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What Happened to Virginia Chipurnoi?

December 27, 2023 by Leave a Comment


The News

Virginia Chipurnoi is the President of the Board of the Humane Society of New York (HSNY), a large and well-funded animal shelter in Manhattan that has come under fire in recent years for warehousing animals. Until 2020, Chipurnoi not only served on the board, but she also volunteered at the shelter four days per week. Her presence helped to ensure that the Executive Director, Sandra DeFeo, and her staff were fulfilling the shelter’s mission to place animals into loving homes.

When COVID shut down the city, Chipurnoi, who is 89 years old, left New York. Former colleagues, who say she was showing signs of dementia in 2019, suspect that she moved to her weekend home in Connecticut, where her family owns a confectionary company called Chipurnoi Candy.

Virginia Chipurnoi, the once active board president of the Humane Society of New York, has been silent amid the four year animal warehousing scandal

In July 2021, whistleblowers at the HSNY informed NYC-based animal advocates that adoptions had come to a virtual standstill 17 months earlier; that many of the animals had been living in cages for months or years; and that the Adoption Center was closed indefinitely to adopters. Several advocates who had a relationship with Chipurnoi attempted to contact her because they knew that she would address the warehousing of animals if she knew it was taking place. Chipurnoi did not respond, and, in 2022, her phone was disconnected.

TV news coverage about animal warehousing at the Humane Society of New York

Pix11, a TV news station in New York, aired a three minute story about the animal warehousing controversy at the Humane Society of New York (click photo to see Pix11 story)

Reporters from Pix11 News, AM New York, NBC and Huffington Post working on stories about the warehousing scandal also attempted to contact Chipurnoi through Chipurnoi Candy, but company representatives indicated that she was unavailable and unreachable.

Photo of petition calling on Sarah Gore Reeves, daughter of Virginia Chipurnoi, to address the warehousing of animals at the Humane Society of New York

Virginia Chipurnoi’s daughter, Sarah Gore Reeves, has refused to acknowledge the concerns of advocates despite her close ties to the Humane Society of New York.

Amid growing concerns about the plight of the animals, the HSNY’s former Adoption Director who retired in 2020, Bonnie Tischler, contacted two other board members, Alexandra Rowley and James Gregorio, who is an attorney. Rowley and Gregorio assured Tischler that the whistleblowers and advocates were misinformed, and they promised to provide her with evidence that adoptions were taking place as they had in the past. Two weeks later, Rowley and Gregorio told Tischler that they had resigned from the board and could not provide her with any information. Tischler took this to mean that DeFeo, the Executive Director, refused to release the information or that the information was so damning that Rowley and Gregorio no longer wanted to be affiliated with the HSNY.  Within days, a third board member, C. Jones Perry, resigned. None of the 11 remaining board members, most of whom are elderly and/or live in other states, responded to letters, emails and calls from Tischler and other advocates.

Photo of the members of the board of the Humane Society of New York who resigned when allegations of animal warehousing emerged

Three members of the board of the Humane Society of New York resigned amid the animal warehousing scandal, James Gregorio, C. Jones Perry and Alexandra Rowley

When advocates realized that the HSNY’s board was effectively defunct and that DeFeo was no longer accountable to the board, they began to publicly question why Mrs. Chipurnoi was still listed as the President and why fundraising solicitations were being sent out in her name. They wanted shelter community stakeholders and members of the public to know that the primary guardrail in place to ensure that adoptions were being facilitated, an active board president, had come down and that DeFeo, who describes the shelter as a “foster home” and cages as “apartments,” was no longer accountable to a board.

Photos from VirginiaChipurnoi.com suggest that Virginia Chipurnoi still serves as the organization's board president.

In an effort to give the public the impression that Virginia Chipurnoi is still serving as its board President, the Humane Society of New York launched a website in her name.

In response to advocates’ questions about Chipurnoi’s ability to serve as board president, the HSNY has taken steps to give the public the impression that Virginia Chipurnoi is still capable and active. In 2021, a year after Chipurnoi left New York, the HSNY reported on its 990 tax form that she volunteered at the shelter 30 hours/week. In September 2023, the Humane Society launched the website VirginiaChipurnoi.com which features articles with titles like “How to Spot, Treat and Prevent Gastric Dilation and Volvulus in Dogs” and “Why Canine Dental Examinations Are So Important.” Mrs. Chipurnoi is neither a vet nor a vet tech. Even if she was not cognitively impaired, she would not be qualified to write articles about gastric dilation, canine dental exams and yeast infections in dogs. The most recent article, posted on December 12th, encourages people who cannot adopt a dog to foster one, despite the fact that the Humane Society of New York has, to the frustration of shelter animal advocates, a no-foster policy.

The website also claims that Chipurnoi “leads the HSNY in its advocacy against live animal markets, horse slaughter, roadside zoos, canned hunts, and other issues.”  The HSNY doesn’t work on any of those issues, but, even if they did, how could Mrs. Chipurnoi, who went silent almost four years ago, be “leading” these campaigns?

