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Town board decides not to renew contract with current owner due to violating tax laws

The Grateful Paw Cat Shelter is located on Deposit Road in East Northport. File photo by Victoria Espinoza

By Victoria Espinoza

Huntington residents rallied behind the Grateful Paw Cat Shelter, of East Northport, this week after the Huntington Town Board announced it was evicting the shelter for failing to notify the board it had lost its 501(c)(3) not-for-profit in 2015.

Town Attorney Cindy Mangano addressed the public before the speakers began at the board meeting Tuesday, June 13, summarizing how the shelter, run by the League for Animal Protection and served exclusively by volunteers had taken this turn. She said the shelter was notified April 20 by the town to evacuate their Deposit Road establishment within 90 days due to losing their nonprofit status and violating federal and state law.

“In April, everybody here knows it’s time to file your tax returns or seek an extension,” Mangano said. “Charitable not-for-profit organizations must do the same thing. Earlier this year my office sat with Debbie Larkin, the president of LAP, and we were in the process of drafting a new agreement when we learned that a resident had incurred a penalty from the IRS for claiming a tax deduction for a donation to LAP.”

“I’m a cat lover, but five years without a filing, and it was known and the town was not told. I personally don’t have confidence in the league anymore to go forward when they knew the situation existed.”
— Frank Petrone

Mangano said the shelter had actually lost its not-for-profit status in 2015, but never advised the town, which was a breach in their original contractual agreement with the town. According to the town attorney, the LAP lost its charitable status because they did not file paperwork in time with the IRS and the New York State Attorney General’s Charities Bureau office.

“When this came to my attention I scheduled a meeting with Ms. Larkin,” Mangano said. “She told us she knew but she failed to advise us of this fact. So I cannot in counsel to this board advise the board to enter into a new agreement with an organization that as we speak has violated its agreement with the town and is in violation of federal and state laws.”

Residents flocked to the podium to defend the shelter and its contribution to the Huntington community.

“I’m here today to appeal to the town’s decision,” Sharlene Turner, who has adopted many cats from the shelter, said. “Please give the league a renewed opportunity to prove itself.”

Turner suggested setting up strict guidelines and rules moving forward. She commended the dedication of the volunteer staff for providing a safe and warm environment for the animals.

“All volunteers know each cat by name,” she said. “They know their personalities and the relationship a cat has with every other friend in the shelter.

Donna Fitzhugh has been a volunteer at the shelter since 1989.

“I have volunteered over 3,000 hours,” she said. “As you can tell I love working with LAP and volunteering my time and energy to this very worthy organization that has been serving this community for over 43 years. Yes we screwed up, something happened, and we want to rectify this — we do not want to leave. We want to stay and serve the residents of the Town of Huntington.”

Haley Shore, an 11-year-old who donned cat ears at the meeting, said she’s been volunteering at the shelter for about seven years.

“When I heard the news Huntington was going to possibly close the shelter, I was devastated,” she said. “The shelter has become my second home. But this is not about me, it’s about the shelter and all the innocent cats. What are they supposed to do without all of their dedicated and loyal volunteers? For some of these cats this has been the only home they’ve ever known. The cats can’t talk, so we have to be their voices.”

Haley also brought a petition signed by many friends and neighbors.

Several of the volunteers asked the board what would happen to the cats if the shelter closed its doors. According to the town, two other shelters have offered to take over including The Little Shelter in Elwood. However volunteers argued they don’t offer the same amount of health services for animals as the Grateful Paw staff does.

“Yes we screwed up, something happened, and we want to rectify this — we do not want to leave.”
—Donna Fitzhugh

Supervisor Frank Petrone (D) assured the audience that all of the cats living at the shelter now would continue to be cared for, and the shelter would continue with its no-kill policy. However despite the pleas of many residents, he said he had great concerns moving forward with LAP.

“Animals will not be harmed,” Petrone said at the meeting. “I’m a cat lover, but five years without a filing, and it was known and the town was not told. I personally don’t have confidence in the league anymore to go forward when they knew the situation existed.”

Petrone said it’s not as easy as the shelter just refiling for not-for-profit status.

“These laws were broken,” he said. “So you’re telling us just go forward and let’s make it nice. Well it’s not that simple.”

No further decision was reached by the board at the meeting.

