There are likely things I did 17 years ago which, should they surface on YouTube today, I’d want to explain. I might say something about being younger and less experienced, less knowledgeable, maybe I could have used better judgment – something like that. I would guess that’s true for many of us. What I know I would never have to explain is why I was chanting “Kill the Kitty!” while watching my co-workers choke a kitten who was about to be needlessly killed. That’s not something that can be explained by lack of life experience. It’s deviant behavior indicative of someone who should be prevented from working with any living being unable to defend itself against this kind of depraved violence.
The idea that the Town of Hempstead, NY is seemingly dismissing the purportedly 17 year old video of its shelter director and her co-workers abusing a kitten before they kill him is outrageous. This kind of behavior does not occur in a vacuum. It is indicative of a culture of violence, where the environment is conducive to pathological malice. If this was going on at the shelter 17 years ago, it’s been going on every day since. It’s inexcusable.
Patricia Horan, former director of the Hempstead Town Animal Shelter, was reassigned to a “general services” job, Hempstead Town spokesman Mike Deery said, and will continue to collect a nearly six-figure salary.
Dear People Who Run the Town of Hempstead,
Your bravado is disconcerting.
Love,
The Rest of the Country
I e-mailed Nassau Co DA Kathleen M. Rice and received the following:
Statement from the Nassau County District Attorney:
“If you see any acts of animal cruelty, please report them as soon as possible in order to avoid instances, such as here, where criminal prosecution is entirely barred by a statute of limitations. Humane treatment of animals is paramount, and such treatment and respect is never more significant than in the final moments of an animal’s life.”
The number for the DA’s Animal Cruelty Unit hot line is 516-571-ACHL (2245).
My interpretation of this statement is that, had this video been turned over to the DA 17 years ago, criminal prosecution would have taken place. In other words, the abuse on this video is criminal. Gee Hempstead, are you sure you don’t want to reconsider keeping this person on the payroll? What say you local taxpayers – Do you want your taxes being used to pay this person, who would have been criminally prosecuted had this video surfaced sooner, almost $100 grand a year?
I don’t know where to begin with this. What does it take to get the tax payers to say enough already?
Some people change and some don’t. Unless the people in the video have worked since the filming of this video to try to save every animal that came through the shelter doors, then they haven’t changed and don’t belong working at an animal shelter.
Do the people of this community want this shelter to be just a disposal facility? If not, then why pay large salaries to people that are not saving the majority of the animals entering this shelter?
This is so sad. I feel sorry for all the animals and the people of this area.
The mentality of these SC employees continues to boggle my mind. A leapord doesn’t change it’s stripes. I certainly wouldn’t want someone who thought it was fun to choke a kitten, before killing it, working in my town. Maybe it’s to late to legally prosecute them now, but public opinion should get them fired. The people of Hempstead should take back their town.
And a tiger doesn’t change its spots :-)
More on Horan
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/official-s-voter-registration-at-issue-1.2704250
The deep seated corruption in this town (and all of Long Island) is mind boggling
Well, for one thing, if Pat Horan’s career in the animal world does come to a screeching halt, at least she can fall back on a very lucrative modeling career.
People who get a charge out of killing animals tend to do other heinous things. If this was a kid, we would be talking psych care. Hempstead should vote out who ever supports this woman.
Fire the crazy ass bitch and everyone else!
Oh, wait — I think I know why they don’t. She’s got dirt, I’d bet anything. She’s got big time, horrifying, animal-torturing dirt on people above her in the food chain. They will go down protecting her sorry, fat, ugly, pschosadist ass.
Someone please get this story to the media!!!
YES!! I agree! why is this not all over the news?? This needs to be sent to their local news stations!
What a friggin joke. She keeps her pay…gets another county job, which I am sure has great benefits along with a nice retirement package…yet she has been involved in criminal activity in the past. I could care less of the statue of limitations…I doubt she’s changed her attitude towards the animals that entered the door of the “shelter”. She can’t even use the excuse that she was young & dumb…well, maybe the dumb part applies.
The more I read and see about the ridiculous activities past & present of those working in the animal care/shelter field the more I wonder where these yahoos come from…and who in their right mind would hire AND keep them on the payroll. Especially the places that are run with taxpayers footing the bill! Would we accept this kind of behavior of our Mayors, Governors, President? I highly doubt it.
Dear YesBisquit,
Hempstead is not the only place that rewards it’s sick employees for abusing the animals under it’s care. Right now at the Sonoma County Animal Shelter, there are employees still working there that adopted an Emu under their care, then proceeded to BBQ it and eat it. I don’t know about all of you, but in my mind, they should have been all fired for this offense! Every corner of our great Country animals are not safe in the Shelters that are suppose to take care of them.
No Kill Sonoma County
That is so disgusting. I have taken in ducklings and chickens to foster and could never eat them. They became my pets. I became like their mother and never realized how friendly they can be.
Is that Sonoma County as in California? I’m just down the road in San Francisco.
That’s lovely…is that what they do with the chicken, sheep, and bunnies in their care as well?
Alexandra – I do believe that is exactly the one being talked about. It is the only shelter I come up with when googling. Here’s the link – http://www.sonoma-county.org/shelter/index.htm
These people are perverts. Disgusting.
The Town Authorities should be so ashamed of themselves, allowing this scum of the earth woman to continue working for their town??? What is wrong with you people? You are making yourselves look like you support animal abuse….shame on you! Purely disgusting….she should be prosecuted now!
I am so glad there are people who care enough for animals that they are exposing all this criminal behavior, where the ACOs thought they were above the law and above reproach. I have worked at an animal shelter for 15 yrs and we must go thru a stringent training program on the proper treatment of animals. We take in animals from several Southern states, because our adoption rate is so good.
This whole situation is so upsetting to anyone who loves animals. And to hear this creepy loser of a human being joking about this kitten’s demise is awful to say the least. Don’t forget there were two male officers also laughing it up.
The town authorities do NOTHING about this woman? And they didn’t fire her, punish her in some way?? Why is she STILL working there and receiving $100,000 salary I ask?
It hurts my heart and mind to see this type of cruelty around helpless animals and if we don’t speak up and bombard this town with our comments now, this will be forgotten with this *$%@)(___ still receiving a salary from the taxpayers dollars..
SHAME ON HEMPSTEAD!! wake up and do the right thing!
Why where charges not levied against those who did the animal cruelty? Where is the DA in all this mess? Why haven’t they taken action?
We had a great turn out at the rally today. Lots of media coverage.Once CBS and NBC post their coverage on the internet I will post the links. Here is the LI newspaper’s story
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/hundreds-protest-at-hempstead-animal-shelter-1.2770227
That is GREAT news! Let’s ‘hope’ that it wakes people up and we begin to see changes immediately….starting with ‘releasing’ Pat Horan from her fluffy county position – I’d love to see her in a new suit…you know those little orange numbers with a pole to stab at trash in the park and along the highways….
Thanks for going AND updating us – been praying about this and wishing I could’ve been there!
I’m glad there was such a good turnout. I wish I could have been there, but too far away. Wish there were a caravan. I see where the ACO director has been transferred. She should have been fired. I’ll bet there was no loss of pay. The residents should all protest this injustice. It is nice to have friends in the Town Gov’t.
The Town of Hemsptead’s Official City slogan:
Stupid is, as stupid does.
And that wraps it up in a nutshell!