In a meeting with lawyers representing the state Attorney General’s office, which oversees charities in New York, Tischler and the advocates asked if the absence of a functioning board of directors and the organization’s failure to fulfill its mission violate state law. While sympathetic, the lawyers indicated that they would not consider taking enforcement action unless the advocates could provide data on the number of adoptions taking place. While that information is not publicly available because the HSNY is a private charity, advocates did learn that, during a 2022 inspection by New York City’s Department of Health, the HSNY claimed to have facilitated an average of one adoption per week between March and October that year. For a shelter that takes in $3 million in donations each year, is located in a bustling residential area and has the capacity for 125 – 175 animals according to its own tax forms, that number is, according to the advocates, “abysmal.”

Photo of Virginia Chipurnoi in the New York Times

In 1975, the New York Times published a story about Virginia Chipurnoi’s wardrobe.


Filed under: Companion Animals
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Updates on Campaign to Help Animals Being Warehoused at Humane Society of NY

July 6, 2023 by Leave a Comment


The News

Background

In July 2021, whistleblowers at the Humane Society of New York (HSNY) contacted animal advocates to sound the alarm about the warehousing of dogs and cats at the large and prominent shelter in midtown Manhattan. They said that adoptions had come to a virtual standstill 15 months earlier and that the building was closed to the public under false pretenses. The whistleblowers wrote that, despite claiming to be closed due to COVID, the HSNY could not reopen its doors to the public until they made the building wheelchair accessible under Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines.

Photo of Humane Society of New York

The Humane Society of New York is centrally located in a heavily populated residential neighborhood in Manhattan, but members of the public have not been able to enter the building to meet the homeless animals

In the ensuing months, advocates learned that the Executive Director, Sandra DeFeo, planned to keep the building closed to the public indefinitely. Insiders said she did not want to make the renovations and was content to keep members of the public, including adopters and clients of their vet clinic, out of the building, even if that meant that prospective adopters had no way of meeting the animals.

Photo of protest at the Humane Society of New York

Animal rights activists are calling on the Humane Society of NY to send the animals in their care to foster homes

In a March 2023 TV news story, Pix11 corroborated the whistleblower allegations regarding animal warehousing, airing video clips of adoption cards with intake dates of 2018 and 2019.

Until 2020, guardrails were in place to protect the animals — a full time Adoption Director; an active board president; and an adoption center that was open to adopters. When these guardrails came down, the animals were left in the hands of an Executive Director who believes that cages are “apartments” and that the shelter is a “foster home.”

Photo taken in March 2023 of adoption card with intake date of 2018

Pix11 News corroborated whistleblower allegations that animals had been living in cages at the Humane Society of New York for several years

By warehousing cats and dogs for several years, the HSNY has needlessly created a population of animals with emotional and physical problems who are more difficult to place in forever homes.

In July 2022, approximately 30 activists protested the Humane Society of New York (HSNY) over the warehousing of animals at its shelter when actress Bernadette Peters brought the shelter’s animal trainer onto the stage during Broadway Barks, a star-studded adoption event in NYC’s theater district.

The Construction Project

After caving into pressure from advocates, who asserted that an adoption center cannot be permanently closed to adopters, DeFeo broke ground on an extensive renovation to make the lobby wheelchair accessible under ADA guidelines. The construction crew has cut an opening in the facade and is installing a wheelchair accessible elevator that opens onto the street level.

Photo of Humane Society of New York renovations

The Humane Society of New York was closed to the public for over three years and is now undergoing a major renovation, which is continuing to keep prospective adopters out of the organization’s adoption center

Despite the loud and messy renovation, which is not only limiting access to the building, but also further compromising the quality of life of the animals, the HSNY refuses to send the remaining animals to foster homes, where they would have human companions and not be confined to a cage. The advocates surmise that the HSNY continues to ignore adoption applications because they don’t want prospective adopters entering the building during the renovation.

Change in Procedure for How Adopters Meet Animals

In March 2023, the Associate Director of the HSNY, Anne-Marie Karash, told Pix11 News that the HSNY would no longer allow prospective adopters into the building unless their adoption applications were “approved.” That announcement begged many questions. How can the HSNY approve adoption applications if they are ignoring them?  How can they approve an application if the applicant hasn’t met the animal(s)? And how can they approve of prospective adopters without meeting them?

Before the HSNY closed the building to the public, prospective adopters who filled out an application in the lobby were invited into the adoption center to meet the animals. The advocates assert that the HSNY should hire an Adoption Director (to replace the one who retired in early 2020) and revert back to this process.

Prospective Adopters Give On-Camera Testimonials

In recent weeks, several seemingly well-qualified applicants who read about the animal warehousing controversy online after submitting adoption applications contacted TheirTurn to share their experience. Three of them agreed to provide on-camera testimonials.

