| . |
| Shelter Reform Action Committee (SRAC) ShelterReform.org: Everything you ever wanted to know about the AC&C, but were afraid to ask. |
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has a startling record of insensitivity, indifference, and often outright hostile to issues involving our City’s animals. She is busy preparing to run for Mayor in 2012. Here’s our letter to Speaker Quinn, in response to a recent e-mail she sent to members of the animal advocacy movement who have contacted her. For your ease of reference, in this copy of our letter to Speaker Quinn, we have inserted links to background materials. Add your own voice on behalf of AC&C animals, by writing to Speaker Quinn: speakerquinn@council.nyc.ny.us |
SHELTER REFORM ACTION COMMITTEE
www.shelterreform.org
info@shelterreform.org
March 19, 2011
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn
Via e-mail: speakerquinn@council.nyc.ny.us
Re: Getting Serious About Care of NYC's Homeless Companion Animals
Dear Speaker Quinn,
We were surprised by your January 26, 2011 e-mail (below) entitled “Big Wins for Animals & the
Animal Rights Community.” You suggest that you were somehow personally responsible for passing
the two new laws affecting our City’s dogs (increased surcharge for dog licenses, and an anti-
tethering law).
You have a well-deserved record of being openly hostile or indifferent to our City’s animals, so we find
your letter to be particularly puzzling. Here are highlights of your political career vis-à-vis our City’s
animals:
You represent Chelsea, a district filled with voters who love and care for their pets. They are serious
about animal care issues. Your 2009 re-election was rather close. We believe this was due in large
measure to groups getting the word out to your constituents about your record on animal rights.
The 2012 election should prove equally interesting, when you will make your bid to succeed Mayor
Bloomberg. If you want to be serious about helping our City’s animals, we can offer several concrete
steps you should take. We’d be happy to discuss them with you. Otherwise, we’ll be back in touch
during the 2012 election.
Sincerely,
Shelter Reform Action Committee
www.shelterreform.org
The following is a copy of the email Ms. Quinn had sent
----- Original Message -----
From: speakerquinn@council.nyc.ny.us
Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2011 1:37 PM
Subject: Big Wins for Animals & the Animal Rights Community
January 26, 2011
Dear New Yorker,
We wanted to share some very exciting and encouraging news.
This past week, the NYC Council passed two animal protection bills to help curb abuse and neglect
and reduce the number of animals in city shelters.
Eliminating Animal Cruelty
Tethering an animal for a long period of time is not only cruel and unusual, but it's also illegal now
thanks to our new anti-tethering law (Intro. 425).
Specifically, our new law prohibits anyone from chaining or otherwise tethering an animal outside for
more than three straight hours during a twelve-hour period.
It also includes a number of other important protections, including a ban on the use of tethers that are
too heavy and that can become entangled, and a requirement that tethered animals have access to
food, shelter and water. (For more detailed information on Intro. 425, click here.)
To help ensure maximum enforcement, the following groups will be empowered to enforce the law:
We'd like to thank everyone, especially all of the animal rights advocates and groups, who worked so
hard to help us craft this important piece of legislation.
With the passage of this bill (which we expect Mayor Bloomberg to sign into law shortly), New York
joins 20 other states in enacting common-sense restrictions on animal tethering.
Encouraging Spaying & Neutering
Having a pet is a lot of fun, but it's also a big responsibility. And part of that responsibility is making
sure that your pet is spayed or neutered.
Under our new spaying and neutering law (Intro. 328), the fee for licensing dogs that aren't spayed or
neutered will rise from $11.50 to $34.00.
The additional $25.50 per license will be used to help support animal population control programs
around the city. The money will also be used to provide pet owner education, free and low-cost
neutering, and other important veterinarian services to New Yorkers and their pets.
Again, we'd like to thank everyone who fought so hard to help get this important protection passed.
Raising the licensing fee for unaltered dogs will not only encourage more people to spay and neuter
their pets, but it will also help reduce the number of homeless and abandoned animals in city
shelters. This is a good step forward for our city, and we look forward to celebrating the Mayor's
signing of this bill into law.
Looking Ahead
As happy as we are about the passage of these bills, we realize we still have more work to do. Many
other important concerns about the welfare and safety of animals in our city have been raised, and we
look forward to continuing to work with you and other advocates to help address these issues and
make New York a more humane and pet-friendly city.
Sincerely,
Christine C. Quinn
Speaker
NYC Council
Marie del Carmen Arroyo
Chair, Health Committee
NYC Council
Jessica S. Lappin
Council Member & Lead Sponsor of Intro. 328
NYC Council
Peter Vallone, Jr.
Council Member & Lead Sponsor of Intro. 428
NYC Council
www.shelterreform.org
info@shelterreform.org
March 19, 2011
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn
Via e-mail: speakerquinn@council.nyc.ny.us
Re: Getting Serious About Care of NYC's Homeless Companion Animals
Dear Speaker Quinn,
We were surprised by your January 26, 2011 e-mail (below) entitled “Big Wins for Animals & the
Animal Rights Community.” You suggest that you were somehow personally responsible for passing
the two new laws affecting our City’s dogs (increased surcharge for dog licenses, and an anti-
tethering law).
