BY CAMERYN OAKES

The Glen Cove Animal Shelter needs volunteers to assist in walking their dogs, socializing the cats, helping clean, raising funds, writing grants and doing research, and it is asking the community to step in.

The shelter, which services the city of Glen Cove, houses both cats and dogs that have been surrendered by the community’s residents. It is small – currently housing eight dogs with a large outdoor play area and 50 cats in a cage-free environment – yet open seven days a week.

“We’re really interested in them having a comfortable place while they look for their forever home,” Kathy Norcia, the shelter’s director, said. “I’ve been here a long time, and my purpose is to maintain the shelter as best I can to provide for these animals. It’s important that they have the care and love that every animal deserves.”

The Glen Cove Animal Shelter is operated by Cove Animal Rescue, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit charity that began in March 2015.

Norcia said that many community members do not know that the Glen Cove Animal Shelter exists, which the center can achieve through the help of volunteers. The shelter has also seen a decline in support since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The shelter closed at the beginning of the pandemic, yet since reopening has experienced a decline in donations and overall support by the community, Norcia said.

“Because we are small, it is sometimes difficult for people to even realize that we’re here,” Norcia said.

The shelter needs more consistent volunteers, she said, specifically adults with a variety of skills and abilities as volunteers under the age of 18 are limited in the help they can provide the shelter.

Junior volunteers, or those 16 years of age, can work with the cats, whereas volunteers must be 18 years or older to work with the dogs. Volunteers ages 14 to 16 can volunteer but must have a parent or legal guardian to accompany them.

Volunteers are not required to work multiple hours a week, Norcia said, rather only a couple of hours a month.

Community members can sign up to volunteer by calling the shelter, visiting the shelter in person or applying through its website.

People who can’t volunteer their time can offer donations to the shelter through its website as well.

Candy Udell, president of London Jewelers, has been involved in animal rescue work for upwards of 20 years. She said that she and her business have been supportive of the Glen Cove Animal Shelter and that she would love for the community to get more involved as well.

“They need community involvement and not to be forgotten,” Udell said. “They’re a very important part of the community and they need the community to support them. I would love to see the shelter overflooded with volunteers, donations, food, people coming to pay attention to it and realizing that this is a part of the community that they live in – to love it and not forget it.”

Udell’s mother was an animal lover, and in the wake of her passing, Udell said she decided she wanted to pursue animal advocacy to honor her. Udell has since rescued over 10,000 dogs internationally through her organization Rescue Paw Foundation.

The community can also take their love of animals and make an impact like Udell has done on a local scale.

“There’s a whole community of animal lovers out there in Glen Cove,” Udell said. “There are so many people that love animals that need to come and spend an hour, two hours a week of their time to give attention to these animals so we can help promote them to get homes.”

Udell said that people can learn valuable life lessons through working with animals, an added benefit of volunteering at the shelter.

“Animals teach people kindness and they teach them compassion,” Udell said. “They teach you responsibility and they teach you loyalty and love. There’s so much to learn from all of these animals.”

Both Norcia and Udell said that they hope the shelter becomes more well-known in the community and garners the support that it needs.

“The only way we can help the animals is by getting the community involved and for the community to have some interest in what goes on in their town,” Udell said.