Photo of individuals who attempted to adopt from the Humane Society of NY and never heard back

Three seemingly well qualified adopters who did not receive a response to their adoption application agreed to speak on camera

Since starting this campaign in 2021, the advocates have spoken to dozens of other prospective adopters who never received a response to their application, even when they followed up.

Advocates Protest at the Home of the HSNY’s Associate Director

During an interview with PIX11 News. Anne-Marie Karash, the Associate Director of the HSNY, attempted to justify keeping animals in cages for “years” by stating that they wait to place animals until they find “responsible homes.” Her remarks suggest that they engage in exhaustive due diligence when, in fact, they don’t even respond to adoption applications.

In April and May, advocates decided to hold Karash accountable for the misleading statements by staging protests at her Brooklyn home. The entrance to her building was bustling with people, many with dogs, who were eager to learn why the advocates were there. Several said they recognized Karash and would address our concerns with her if they bump into her.

When they arrived at Karash’s home for the first protest, a security guard who advocates recognized from the HSNY was waiting for them. Because he set up a lounge chair next to the building entrance, as if to suggest that the protest was an event worth watching, his presence drew added attention to the protest. Advocates noted that the same guard once opened his vest to reveal a gun and, on several occasions, flashed a badge, as if to suggest he is employed by the NYPD.

Photo of Humane Society of New York security guard attempting to pass himself off as an NYPD officer

A Humane Society of New York security guard, who drew more attention to a protest by setting up a lounge chair, has twice attempted to pass himself off as an NYPD officer

Letter to the NY State Attorney General and IRS

Bonnie Klapper, an attorney representing the advocates, sent a letter to the state Attorney General and the IRS asking that they conduct an investigation “to determine whether the HSNY is in violation of its charter and other federal and state rules and regulations governing nonprofits.”

Photo of letter of complaint about the Humane Society of New York sent to the NY State Attorney General and the IRS

Attorney Bonnie Klapper sent a letter to the NYS Attorney General and the IRS to ask that they undertake an investigation “to determine whether the HSNY is in violation of its charter and other federal and state rules and regulations governing nonprofits.”

Media Coverage

In June 2023, BronxNet News conducted an in-depth interview with Donny Moss of TheirTurn.net, an organizer in the campaign to help the warehoused animals.

In March, Pix11 News aired a three minute segment about the controversy and included an interview with Julie Menin, the Council Member who represents the district where the HSNY is located. During the interview, Menin said, “Why are the adoptions only one per week? That seems like a very slow pace for a relatively large organization that’s well funded. So, we do have concerns about that. We’re also concerned about why can’t the public come in?”

Advocates Receive Threatening Letters

Donny Moss and Bonnie Tischler, the former Adoption Director and a co-organizer on the campaign, received threatening and homophobic letters in the mail. The letter targeting Moss was sent to his husband at work.

Photo of letter sent to Bonnie Tischler, the former Adoption Director at the Humane Society of NY

Letter sent to Bonnie Tischler, the former Adoption Director of the Humane Society of New York and an organizer on the campaign to help the animals being warehoused there

In the letter to Tischler, the sender warned her that she “better tell your daughter to watch herself crossing the street.”

In the letter to Moss’s husband, the sender accused Moss of being a “child molester” and wrote that they “reported this behavior to police.”

Photo of letter sent to the husband of Donny Moss, an organizer in the campaign to compel the Humane Society of NY to stop warehousing animals

Letter sent to the husband of Donny Moss, an organizer in the campaign to compel the Humane Society of NY to stop warehousing animals

Lack of Promotion and Interest in Doing Adoptions

The HSNY’s website and social media platforms feature only some of the homeless animals in the shelter. With the building largely closed due to the renovations and a new policy that prevents members of the public from entering, prospective adopters have no way of knowing that some of these unlisted animals even exist.

The HSNY has also disabled comments on its social media platforms. As a result, people cannot ask questions when the HSNY posts a photo of an animal who needs a home. Furthermore, the HSNY does not respond to direct messages, according to several people who have attempted to make inquires.

When prospective adopters submit applications, they receive a discouraging automated response: “If we are interested in pursuing your application further, we will call you to discuss and then possibly make an appointment for you….Unfortunately, we cannot call everyone, but we will reach out if we are ready to take the next steps with you.”

Photo of automated reply that the Humane Society of New York sends to people who submit adoption applications

Automated reply that the Humane Society of New York sends to people who submit adoption applications

Advocates assert that, if the HSNY was serious about placing animals in forever homes, then the automated response would be more encouraging, like this: “Thank you for your application. We have many cats and dogs who are looking for forever homes. If the cat or dog in whom you’re interested is not a good match, we can probably introduce you to other wonderful animals who might be. We will review your application and follow up with you in the next one to two days.”

Photo of Vanity Fair's coverage of a protest targeting the Humane Society of New York

Vanity Fair, the Today Show and several other mainstream media outlets reported on the 2022 animal warehousing protest against the Humane Society of New York during Broadway Barks, a star-studded adoption event during which Bill Berloni, an animal trainer with the HSNY, was brought onto the stage

The HSNY runs a vet clinic in the same building as the adoption center. When advocates speak to vet clinic clients who are waiting for their animals in front of the building, the majority state that they did not know that the HSNY even has an animal shelter.

