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Clifford Beauchard Remembered As Beloved, Hardworking Protector Of Dogs
By Tina Traster
A Rockland man who devoted his life to animals, including an intense stint at Hi Tor Animal Shelter in Pomona in 2023, was executed at another upstate dog boarding and training facility doing what he loved the most.
Clifford Beauchard, age 34, and Justin Acevedo, age 19, both of Catskill were at the Specter K-9 boarding and training facility in Catskill when they were executed by a fellow worker, Connor Provo, 22, also of Catskill, according to what the assailant told the police before taking his own life.
As news spread, the Hi Tor family, which remains knitted together through their mission to care for animals even though they were tossed out and displaced from the shelter they ran for 60 years, is reacting with deep shock and grief as they try to absorb the profound tragedy of a young man in his prime being gunned down while caring for animals.
“Cliff was a God-loving, animal loving soul,” said Kim Von Hein, Hi Tor’s Board President. “When he lost his job at the shelter, he was one of the last people to come to the other side of the gate. He was crying, saying ‘I can’t leave the animals.’ He circled around to make one more check and then left, but he was destroyed.”
Beauchard later returned to the shelter for a couple of months but was disillusioned over how it was being run. He relocated to Catskill in Greene County and took a job at Specter K-9, which was in the process of relocating from Germantown. Beauchard, a dog trainer, was not a stranger to Specter K-9 because Hi Tor sent difficult dogs there to be trained, boarded and adopted. Beauchard was found alongside Acevedo, the son of the facility owner, Wanderson (Jerry) Acevedo.
“He was very quiet, calm, and focused on animals,” said Rick Tannenbaum, Hi Tor’s former executive director. “He was a hard worker. Everybody liked him. He handled the difficult dogs with finesse. He was no nonsense, no drama.”
The double murder speaks to both the prevalence of gun violence in the United States, as well as volatile environments that can foment in animal shelters and rescues. Many in the animal rescue world work for little pay, no benefits, and minimal protection. They do this kind of work because it is a life passion, a calling, a sacrifice. Too frequently, shelter workers cross swords over how animals are treated, or how they are treated.
Von Hein said Beauchard remained “one of ours,” and is devastated he’s had no family to claim his body yet. She said she and other board members are working to locate his body so they can give him a dignified burial. While he was transitioning from Rockland County to Catskill, Hi Tor board members, former staff, and volunteers helped him settle in and offered financial support.
“Cliff had a heart of gold,” said Jennara Cobb, the former Hi Tor Canine Manager. “I’ve never seen anybody care so much about dogs. He helped so many people as dog trainer. He was loved by everyone who knew him.”
In 2022, Hi Tor Animal Shelter reluctantly entered into a contract with Rockland Green (Rockland County Solid Waste Authority) to run the shelter the nonprofit had managed for 60 years. The fraught arrangement pitted the Hi Tor board against Rockland Green, run by Howard Phillips, because the shelter believed it had signed on to be a vendor, but Rockland Green aimed to assert complete authority. The relationship ended badly with Rockland Green locking out Hi Tor employees in Sept. 2023, putting a slew of people out of work, and ending a Rockland County legacy in animal care. The hostilities led to two years of litigation at taxpayer cost, while Rockland Green continues to build an $18 million animal shelter on Ecology Road in the Village of West Haverstraw.
Although it was “homeless,” Hi Tor continued its work, assisting fosters with the costs of food and medical expenses. Now, Hi Tor is planning to kick into higher gear with the help of the $50,000 it was awarded in a legal settlement with Rockland Green, as well as with recent large donations. The organization also has significant monies in the Rockland Community Foundation, which is earmarked for a rebuild.
The tragic shooting at the canine training facility took place on Dec. 12 at approximately 12:18 p.m., according to a police report. The preliminary investigation revealed that Provo, who had been recently hired, contacted Greene County 911 and reported that he had killed his friends. Upon arrival at the property, the report said, State Police assisted by the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, entered a trailer located on the property, and found Provo deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“Troopers and deputies continued their search of the property and entered a double-wide building, where they located two adult male victims deceased from apparent gunshot wounds. The victims were later identified as Clifford Beauchard, age 34, and Justin Acevedo, age 19, both of Catskill,” the report said.
The incident is being investigated as a murder suicide, and it’s believed that Provo shot the other two victims before taking his own life. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the New York State Police Catskill Barracks at (845) 344-5300.
