As for me, I feel I chose to come here to bring joy and happiness to other sentient beings and for a long time I thought I was alone in this way of thinking.

I’m going to be 63 in a few weeks and for as long as I can remember I’ve taken action to protect animals from us. Like many of us I did this instinctively and in solitude until I met Cleveland Amory back in the 1960’s, the first and greatest animal activist.

It was like yesterday, the first time I met Cleveland Amory some 42 years ago. I was about 20 years old when I read an ad in a magazine entitled “Real Women Wear Fake Furs” with four beautiful women wearing fake furs. Well, until that point in my life I hadn’t heard about anyone who felt as I do, I couldn’t stop looking at the ad. It hit me like nothing else ever before, I realized I wasn’t alone.

I quickly called the phone number at the bottom of the page (I actually have tears in my eyes as I write this). A voice answered and I explained my overwhelming feeling about the ad. He said he was Cleveland Amory and asked was I able to get to 140 West 57th Street in NYC. I ran to the train station near my home in the Bronx and couldn’t wait to meet the only person in the world (so I thought) that felt as I did about all animals. I just always knew I didn’t just belong to a race of humans, but instead to a race of sentient beings and that it was right that the strong should protect the weak. At the time I couldn’t articulate it but I definitely felt it.

After the train ride into Manhattan, I ran looking for 140 West 57th Street next to the Russian Tea Room (Cleveland’s landmark). When I got there I expected an office building, instead it was a residential building. I found Cleveland’s apartment on the register in the lobby, it was on the 7th floor. I ran up the stairs, I couldn’t wait for the elevator. When I knocked on the door a very tall man looked down to me and said, Tom. My life changed that day as if someone helped me up to a new level of being. I knew that day why I was here and how I needed to spend my time. I knew I could never be truly happy until all sentient beings were afforded life, liberty and a pursuit of happiness (sentient justice) and it was up to a special group of humans to make that happen.

I’ve always felt a special bond with that kind of humanity and I’ve guided my life in the pursuit of spreading that enlightenment.

Well, through the years Cleveland and I spent many productive times, worked together and exchanged many ideas until his death in 1998. I cherish every moment and every memory and I know he is proud that I am one of the founders and first President of the no kill Hudson Valley SPCA formerly the Newburgh SPCA. Cleveland Amory was the founder of the Fund for Animals and for more than 30 years its major contributor and CEO and he was my friend.

Since you have come to our website taken the time and interest to read this message, I’m fairly certain you are part of that special group of humans – we have a bond.

The images are real and we see them almost every day, not on TV but in our OrangeCounty shelter. It’s my intent to show the “after” image sparing you, the public, the “before” images that we try to forget. I don’t think we need to show the dog that’s been beaten or the cat that was doused with gasoline and almost set on fire. I think we need to show them after the weeks and sometimes months of help, when they are ready for adoption. I need your input here, show the images we turn away from or the happy faces they become? – e-mail hvspca and let me know what you think (put blog in the subject).

Our job is the most grueling and most gratifying endeavor I’ve ever had the pleasure to participate in. Our passion is predicated on the good we can do and the knowledge we have your support. I once read a poem where the author postulated a person going mad when he could hear all the suffering in the world – I think I’ve come across some of these people. I plan on not joining them.

Unfortunately, this is not a zero sum reality where the bad is balanced by an equal amount of good. When one animal is suffering in silence, there is no balance created by other animals enjoying life as they should. Therefore, we cannot be finished until that last animal is saved from cruelty, regardless of all the other happy faces. And we cannot wait until they come to our door. So, as an SPCA we have begun to fulfill our proactive mission to prevent cruelty through investigation, rescue, arrest and prosecution. We will not depend on municipals to enforce nor prosecuting bodies to prevent cruelty. Look, most police departments do not understand abuse laws, have never been trained in State laws relating to animal cruelty and therefore usually do a poor job preventing cruelty, although with possible good intentions. We are going to change all that! This is less bravado and more of bringing the right tools to the table along with different law enforcement capabilities and educational initiatives. We want and will develop police and prosecuting partners, but that’s another story and enough for now.

One very last thing…

Right now the situation in Haiti demands our attention and support as well as the animals of Haiti. To help the animals in Haiti think of supporting HSUS, PETA and IFAW. To help the animals in Orange County and the surrounding areas think of supporting the HVSPCA.

I’ve referred to the Hudson Valley SPCA as a grand experiment and it is that in a very multifaceted way. On one side we are on our way to accomplishing our mission to rescue, rehabilitate and place our animals in sustainable appropriate homes, around 400 since August of 2008. On another side because of that good work we are attracting excellent partners that are volunteering their time and talents to join with us, yet another side is somewhat of a street fight to rescue abused animals and bring those that abuse to justice (I like to call it sentient justice) – as only an SPCA can do. Another side is feeding the financial engine that makes it all possible: public donations, fund raising, lines of business (our thrift shop is now on EBay as well as on site), memberships, sponsorships, major donor programs – it can be exhausting. I told Sharon Keery, now our Executive Director, when we first began that I gave us a 5% chance to still be around in 5 years, but that we would help a lot of animals in that time – I new it was a daunting task we were undertaking. I have revised that outlook with our successes along the last 18 months. If you’re wondering what my current view is, I’d say about 75% – I will always fall on the pessimistic side to keep us sharp and focused on the future and our finances.

Our grand experiment of a high placement rate shelter that rescues and rehabilitates those that others abuse or discard can succeed with a community working together and the HVSPCA acting as a collective venue. The experiment is becoming a success due the hard and relentless commitment of all involved. It is a bit like an embryonic new planet whose gravity is attracting good people that then become part of the whole and further attract more good people.

Please peruse the entire site, my daughter Stefanie is the web master and we are very proud of her efforts.

To clarify, we don’t judge those that surrender their animals, there are times when it is in the best interest of their companion animal. Along with striving for a high placement rate we have an extremely conservative euthanasia policy – only to be used in extreme situations with our animal’s best interest in mind.