What the Advocates Want?

The advocates are calling on the HSNY to send the remaining animals to foster homes until they reopen the building to the public and resume adoptions in earnest.


Filed under: Companion Animals
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NYC Lawmakers Encourage Humane Society of New York to Relocate Animals

April 9, 2023 by Leave a Comment


The News

In an open letter to the Humane Society of New York (HSNY), two New York City Council Members have suggested that the large and prominent NYC shelter relocate their adoptable animals to “another facility that is open to the public, where the prospect of adoption is much greater,” or to “foster homes” so that “these animals have the best possible chance to find their forever homes.” According to whistleblowers and animal rights activists, adoptions at the HSNY came to a virtual standstill in April 2020, when the organization closed its doors to the public.

Photo of a letter sent to the Humane Society of New York by two NYC Council Members

NYC Council Members Julie Menin and James Gennaro sent a letter to the Humane Society of New York expressing concern about the welfare of the animals in the prominent Manhattan shelter

In the letter, which is addressed to the organization’s Executive Director Sandra DeFeo, the lawmakers express concern about the welfare of the animals, noting that “8 out of 14 cats and dogs on your adoption page in October 2021 are still listed as available for adoption on your current website.”

Photo shows that 8 of the animals listed on the Humane Society of New York's website in October 2021 were still there in March 2023

Since August 2021, animal rights activists have been sounding the alarm about the warehousing of animals at the Humane Society of New York

The Council Members, Julie Menin and James Gennaro, sent the letter after being contacted by constituents who expressed concern about the welfare of the animals.

In an interview with Pix11 News, Council Member Menin, whose district includes the Humane Society of New York, remarked on the slow pace of adoptions: “Why are the adoptions only one per week? That seems like a very slow pace for a relatively large organization that’s well funded. So, we do have concerns about that. We’re also concerned about why can’t the public come in?” Discussions between the Council Members and the HSNY are ongoing.

TV news coverage about animal warehousing at the Humane Society of New York

Pix11, a TV news station in New York, aired a three minute story about the animal warehousing controversy at the Humane Society of New York

Animal rights activists learned that animals were being warehoused at the HSNY in July 2021 when a whistleblower wrote that adoptions had come to a virtual standstill 15 months earlier and that DeFeo, the Executive Director, was keeping the building closed to the public under false pretenses. After conducting an investigation which corroborated the allegations and revealed that the building was closed indefinitely due to violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), animal rights activists began calling on the HSNY to send its animals to shelters that are open to the public or to foster homes, where they could live with a family outside of a cage and where adopters could more easily meet them. During a phone call in August 2021 in which Donny Moss of TheirTurn asked DeFeo why she wasn’t sending the animals to foster homes while the building was closed to the public, DeFeo said that the HSNY is their foster home and that their cages are “apartments.”

Adoption cards on the animals cages at the Humane Society of New York show intake dates of 2018 and 2019

While reporting on the animal warehousing controversy at the Humane Society of New York, Pix11 News zoomed in on the adoption cards that show intake dates of 2018 and 2019 for two of the cats. Because the shelter has been closed to adopters for three years, advocates suspect that many of animals have been living in the shelter for at least that long

After being dismissed by DeFeo and ignored by the HSNY’s board members, animal rights activists began staging protests at the HSNY and the nearby home of one of its board members, Alexandra Rowley. During the approximately 20 protests that have taken place so far, dozens of area residents stopped to share their stories of being ignored or turned away after submitting adoption applications or calling to inquire about adoptions. Videos with these testimonials have gone viral on TikTok, garnering over 2.5 million views and attracting national attention to the plight of the animals.

Photo of TikTok videos of protests at the Humane Society of New York

Videos of the protests at the Humane Society of New York have gone viral on TikTok, garnering more than 2.5 million views

From April 2020 to March 2023, DeFeo claimed that the HSNY was closed to the public “due to COVID-19,” an excuse that, according to whistleblowers, she intended to use indefinitely in order to avoid acknowledging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that would have to be fixed in order to reopen the building to the public. Activists believe their campaign, which raised public awareness about the plight of animals living in a shelter closed indefinitely to adopters, ultimately left DeFeo with no choice but to move forward with the renovations, which are underway now.

Photo of construction at the Humane Society of New York

In an effort to silence protesters outside of the building, the Humane Society of NY has put up signs asking for quiet despite the fact that they are subjecting the animals inside to loud interior and exterior construction projects instead of sending them to foster homes

Throughout the course of the campaign, members of public have asked the advocates why the HSNY has kept the cats and dogs instead of placing them in shelters that are open to the public or to foster homes. According to Donny Moss of TheirTurn, an organizer in the campaign, the problem lies with the Executive Director. “Sandra DeFeo has always held the view that cages are ‘apartments’ and that the shelter is a ‘home,’ but that warped perspective mattered less before 2020 because guardrails were in place to protect the animals – an adoption center that was open to adopters; an Adoption Director who was sending animals home and a board president who worked at the shelter four days per week. When the guardrails came down, the animals were at the mercy of someone who believes that a cage in a shelter is home.”

