Hope for The Hempstead Shelter

In a world riddled with political apathy, Diane Madden has never wavered on her convictions and beliefs. A warrior on behalf of the voiceless as well as the most vulnerable, Diane has gone to every single board meeting for the last 10 years (every single one!)She has held both sides accountable and does not succumb to party loyalty or pressure. Diane has done everything and anything in her power to help the animals. She has rescued hundreds of dogs, fostered countless dogs & cats, she has helped create and write legislation, she has brought major issues to light, exposed mismanagement, run for political office and she has invested countless hours of her time into other people.Diane has personally taught me the importance of FOIL, what to expect at legislative meetings, how to be an impactful speaker and she has inspired me to learn more, do more and empower others too. If you want to learn how to advocate, if you want to help change laws such as passing the anti-puppy mill bill and/or toughening penalties against animal abuse, then this is a can’t miss episode!We want nothing more for the need of animal advocates to disappear forever, but until then us pet avengers aren’t going anywhere.‍Tune in for this heart-felt conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.Show NotesSegment 1Tommy D begins today’s show reminding us about PALS’ commitment to establishing a compassionate network within the animal lovers community! Val and Tommy also pitch in their own projects, WorkBdone and Philanthropy in Focus. Vsky Solutions is also one of the sponsors for the PALS podcast! Diane Madden is this week’s guest! An active member of her Hempstead community (America’s largest township) in Long Island, NY, as well as an “advocate for the voiceless,” as Val described her. The reason there is a volunteer program at the Hempstead animal shelter is because of Diane. Hempstead introduced temperature laws regarding how long pets could be held in particular environments due to Diane! And Val added that there are a lot more examples of ways Diane has changed Val’s life and many others around her. Diane jumps into today’s topic by stating that the management of Hempstead’s animal shelter is horrible! The shelter director has engaged in nepotism by giving his Republican supporters jobs that they are unqualified for. Before moving on, Val wants to make sure they are covering necessary information “bases.” Every municipality has its own shelter, which the residents’ tax dollars pay for. Val emphasizes that she gets infuriated with how the Hempstead shelter is run because they receive a very sizeable budget; most of which goes towards wages. The higher-earning individuals are currently being chosen based on their political connections, not their qualifications or merits. Tommy jumps in, asking whether the more important “piece” [to getting the correct candidates] is to have political diversity within the organization or if there should be job qualifications for those leading the organizations? Answers will come after the break. Segment 2Since 2000 Diane has been an advocate for animals! Jumping to another question, Tommy asks what drew Diane to animals, what got her started? She begins by saying that she walked into the Hempstead animal shelter not knowing it had existed, and she went in to adopt a pet. Diane saw that by walking around and witnessing the animals’ treatment from some people still there, the animals were unhappy and getting nothing. At first, when she began becoming more involved in animal welfare, she would reach out to outside organizations and fosters to put the shelter animals in better homes instead of living years at the shelter or being euthanized. Returning to the question we had jumped to before the break, Diane agrees with Tommy, saying that he is right about requiring qualifications for the leadership positions. Diane adds that, unfortunately, the elected officials overlooking qualifications are doing so because they are just looking for someone to do their dirty work; she says that the shelter is currently like a Republican club with some animals inside. The director of the Hempstead Animal shelter is only there to take orders. Diane says that he is not there to help the animals. Val points out to Tommy that the destructive nepotism continues through campaign donations and continuous party support. The people in charge continue to secure the jobs of unqualified personnel through dirty donations and checks. Diane and Val agree that the Republican party is currently riding a wave because they are not content with the national policy. Diane says that animal welfare is all political, so people must know the politics of their local governments.Segment 3We start off the third episode with a picture of Kate Murray and a custom made mobile TNR (trap-neuter-return) unit. Val says that the reason the unit was purchased was so that it could...