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Figgs - 2-year-old male terrier mix
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Figgs - 2-year-old male terrier mix
Ronnie - 1-year-old male terrier mix
Lollipop - 1 1/2 year-old female Shepherd mix
Bart - 2-year-old male terrier mix
Sam - 10-month-old male terrier mix
Buddy - 3-year-old male Blue Heeler mix
Jason - 1-year-old male schnauzer mix
Shino - 6-year-old male terrier mix
Neji - 2-year-old male terrier mix
Chachis - 1-year-old female chihuahua terrier mix

MEET KENT ANIMAL SHELTER’S NEWEST ARRIVALS!

Aren’t they precious? One is more adorable than the next. It’s hard to believe that all of these sweet fur babies were scheduled to be euthanized at a high-kill animal shelter in Texas just a week ago. They all seem to have the same thing in common — sad eyes. Now that Kent Animal Shelter has stepped in to save them, they’ve been given a second chance to grow old with a family that will love them. Will that be you? All dogs comes neutered, microchipped and up to date on all their vaccines.

Kent Animal Shelter is located at 2259 River Road in Calverton. For more information on this group and other adoptable pets at Kent, please call 631-727-5731 or visit www.kentanimalshelter.com. And remember, adopt, don’t shop!

Update: Lollipop has been adopted!

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From left, Dr. Chuck Timpone, Chuck Bowman and Pam Green. Photo from Kent Animal Shelter

Kent Animal Shelter’s Evening of Comedy on May 12 at the Hotel Indigo in Riverhead, featuring comedians Joe DeVito and Tommy Gooch, raised $6,500. Funds raised will be allocated to the 2017 Rescue Campaign that provides medical care, spay/neuter surgeries, vaccinations and special surgery to rescued animals. The show delighted attendees, and the shelter’s Executive Director Pamela Green and board Vice President Chuck Bowman took the opportunity to recognize the shelter’s board president, Dr. Chuck Timpone of Mattituck-Laurel Veterinary, for his 20 plus years of life-saving care for shelter pets.

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Trout

Meet Trout! This little guy is so very handsome and has such gorgeous markings. Trout is very smart and seems to learn quickly. He also loves going for long strolls. Trout once had a family but when he found himself in a local shelter, they never came looking for him. He’s safe now at Kent Animal Shelter but he sure misses living in a home of his own. Trout would love all of your attention, so it would be best if he were an only pet. Please come meet him today and give this guy the second chance he so deserves! Trout comes neutered, microchipped and up to date on all his vaccines.

Kent Animal Shelter is located at 2259 River Road in Calverton. For more information on Trout and other adoptable pets at Kent, please call 631-727-5731 or visit www.kentanimalshelter.com.

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The Friends of Caleb Smith Preserve will hold its 15th annual Junior Angler Fishing Tournament at Caleb Smith State Park Preserve on Saturday, June 10 starting at 9 a.m. For ages 5 through 8 and 9 through 12. Includes free junior angler T-shirts and goody bags for anglers age 5 to 8. Three prizes will be awarded for each age group. Registration deadline is June 4. Fee is $15 per entry, $10 members. For more information or to register, call 631-265-1054.Ca

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By Matthew Kearns, DVM

“My dog ate three grapes (or raisins). Should I be worried?” We get a phone call like this at least once every week to every other week. That’s a good question because we, as a veterinary community, are still looking for the exact answer. Let’s take a closer look at grape and raisin toxicity to see if we can shed some light on what we do know about this nebulous topic.

What portion of the grape or raisin is toxic? Unfortunately, the exact toxic substance to dogs in grapes and raisins is still unknown. Neither the color of the grape, nor seeded versus seedless makes a difference. As a matter of fact, the one portion of the grape that has been ruled out as a cause of kidney damage is the seed or grape seed extract.

Theories arise as to which component of the grape is toxic. Some experts feel that high concentration of a type of sugar component called monosaccharides, whereas others blame a compound called tannins.

Additional theories do not implicate anything in the grape itself, but rather the growth of certain fungi on the grape and toxins produced called aflatoxins, or pesticides sprayed on grapes. More recent evidence points toward something in the meaty portion of the grape or raisin because veterinary toxicologists found that raisins that have been cooked (in cookies, breads, cakes, etc.) are less toxic than grapes or uncooked raisins.

How much is too much? This answer is also unclear. There does seem to be a genetic component associated with which individual dogs are more sensitive to grapes or raisins.

An article published in 2009 reviewed the charts of almost 200 dogs over a 13-year period. The study found some dogs ate over two pounds of raisins without developing any signs of poisoning, whereas others developed irreversible kidney failure with as little as 3 grams of grapes or raisins.