Photo of protest at the Humane Society of New York

During bi-weekly protests at the Humane Society of New York, animal rights activists call on the Manhattan shelter to send the cats and dogs in their care to foster homes where they won’t have to live in a cage or be subjected to construction noise

In addition to operating an adoption center, the HSNY runs a low cost vet clinic that is subsidized by private donors. Like the adoption center, the vet clinic, which is located on the ground floor of the same building, has been closed to the public for the past three years. Despite pleas from the advocates, the six veterinarians who work in the clinic have refused to address the warehousing of animals. During the first two protests at the HSNY, the advocates asked the vets to use their influence to relocate the animals to foster homes, but they refused to engage them. The vets — Drs. Lauren Postler, Shingo Soeda, Ellen Hirshberg, Yaron Schmid, Ralph Gutierrez and Liz Higgins —  avert their eyes and ignore the advocates as they exit the building.

Photo of Dr. Ralph Gutierrez, Dr. Ellen Hirshberg, Dr. Shingo Soeda, Dr. Lauren Postler, Dr. Yaron Scmid and Dr. Liz Higgins

Advocates assert that the veterinarians who work in the Humane Society of New York’s clinic are complicit in the warehousing of animals in the organization’s adoption center. (From left to right: Drs. Ralph Gutierrez, Ellen Hirshberg, Shingo Soeda, Lauren Postler, Yaron Schmid, Liz Higgins)

Among the other senior HSNY staff members who have ignored the advocates are the Associate Director, Anne Marie Karash, and the Director of Animal Behavior and Training, Bill Berloni. When Pix11 News reported on the animal warehousing scandal, Karash acknowledged that some of the animals have been living in the adoption center for years. She justified the long-term captivity by stating that the animals have medical conditions and that they’re selective about the people to whom they adopt. Bonnie Tischler, the HSNY’s Adoption Director who retired in early 2020 after serving in that role for 22 years, is not convinced:

People will adopt and foster animals with special needs and animals who are elderly, so there’s no reason those animals should be there for so many years. Every animal, if given the opportunity, can be adopted. That said, the longer these animals are held in cages, the more issues they have due to the stress of the long-term confinement. Also, being selective about the adopters is commendable, but there’s a big difference between ‘being selective’ and ignoring adoption applications altogether, which is what the HSNY has done for the past three years.”

Photo of Anne Marie Karash, the Associate Director of the Humane Society of New York

During an interview with Pix11 News, Anne Marie Karash, the Associate Director of the Humane Society of New York, attempted to use medical conditions and a highly selective adoption process to justify the long term captivity of animals at the shelter.

Bill Berloni, the animal trainer and behaviorist, owns a company called Berloni’s Theatrical Animals that leases animals to Broadway shows, movies, TV shows and commercials. According to former HSNY employees, he finds the animals in shelters or buys them from breeders, depending on the needs of his clients. When the musical Gypsy ended its run on Broadway, Berloni told colleagues at the HSNY that he brought the lamb who he procured for the production to a slaughterhouse after telling the show’s star, Bernadette Peters, that he retired her to a sanctuary.

During the pandemic, when Broadway had no use for his animals, Berloni’s friend created a GoFundMe campaign that raised $91,332 for his company. By calling the campaign a fundraiser for the “Theatrical Animals Fund,” at least some of the donors must have assumed they were donating to an animal rescue charity, not a for-profit animal enterprise.

Bill Berloni of the Humane Society of New York

Bill Berloni, who owns a company that leases animals to Broadway shows, movies, TV shows and commercials, has not addressed the public’s concerns about the warehousing of animals at the Humane Society of New York, where he is employed as the Director of Animal Training and Behavior

The HSNY states the animals’ participation in Broadway shows “changes their lives forever,” but advocates disagree: “Dogs don’t aspire to be props in Broadway shows,” said Edita Birnkrant, the Executive Director of NYCLASS, a NYC-based animal rights organization. “They want to live in a home, go for walks, play ball and curl up on the sofa with their family.”

The Humane Society of New York turns away prospective adopters

Prospective adopters who ring the bell at the the Humane Society of New York are asked to leave when they inquire about meeting the animals available for adoption

In the Pix11 News interview, Karash, the Associate Director, said that 27 cats and 13 dogs remain in the shelter. Like Council Members Menin and Gennaro, the advocates are calling on DeFeo to send the remaining animals to foster homes, where they could live uncaged and with a family, until the HSNY completes the renovations and resumes adoptions in earnest.


