Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation and Town Sign New Agreement

Southampton Town and the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF) have signed a new five-year agreement for the foundation to continue to operate the town-owned animal shelter in Hampton Bays.

The nonprofit foundation was formed in 2009 to privatize the town’s shelter. It took over the operations of the shelter on January 1, 2010. The latest contract, effective January 1, 2016, includes financial contributions from the town on a graduated basis, starting with $175,000 in 2016 and culminating in $250,000 in 2020, plus $33,600 annually for the boarding of stray animals delivered by Southampton Town Animal Control.

“There will be continued outreach by SASF on many levels—an enlarged Training Department to provide educational programs to the public, a broader reach for the traveling veterinary van, and more wellness days at the shelter,” said SASF board President Jonathan McCann. “We intend to cast a very broad net. As in the past, we will continue to support partnerships with organizations that believe in the healing powers of human-animal relations.”

The shelter boasts a high adoption rate and a 97 percent live release rate. “This is the result of the Shelter’s highly sophisticated training and socialization programs which extend even to the most behaviorally difficult and challenged animals,” according to the town.