Just to give you some perspective as to how much 3 grams is: Your average grape weighs 5 grams, and a raisin weighs about 0.5 gram. As little as one grape or six raisins could be toxic to your dog. However, some dogs will not get sick or require large amounts of grapes/raisins before any damage is done.

Is there an antidote to this type of poisoning? The short answer is no. This is truly an example of “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

The patients that did better in the same 2009 study were those in which the owners witnessed the ingestion and brought them to a veterinary clinic immediately. The veterinarians were able to induce emesis (force vomiting) and give activated charcoal ASAP. Patients that were already showing symptoms of toxicity such as lethargy, loss of appetite, vomiting and increase in thirst/urination were less likely to make a full recovery.

In conclusion, veterinarians are still not sure as to what portion of the grape/raisin is poisonous, nor which dogs are more sensitive to grapes/raisins. Therefore, keep grapes and raisins away from your dog when possible and, if you witness your dog eating grapes or raisins, bring him or her immediately to your veterinarian’s office or an emergency clinic for treatment.

Dr. Kearns practices veterinary medicine from his Port Jefferson office and is pictured with his son Matthew and his dog Jasmine.

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MEET PURDY! This little lady is Purdy and she’s waiting for her furever home at Kent Animal Shelter. You would never know it by the way she acts, but this adorable terrier is 7 years young! She’s full of life and love and is just looking for someone to share it with. Could that be with you?

Purdy would love all of your attention, so she would like to be your one and only pet. She comes spayed, microchipped, de-wormed and up to date on her vaccines. Kent Animal Shelter is located at 2259 River Road in Calverton. For more information on Purdy and other adoptable pets at Kent, please call 631-727-5731 or visit www.kentanimalshelter.com.

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Dear Teddy,

First I want to tell you how heartsick I am to have put you down. I know that is the final act of love for a responsible pet owner when a beloved animal is suffering and no longer functioning. Nonetheless I ask your forgiveness for this ultimate act that ended our 12-year relationship. Little consolation but just know that I miss you every day.

As I think back on your life with us, there are so many vignettes that come to mind. We selected you from a litter of 11 fuzzy golden puppies because you suddenly stretched your neck and quickly licked the tip of my son’s chin with your tiny tongue. It was the winning gesture.

You started life in our home in the kitchen, where we had a tile floor and a crate for you. In what seemed like record time, you were housebroken and we decided that you were smart. On the advice of a neighboring dog owner, we hired a dog trainer for a short while, and he confirmed our judgment. “This is one of the smartest dogs I have ever trained,” he said to our delight, although it did cross my mind that he was probably telling us what we wanted to hear. As time went by, however, you showed yourself quick at understanding what was expected of you. Or was it you who trained us to do what you needed when you needed it done?

Anyway, we have a lot to thank you for. Thank you for teething on the windowsills, the moldings, the bottoms of the kitchen cabinets and anything else you could fit your little mouth around. Thank you for grabbing the hem of a favorite cashmere sweater in your tiny teeth and giving it a good rip. Thank you for finding a sheepskin glove carelessly left on the chair and digesting the index finger. And throughout that first year and the years thereafter, you always delighted us with your puppy-like curiosity.

You were growing at a prodigious rate, and by the following year, you made clear your preference for the beach. Because you were a retriever, we would throw a tennis ball along the sand and wait expectantly for you to fetch and bring it back. Proving that you were not simply one of the pack but to be appreciated for your individuality, you looked after the ball with a bored expression. “Give me a real challenge,” we read in your eyes. So we picked up a stone about the size of a squash ball and threw it half a block. You were after it like a shot, went directly to it among the thousands of rocks on the beach and carried it back to us. But you didn’t give it up. Instead you preferred to chew it, which eventually ground down your front teeth. That was not so smart, I will concede, but it seemed never to hamper you in any way. You also loved to chew sticks and went clamming for rocks with attached seaweed. These you pulled out and brought to the high-water line then tore off the seaweed.

You had a mind of your own, we realized early on, as you ran into the water and would not come out when we wanted to return home. You would turn to face us, water up to your knees, and dare us to come in after you. That was acceptable in summer, but not so much in the midst of winter. And you certainly had a mischievous streak, being selectively deaf when you disagreed with a command. So much for the trainer.