Filed under: Companion Animals
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Humane Society of NY Announces Renovations to Reopen to the Public After Falsely Attributing Years-long Closure to COVID

December 7, 2022 by Leave a Comment


The News

After claiming for over 2.5 years that the Humane Society of New York (HSNY) has been closed to the public due to COVID, the Executive Director of the prominent animal shelter and vet clinic, Sandra DeFeo, has posted a public statement announcing renovations to the lobby that will enable the building to reopen “in 2023.” In 2018, a client of the HSNY’s vet clinic sued the organization because the building is not wheelchair accessible under Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines. In talks with shelter animal advocates who have been calling on DeFeo to send the HSNY’s animals to shelters that are open to adopters or to foster homes, DeFeo claimed that the ADA issues had been settled and were unrelated to the ongoing closure of the building.

Photo of the Humane Society of New York's filing of a work permit to renovate the lobby

The Humane Society of New York claims to have begun renovating the lobby in order to make it ADA compliant despite not yet having received a work permit from the NYC Department of Buildings

While the lobby renovations have not yet begun, DeFeo, in her statement, uses a photo of the HSNY’s scaffolded building to suggest that they have. The exterior scaffolding was erected to facilitate repairs to the facade and is unrelated to the interior lobby renovation needed to make the building ADA compliant. As of December 7th, the NYC Department of Buildings has not yet issued the HSNY with a work permit to make the lobby renovations that DeFeo claims are already underway.

Photo of proof that scaffolding at the Humane Society of New York is there for facade work, not lobby renovations, as claimed by the Executive Director

On its website, the Humane Society of New York suggests that scaffolding was erected in order to renovate the lobby, but that’s not true. The scaffolding is there
solely to repair the facade.

In her statement, DeFeo also claims that she intended to begin the lobby renovations in 2019 and attributes the delay to COVID. A search of the Department of Buildings public database, however, shows no building permit applications in 2019. In addition, a 2018 court filing about the ADA lawsuit shows that the HSNY argued against renovating the building to make it wheelchair accessible.

Photo of a court filing in the ADA lawsuit brought against the Humane Society of New York

The Executive Director of the Humane Society of New York, Sandra DeFeo, claims that she planned to renovate the lobby in 2019, but that contradicts 2018 court documents demonstrating her opposition to the renovations

Bonnie Tischler, the former Adoption Director of 22 years who retired in 2020, says that, in 2019, DeFeo made no mention of making the building ADA compliant and that DeFeo told her in 2021 that the ADA lawsuit was settled and that the building was closed due to COVID. “Sandra [DeFeo] had no intention of making the ADA renovations and was planning to keep members of the public out of the building indefinitely. She’s only moving forward with the renovations now — four years later — because of the negative spotlight cast by the protests.”

DeFeo states that she expects “completion of the project in 2023.” However, without a permit and with widespread construction delays due to labor shortages and supply chain issues, she has no way of knowing when construction will be completed.

Animal rights activists became aware that animals were being warehoused at the Humane Society of New York in July 2021 when a whistleblower sent a letter to a prominent shelter advocate informing her that adoptions had come to a virtual standstill 15 months earlier and that DeFeo was keeping the building closed to the public under false pretenses. After conducting an investigation which corroborated the allegations, Donny Moss of TheirTurn and other animal rights activists began calling on the HSNY to send the animals in its adoption center to shelters that are open to the public or to foster homes, where they could live outside of a cage with a family and where adopters could meet them. During a call with Moss in August 2021, DeFeo claimed that adoptions were taking place and that the animals are fine in their “apartments,” a term that DeFeo routinely uses to describe shelter cages. When asked why she wouldn’t send animals to foster homes so that they’re not living in cages, she said that the HSNY “is their foster home.” 

Photo demonstrating that animals are being warehoused at the Humane Society of New York

Eight of the 14 animals listed on the Humane Society of New York’s adoption page in October 2021 were still posted in December 2022 — 14 months later. The Humane Society says that it posts “just a few” of their animals online. With the building closed to the public, adopters have no way of knowing that the other animals in need of a home even exist.

In December 2021, Tischler sent letters and/or emails to all of the HSNY’s board members, many of whom she knew well from having worked there for so long, to sound the alarm about the warehousing of animals and to ask them to intervene. Of the 15 board members she contacted, two responded and agreed to speak to her. During the calls, Tischler told them the activists would stop protesting the HSNY if the board provided her with proof that “adoptions have continued” since the building was closed to the public, as DeFeo was claiming. The board members agreed, but within two weeks, they resigned without providing the information. Tischler suspects that the adoption numbers were so low that DeFeo refused to share the data with them.

In a one month period in 2021, three board members resigned amid the controversy, but their departures, Tischler said, “did nothing to help the animals who were warehoused on their watch and who they left behind when they quit.”