You have a well-deserved record of being openly hostile or indifferent to our City’s animals, so we find
your letter to be particularly puzzling. Here are highlights of your political career vis-à-vis our City’s
animals:
 | In 2002, when you still headed the Council’s Health Committee, as a favor to Mayor Bloomberg | |
| you quietly pushed through an amendment of the “Shelters and Sterilization Law.” The amendment gave the Department of Health (DOH) 4 additional years (until 2006) to create full- service animal shelters in the Bronx and Queens. When the 2006 deadline came -- and went -- without the new shelters, you never complained or insisted on an investigation. [Read More ] To this day, the DOH refuses to build those shelters. | ||
|
 | Also when you still headed the Health Committee, you never questioned or investigated the | |
| DOH’s inadequate funding of the Animal Care & Control (AC&C), | ||
| ||
| Since you were elected Speaker in 2006, people have requested that you open an investigation | |
| of the AC&C’s funding and conditions in the shelters. You have done nothing. | ||
| ||
| Also as Council Speaker, you derailed a bill to enforce a long-standing State law requiring the | |
| teaching of humane education in our public schools. (Proper care of animals, including spay/neuter, are the hallmarks of humane education.) It was reported that you had no principled opposition to the bill. You simply disliked its sponsor, Tony Avella. [Read Issue No. 8 at this link] | ||
| ||
| Finally, your longtime hostility to protecting our City’s carriage horses is well-known. [Read | |
| more by clicking here.] |
You represent Chelsea, a district filled with voters who love and care for their pets. They are serious
about animal care issues. Your 2009 re-election was rather close. We believe this was due in large
measure to groups getting the word out to your constituents about your record on animal rights.
The 2012 election should prove equally interesting, when you will make your bid to succeed Mayor
Bloomberg. If you want to be serious about helping our City’s animals, we can offer several concrete
steps you should take. We’d be happy to discuss them with you. Otherwise, we’ll be back in touch
during the 2012 election.
Sincerely,
Shelter Reform Action Committee
www.shelterreform.org
The following is a copy of the email Ms. Quinn had sent
----- Original Message -----
From: speakerquinn@council.nyc.ny.us
Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2011 1:37 PM
Subject: Big Wins for Animals & the Animal Rights Community
January 26, 2011
Dear New Yorker,
We wanted to share some very exciting and encouraging news.
This past week, the NYC Council passed two animal protection bills to help curb abuse and neglect
and reduce the number of animals in city shelters.
Eliminating Animal Cruelty
Tethering an animal for a long period of time is not only cruel and unusual, but it's also illegal now
thanks to our new anti-tethering law (Intro. 425).
Specifically, our new law prohibits anyone from chaining or otherwise tethering an animal outside for
more than three straight hours during a twelve-hour period.
It also includes a number of other important protections, including a ban on the use of tethers that are
too heavy and that can become entangled, and a requirement that tethered animals have access to
food, shelter and water. (For more detailed information on Intro. 425, click here.)
To help ensure maximum enforcement, the following groups will be empowered to enforce the law:
- · authorized officers;
- · veterinarians and employees of the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
(DOHMH);
- · agents of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; and
- · any other person designated by the DOHMH Commissioner.
We'd like to thank everyone, especially all of the animal rights advocates and groups, who worked so
hard to help us craft this important piece of legislation.
With the passage of this bill (which we expect Mayor Bloomberg to sign into law shortly), New York
joins 20 other states in enacting common-sense restrictions on animal tethering.
Encouraging Spaying & Neutering
Having a pet is a lot of fun, but it's also a big responsibility. And part of that responsibility is making
sure that your pet is spayed or neutered.
Under our new spaying and neutering law (Intro. 328), the fee for licensing dogs that aren't spayed or
neutered will rise from $11.50 to $34.00.
The additional $25.50 per license will be used to help support animal population control programs
around the city. The money will also be used to provide pet owner education, free and low-cost
neutering, and other important veterinarian services to New Yorkers and their pets.
Again, we'd like to thank everyone who fought so hard to help get this important protection passed.
Raising the licensing fee for unaltered dogs will not only encourage more people to spay and neuter
their pets, but it will also help reduce the number of homeless and abandoned animals in city
shelters. This is a good step forward for our city, and we look forward to celebrating the Mayor's
signing of this bill into law.
Looking Ahead
As happy as we are about the passage of these bills, we realize we still have more work to do. Many
other important concerns about the welfare and safety of animals in our city have been raised, and we
look forward to continuing to work with you and other advocates to help address these issues and
make New York a more humane and pet-friendly city.
Sincerely,
Christine C. Quinn
Speaker
NYC Council
Marie del Carmen Arroyo
Chair, Health Committee
NYC Council
Jessica S. Lappin
Council Member & Lead Sponsor of Intro. 328
NYC Council
Peter Vallone, Jr.
Council Member & Lead Sponsor of Intro. 428
NYC Council
