Many insiders say rising tensions among a former shelter manager, former volunteers, and former board members led to DiBernardo being charged for the intake of 17 kittens from a New Jersey rescue in 2020.

The instability at the shelter has left it poised to potentially being taken over by Rockland Green, the former Rockland County Solid Waste Authority. But there have also been philosophical differences in how the shelter should be run, which have led to the recent spate of people coming and going, and a fair amount of infighting. There is widespread consensus among Rockland County officials and residents alike that Hi-Tor’s management has long been strained, with staff and volunteers finding it difficult to cope in a dilapidated and outdated shelter. Word of her indictment last week on 17 misdemeanors and one felony count sent shockwaves through the community, leaving many to remark the president might be many things but “she does not have a criminal bone in her body.” Along the way, DiBernardo, 51, of Tomkins Cove, has formed many alliances with animal lovers but she’s also clashed with former board members, staff, and volunteers at the county shelter.

In her spare time, she has volunteered since 2015 to be the President of Hi-Tor Animal Care Shelter in Pomona, a nonprofit facility overseen by Rockland County and now supported financially by four of the county’s towns, and through fundraising.

By day, the Rockland County native who has worked in purchasing, catering, and the animal world, is the head of circulation for the Haverstraw King’s Daughter Public Library. Community Is Stunned By Criminal Charges Of Animal-Loving President But Many Concur Shelter Management Is In Need Of Repairīy nearly all accounts, Debbie DiBernardo is a gentle soul with an unbridled love for animals.

Hi tor animal shelter volunteer allergy