Media coverage of protest at the Humane Society of New York

AM New York, a daily newspaper in New York City, published a story about the campaign to help the cats and dogs being warehoused at the Humane Society of New York

In July 2022, the activists escalated their efforts on behalf of the shelter animals by disrupting Broadway Barks, an annual star-studded animal adoption event in the theater district. When Bill Berloni, an animal trainer with the Humane Society of New York, took the stage, activists pulled out posters and chanted “Stop The Hoarding” on bullhorns to draw attention to the plight of the animals. Bernadette Peters, the host of Broadway Barks, attempted to discredit and marginalize the activists by claiming that the HSNY is open to the public. Twice she said, “Anybody can take a tour of the Humane Society.” Berloni, who remained on stage during the protest, did not correct her. The following day, Christina Fritz, a vet clinic client who has been critical of the the organization’s refusal to allow clients and adopters into the building, called DeFeo to ask for a tour, referencing Bernadette Peters “anybody can take a tour” remark. In response, DeFeo said, “That’s not correct. I don’t know why she might have said that.” An audio recording of that exchange is included in the following video:

In the statement on the Humane Society’s homepage, DeFeo claims that the HSNY has facilitated about 160 adoptions since she closed the building to the public in March 2020. If true, that represents an average of about one animal per week, “an abysmal number,” says Tischler “for a large, prominent shelter in a busy and wealthy residential neighborhood that raises millions of dollars each year in donations.” Tischler and the other activists believe that the average number of weekly adoptions has been significantly lower than one.

Photo of testimonials about the Humane Society of New York turning away adopters

Testimonials posted online about failed attempts to adopt animals from the Humane Society of New York

In early December, the HSNY sent out its annual holiday fundraising letter soliciting donations for its adoption center and vet clinic. The letter is signed by Virginia Chipurnoi, the President of the Board. Tischler and other former HSNY employees believe that Chipurnoi, who is 88 years old, isn’t aware of the letter because she was showing signs of dementia four years ago. In 2021 and 2022, several people who had personal relationships with Chipurnoi sent her emails and texts in an effort to discuss the concerns raised by the activists. She didn’t respond to any of them. “It’s a perfect storm for the animals,” said Tischler. “You have an unsupervised Executive Director who believes that cages are ‘apartments’ who is running an adoption center that’s closed to adopters.”

Photo of Humane Society of New York solicitation

The Humane Society of New York solicits contributions for its adoption center even though it has been closed to the public for over 2.5 years and adoptions have come to a virtual standstill

Activists say that DeFeo’s decision to renovate the lobby instead of keeping the building closed to the public indefinitely is one of several ways they know they’re making a positive impact. DeFeo has also begun to promote adoptions more routinely and to allow vet clinic clients into the lobby, despite the legal risk. Whether or not these changes help the animals who have been stuck in cages for 2.5 years or longer remains to be seen.

For their part, the activists, whose efforts continue to be validated by people who share accounts of failed efforts to adopt from the shelter, will continue to call on Sandra DeFeo and the six veterinarians who work in the HSNY’s clinic to send the animals to shelters that are open to adopters or to foster homes. The veterinarians, Drs. Yaron Schmid, Shingo Soeda, Lauren Postler, Ralph Gutierrez, Liz Higgins and Ellen Hirshberg, have ignored the activists pleas to intervene on behalf of the animals who are being warehoused on their watch.

Photo of Humane Society of New York veterinarians Lauren Postler, Yaron Schmid, Shingo Soeda, Ralph Gutierrez, Ellen Hirshberg and Liz Higgins

Shelter advocates say that the veterinarians who work in the Humane Society of New York’s clinic are turning a blind eye to the warehousing of animals in the organization’s adoption center. (From left to right: Lauren Postler, Yaron Schmid, Shingo Soeda, Ralph Gutierrez, Ellen Hirshberg and Liz Higgins)


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Animal Rights Activists Protest Humane Society of New York Veterinarians Over Animal Warehousing

November 14, 2022 by Leave a Comment


The News

Despite pleas from animal shelter advocates, the six veterinarians who work in the Humane Society of New York’s (HSNY) clinic refuse to address the long-term warehousing of animals at the organization’s adoption center. Adoptions at the prominent Manhattan shelter came to a virtual standstill in April 2020 when their boss, Executive Director Sandra DeFeo, closed the building to the public.  According to the New York City Department of Health (DOH), which conducted an inspection in October 2022, the HSNY facilitated an average of one adoption per week between March and October, an exceptionally low number for a shelter that can accommodate up to 175 animals, according to its annual tax statements. Activists have submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the DOH for the inspection report.

During the first two protests at the HSNY, the advocates attempted to speak to the veterinarians about the plight of the dogs and cats, but all of them refused to engage, choosing instead to ignore them as they exited the building. Since then, the activists have become increasingly provocative, stepping up their demand that the vets use their influence to relocate the animals to adoption centers that are open to adopters or to foster homes. Former HSNY employees suspect that the veterinarians, Drs. Lauren Postler, Shingo Soeda, Ellen Hirshberg, Yaron Schmid, Ralph Gutierrez and Liz Higgins, are turning a blind eye to the animal warehousing because they would like to keep the building closed to the public, as keeping their clients out of the exam room makes their job easier.

