Sexton, a Port Jervis school nurse, has been on the board for 10 months. At home, she has a cat, a Labrador and a rescue of unknown heritage, another “big boy.”
Erin Schoeberl, of Montague, on the board since January, is clinical director of Restorative Management, in Middletown, a substance abuse treatment center. She has a pit bull and shepherd mixes and, for 12 years, a thoroughbred horse seized in a cruelty case.
Board member Brenda Gonzalez is a school monitor and pet sitter. She recently took in Twiggy, a formerly skinny cat brought home by her husband, shelter director Rafael Gonzalez.
Lingerers Looking for a Home
Nicosia also introduced some of the shelter’s lingering residents. Fuzzy long-haired Atticus, a two-year-old, would like to be an only cat but can live with anyone, says Nicosia. Gizmo, 8, black with a white nose and chest, can also adjust to different combinations of people and animals.
“She loves everyone,” Nicosia said, and also Charley, 3, a yellow cat encountered contemplating on a stair ledge, “can be with anyone—cats, dogs, people.”
But another yellow cat, Marla, 3 observing from a stairway railing, is comfortable with cats but dislikes dogs.
Grey Smokey, 3, likes to be the only cat but doesn’t fight with others. Nearby, only the face of Jolene, 4, was visible. She can be “particular” about interacting with people and may be indifferent, said Nicosia, while Possum, 7, who is grey, is a bit of a bully and best as an only cat.
Among the dogs, she pointed out Tobin, a year old, a relaxed looking shepherd retriever mix, but shy and introverted and not housebroken, Nicosia said. He is good with other dogs and kids, but slow to warm up to people. Then there was Anna, 3, a shepherd-husky mix, friendly and housebroken, good with kids but not cats. Myles, a year-old border collie mix, is housebroken, crate-trained and good with children, aged ten and older.
Shiva, 3, said Nicosia, “needs an active home with someone who has German Shepherd experience and no cats, while Blair, 1 ½, is a beagle mix, “fine with dogs, cats and kids but timid and untrained.
Wandering around, in and out of the shelter buildings was yet another cat, Hunter, best as an indoor/outdoor cat, as he fails to use a litter box.