Embattled Humane Society Was Cited Before Lawsuit

Two months before a group of volunteers filed a complaint accusing the board of directors of the of mismanagement and animal mistreatment, parts of the property were deemed unsafe in citations handed out by the Harrison Building Department.

Harrison Building Inspector Bob FitzSimmons found 12 violations on the property on Feb. 7, 2012, according to the attached citation. The notice of violation was issued to John and Nina Ryan on February 14 for the property on 7 Harrison Avenue.

On April 24, a group of fourteen volunteers and at-large citizens asking a judge to remove the Ryans and third board member Marcia Halley from their positions on the humane society's board of directors. It also demands the Ryans repay $150,000 in damages to the humane society.

The complaint accuses the Ryans of keeping dogs and cats on the property in "deplorable" conditions while renting space on the property for their own financial benefit.

The February code violations focus on a garage and kennel on the property. They include the finding of an accumulation of rubbish or garbage in or around the kennel, general disrepair to both structures and a lack of protective treatment.

The violations deal with the structure of the buildings and their overall upkeep, there is no mention of the condition of animals on the property and where they were being kept during the building department's visit. 

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The final page of the citation includes a note from the Town/Village of Harrison stating: "This building is unsafe, its occupancy has been prohibited by the building inspector."

Halley, whom the lawsuit alleges was an "absentee" party on the three-member board, is not mentioned in the building department's citation.

Harrison law required the Ryans to take action within 30 days of the violation or face more citations. There have been no other citations on the property since.

Fitzsimmons was unavailable to comment Thursday on whether or not his department has returned to the property.

The site has also been operating without a license since January 1, according to Caren Halbfinger, a spokesperson at the Westchester County Department of Health.

Halbfinger said her department visited the property last week and found no evidence of neglect or mistreatment. Earlier this week she said the animals themselves were being kept in "healthy and clean conditions".

She added that the Ryans are currently in the process of applying to renew their permit, and that the delay is related to missing paperwork.

The April complaints, filed mostly by volunteers who walk dogs and help care for animals on the property, levied accusations of animal neglect and mistreatment against the Ryans. It accuses them of using the shelter for personal financial gain and neglecting their roles in fundraising and adoption efforts while leaving the animals in cages filled with urine and feces.

John Ryan has not returned calls and e-mails from Patch seeking comment.