NO KILL NEW YORK
Holiday Project: 12 Days of Christmas 2010



Day 3 - Don't Leave NYC Animals Out in the Cold

For this our third day of Christmas, we turn our attention to the governmental organization that is ultimately responsible for the NYC Animal Care and Control (ACC), the New York City Council, which controls the Department of Health (DoH). It is the DoH that funds and controls the NYC ACC.

At the last ACC Board of Director's meeting on September 28, 2010, massive budget cuts were announced due to a shortfall in funding from the DoH. As a consequence, the report of the Executive Director, Julie Bank, focused primarily on how ACC was going to concentrate on making up for the deficit. As a matter of fact, most of her presentation to the Board had to do with creative ideas to raise more money. A detailed plan was presented for resource development.

Meanwhile, what was lacking was any kind of meaningful plan to improve services, get control of the rampant disease at the shelters or deal with what Ms. Banks refers to as ACC's "pit bull problem". During Ms. Bank's brief tenure as Director of ACC, the shelter has run out of food on multiple occasions in all three shelters, had to rely on a benefactor to replace a broken washing machine in Staten Island and run out of pain medication and other medicine. Animals are living in squalor and a recent ABC Investigative Report showed horrendous conditions at the shelter. Meanwhile, after spending months developing a volunteer program, there are so few volunteers at the shelter, that some dogs are not being walked for 2 - 3 days. Something is terribly wrong at ACC.


What: NYC City Council Health Committee Meeting
When: Friday, December 17, 2010 @ 10:00 am
Where: 250 Broadway, Committee Room - 14th Floor

On Friday, December 17, 2010 at 10:00 am, the City Council's Health Committee is meeting to take up the proposal to increase the DoH licensing fees for unspayed and unneutered dogs. Also, to be discussed is a tethering ordinance that would forbid owners from restraining/chaining their dogs outdoors for more than 3 hours. We wonder why they are focused on issues like these when the ACC shelters are in crisis?

No Kill New York believes that the City Council Health Committee's time would be better spent trying to find out why the city's shelters are in crisis. Today and on Friday you will have an opportunity to let them know how you feel.

TODAY'S ACTION

If you live in New York City and can attend the meeting, you should have an opportunity to speak up for the animals in person. If you wish to make a statement at the hearing, you must bring 20 copies (double sided) of your proposed statement,

The following link will take you to a page where you can see the details about the meeting including the two items on the agenda.

Health Committee Meeting - December 17, 2010

If you cannot attend the meeting, but would like to address the Council Members of the Health Committee, go to the following link:

City Council Health Committee Members
(note: by clicking on each name you will be taken to the Council Member's web page. There you will find contact information.

SUGGESTED TALKING POINTS

Ask the Committee to Endorse the No Kill Declaration
Ask why we do not have shelters in every borough as required by law
Ask why the ACC shelters are running out of food
Ask why animals that have medical needs aren't being attended to
Ask why the ACC Volunteer Program is not working
Ask why ACC is no longer answering their phones
Ask why ACC is no longer helping New Yorkers find their lost animals
Ask why ACC doesn't have an aggressive adoption event schedule
Ask why ACC does not allow all bonafide rescues

NO KILL NEW YORK MISSION STATEMENT

No Kill New York is a coalition of individuals and groups dedicated to ending the abuse, the exploitation and the killing of animals. It is our primary mission to end the killing of animals in the NY Shelter System. We believe that animals have the inherent right to live, and to be treated with respect and dignity. No animal should be killed for any reason other than for dire and untreatable medical conditions. No animal should be treated as a disposable object.