You were interested in people, even more than you were in other dogs. And you were absolutely democratic, going up to each person in a room or on the road, skipping no one, and greeting him or her. Some were uncertain, since you were rather a large dog. “He just wants to say, ‘Hello!’” I would try to be reassuring, and you would wait patiently until each gave you at least a perfunctory pat. Satisfied, you would move on. You were like the neighborhood mayor.

Our family members, friends and neighbors miss you. At least some of our neighbors do. The rest can probably manage just as well without your tearing across their lawns, looking for a “sweet” spot. Most especially, we miss you in the evenings, when you would wiggle and wag with pleasure at our homecoming. And you would flatten yourself across our knees seeking and giving affection, as we relaxed in the living room after dinner.

Goodbye, my sweet dog. Thank you for filling our home and our lives with your love. The memory will not die.

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By Elof Axel Carlson

There are projects underway to test the feasibility of sequencing every species on Earth (including extinct species where their DNA is still available). The largest of these programs is in China, which is hoping to sequence the 1.5 million known named species of animals, plants and microbes.

Elof Axel Carlson

Phase one will sequence one species from each of 9,000 families (the taxonomic unit above the genus level). The second phase will sample one each of the 200,000 forms of life described as belonging to a genus. Phase three will look at all the species remaining.

It is a daunting amount of work. Think of it this way. There are 6.8 billion telephones on Earth. If you entered every telephone book into one computer site, you would have access to more than 90 percent of all living people.

Looking up a phone number would also give you information on the person’s name, country that person lives in and the home or business address. For perhaps one billion of them who are listed in Yellow Books, it would tell you what they do for a living.

But DNA sequences will do more than identify a species. The sequence of genes and their functions will classify the organism and tell us if it is a plant, animal or microbe, and what it does as a particular species. We would know its anatomy, physiology, metabolism, life cycle, mean life expectancy, where to find it on Earth, what it eats and how it lives.

For humans it would show how we are related to the 7 billion other humans on Earth. It would provide abundant information on how all of us are related in an evolutionary pathway of immense size. The Chinese company, BGI, located in Shenzhen, estimates it will take 10 years and cost about $5 billion to complete the project.

There are six other projects underway around the world. One is seeking to sequence all vertebrates, a second wants to do that for arthropods (mostly insects, spiders and crustaceans), a third is looking at marine invertebrates, a fourth is interested in the world’s ants, a fifth prefers to sequence the world’s birds, and the sixth is seeking to identify all African food crops.

As far as I know, no one is trying to do a genome sequencing of all human beings. The closest to doing that is the country of Iceland, which has asked its citizens to volunteer and give a sample of saliva for DNA sequencing. Half of Iceland’s people have done so. They are mostly descendants of Viking settlers and their DNA studies are immensely helpful for looking at genes involved in human disease risks (such as birth defects, Alzheimer syndrome, cancer, hypertension, risk of late-onset diabetes, heart disease and strokes).

The implications of this effort to gain knowledge of the world’s genomes are numerous. For evolutionary studies they are a remarkable resource. For medical diagnosis they are equally valuable. They will be a gold mine of rich ores for the pharmaceutical industry. Think of all the antibiotics that will be mined from the microbial genome data. Just as there are tens of thousands of projects engineers do for buildings, electronics, infrastructure and transportation so, in the coming decades, will thousands of projects emerge and new fields of science from applications of this immense resource of the all Earth genome project.

Will this also involve bad outcomes of new knowledge? Certainly. We did not abolish engineering because engineers have designed most of the weapons used in war. We did not abolish chemical industries because some of them gave us environmentally toxic or harmful agents like DDT, Agent Orange, gas in World War I or thalidomide. We do not condemn X-ray diagnosis because radiation can induce gene mutations. What we do is regulate our technological innovations.

Think of regulation in industry as something like criminal law in society. We punish those who break laws (embezzlement, theft, assault, rape, slander, robbery, kidnapping, extortion, bribery). Regulation addresses many issues only one of which is misconduct. Similarly, law addresses wrongs, not all of which are criminal (we call that noncriminal law civil law). Some politicians want to do away with regulation of industries.

Is not dumping wastes into rivers a criminal act? Is not choking a city with industrial gases a criminal act? Laws can be changed or even abolished, but loss of human life, damaged health, destruction of ecosystems and putting the brunt of waste disposal on those most vulnerable (the poor) should be regulated.

I am an optimist, not a Pollyanna, about the future of the all Earth genome projects. We need both new knowledge and new regulation.

Elof Axel Carlson is a distinguished teaching professor emeritus in the Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology at Stony Brook University.

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