Photo of Humane Society of New York veterinarians Lauren Postler, Yaron Schmid, Shingo Soeda, Ralph Gutierrez, Ellen Hirshberg and Liz Higgins

Shelter advocates say that the veterinarians who work in the Humane Society of New York’s clinic are turning a blind eye to the warehousing of animals in the organization’s adoption center. (From left to right: Lauren Postler, Yaron Schmid, Shingo Soeda, Ralph Gutierrez, Ellen Hirshberg and Liz Higgins)

Before attempting to engage the veterinarians, the advocates sent letters and emails to members of the HSNY’s Board of Directors to inform them that adoptions had come to a virtual standstill and ask them to intervene. The once active board president, Virginia Chipurnoi, ignored hand-written letters, emails and text messages about the issue. Former HSNY employees who worked with Chipurnoi speculate that, at 88, she is no longer able to perform her duties. Two board members, Alexandra Rowley and James Gregorio, said they would provide the advocates with proof of adoptions. Instead, they and one other board member, C. Jones Perry, resigned, walking away from the problem created on their watch. The remaining board members, including the socialite Cornelia Guest, are inactive, elderly and/or live in other states.

“The past and present board members and the veterinarians are complicit in animal cruelty,” said Christina Fritz, a neighbor of the HSNY whose application was ignored when she attempted to adopt a cat and who was turned away when she attempted to volunteer. “The Humane Society of New York isn’t the adoption center they claim it is.”

Humane Society of New York adoptions

By its own account, the Humane Society of New York, a large shelter in a bustling residential neighborhood that receives several million dollars a year in donations, has facilitated an average of about one adoption per week since March 2020. Protesters believe that the number is even lower.

Bonnie Tischler, the HSNY’s former Adoption Director who retired in early 2020 after working at the shelter for 22 years, describes the situation as a perfect storm. “In the absence of supervision and accountability, Executive Director Sandra DeFeo, who describes the animals’ cages as ‘apartments,’ is acting as though the shelter is their forever home. That’s why the veterinarians, who have leverage and influence, need to intervene.” 

Media coverage of protest at the Humane Society of New York

AM New York, a daily newspaper in New York City, published a story about the campaign to help the cats and dogs being warehoused at the Humane Society of New York.

Animal rights activists in New York became aware that animals were being warehoused in July 2021 when a whistleblower sent a letter to a prominent shelter advocate informing her that adoptions had come to a virtual standstill 15 months earlier and that DeFeo was keeping the building closed to the public under false pretenses, using COVID as an excuse to cover up for violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

Protest at the Humane Society of New York

Animal rights activists in NYC are calling on the Humane Society of New York, which has been closed to the public for 2.5 years, to send the animals to shelters that are open to adopters or to foster homes.

A two-month investigation conducted by TheirTurn corroborated the whistleblower allegations and uncovered other disturbing information. The HSNY ignores adoption applications. As part of TheirTurn’s investigation, thirteen well qualified adopters submitted applications, and not one received a response. At any given time, the HSNY lists just 11 or 12 animals on its website.  With the building closed to the public, adopters have no way of knowing that the other animals exist. In addition, the HSNY does hardly any promotion on social media. Instead of making daily adoption posts across multiple social media platforms, as other shelters do, the HSNY makes just two or three posts each month, and the posts contain no information about the adoptions process. 

Adoptions at the Humane Society of New York have come to a virtual standstill

Despite having dozens more, the Humane Society of New York lists between 11 – 13 animals on its website. With the building closed to the public, adopters have no way of knowing that many other animals in the shelter need to be rescued.

The HSNY has been closed to the public for 2.5 years and has no plans to re-open. According to two lawyers contacted by TheirTurn, the HSNY cannot open its doors to the public due to violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. It has already settled one lawsuit and would open itself up to another if it re-opened before making the building wheelchair accessible under ADA guidelines. 

Since April 2022, advocates have staged approximately 12 protests targeting the HSNY. In response to the protests, the HSNY posted a statement on its homepage. In it, DeFeo attributes the low number of adoptions to “diligence.” That explanation doesn’t resonate with the activists. 

“There’s a big difference between diligence and negligence,” said Tischler. “Sandra lists just a fraction of the animals online, does virtually no adoption promotion on social media, ignores adoption applications, has no Adoption Director, has no practical way of introducing people to the animals, refuses to allow fostering, and has no mobile adoption van, which the HSNY can easily afford. So what exactly are the ‘adoption outreach initiatives’ to which she refers in the statement?” 

Photo of Jane Hoffman, the President of the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals

Jane Hoffman, the President of the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s animals, has refused to intervene on behalf of the animals being warehoused at the Humane Society of New York (HSNY). Sandra DeFeo, the Executive Director of the HSNY, sits on Hoffman’s board.

The activists say they intend to continue protesting the Humane Society of New York until the animals have been transferred to shelters or foster homes where they have a chance of finding a forever home. 


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