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| Shelter Reform Action Committee (SRAC) ShelterReform.org: Everything you ever wanted to know about the AC&C, but were afraid to ask. |
| AN OPEN LETTER TO ANIMAL CARE & CONTROL AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH REGARDING REDUCTION OF KEY SHELTER SERVICES December 21, 2010 In early November 2010, the AC&C announced further reductions to staff and services by the DOH budget cuts. The services affected were:
All 3 were “mandatory” services covered by the AC&C’s contract with the DOH. These are basic services that a shelter is naturally expected to perform. But under the new realities caused by the DOH’s cruel cuts to the AC&C’s budget, these services were jettisoned, despite their vital importance to running a major shelter system. To eliminate or reduce these services could only have been accomplished at the direction of the DOH, as the DOH dictates the service contract. Shelter Reform has previously written about the implications of the elimination of the Lost & Found reporting system. This letter addresses the ramifications of the Field Operations reductions: (a) fewer ACOs; (b) reduced days and hours (only 5 days a week and only from 9 to 5), and (c) ACOs will no longer pick up stray or abandoned cats. It’s the third change (the cats) that has had the most dramatic effect. Historically, cats (most of them strays) make up around almost 70% of the AC&C’s shelter population. Relatively few of them are “feral” cats (unsocialized animals born on the streets and living in cat colonies). Rather, the overwhelming numbers of stray cats arriving at the AC&C were once household pets. Most of these strays aren’t equipped to survive long on the streets. They’ll either freeze or starve to death, be hit by cars, be captured for use as “bait” in dog- fighting rings, or be tortured by people who relish inflicting pain. (Even though Field Ops will continue to pick up stray dogs, these dogs will have it only slightly better. A substantial percentage of them will remain on the streets, risking death and pain. That is because the ACOs days and hours have been cut dramatically.) We appreciate that, with the increasing budget cuts imposed by the DOH, the AC&C is constantly facing impossible choices: which services to reduce or eliminate, and which employees to lay off. However, we question the wisdom and legitimacy of abdicating one of the basic responsibilities of any animal shelter -- rescuing companion animals from the streets. Aside from the inhumanity of this decision, we are also concerned by the potential undeserved “political” gain for the DOH. Shortly after Field Operations were reduced, volunteers and rescue groups began to report that – for the first time in the AC&C’s history – there are many times when lots of cat cages are unoccupied. It’s logical to conclude that, if the AC&C stops bringing in thousands of stray cats every year (as well as fewer stray dogs), the AC&C is guaranteed to have more cage space. For years the DOH (and Mayor Bloomberg) have refused to create mandated animal shelters in the Bronx and Queens. We are concerned they will now point to the reduced intake numbers and claim that additional shelters aren’t needed anymore. The AC&C has suddenly solved its “space” problem. Of course, the reality is that the space problem is solved by leaving thousands of homeless animals to die on the streets. Moreover, by having fewer animals in the shelters, the AC&C can keep reducing its employee numbers, thereby reducing its budget. It’s a win-win for the DOH, but a disaster for homeless animals. Cutting Field Operations contradicts the AC&C’s new motto: “Committed to Caring.” Quoting the AC&C's Executive Director: “Your actions can make a huge difference,” except the difference here is that the DOH has forced the AC&C to take a decidedly inhumane action. We urge the DOH to allow the AC&C to reverse these cuts. Of course, that would mean that the DOH must reverse its budget cuts to the AC&C. If the DOH will not provide proper funding for the AC&C system, then political action must be taken to remove DOH from the equation. We cannot solve the AC&C’s overcrowding problem by leaving animals to die in the streets. |
