Volunteer warns Hempstead animal shelter faces staffing strain with 163 animals

A volunteer at the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter told the board during public comment that the shelter had 163 animals and that on the prior day only four kennel workers were available. Hillary Flanigan, who identified herself as a volunteer, said volunteers are invaluable but should be a supplement to sufficient paid staff because kennel duties are physically demanding and emotionally taxing; she warned current staffing levels risk burnout and could degrade basic care.

Why it matters: volunteers and shelter staff care for animals 24/7; volunteers said basic needs — feeding, cleaning and medical-handling — require a reliable baseline of paid kennel staff to prevent service failures and preserve animal welfare.

Board response: board members thanked volunteers and said they would follow up with shelter staff and consider staffing needs during departmental budget and operational reviews.

What’s next: the shelter and relevant departments were asked to provide more detail on staffing levels and whether grant or budget adjustments could address hiring needs.