| Shelter Reform Action Committee (SRAC) ShelterReform.org: Everything you ever wanted to know about the AC&C, but were afraid to ask. |
ARTICLES ABOUT JULIAN PRAGER
Prager rewrites his history at AC&C, effectively claiming responsibility for establishment and
success of the Mayor’s Alliance. In fact, it was Jane Hoffman and her colleagues who
conceived the idea of the Mayor’s Alliance, and received Mayor Bloomberg’s and the DOH’s
approval as it was a cost-free proposition for them and the AC&C.
Julian Prager, NAIA’s Legal Analyst and Legislative Coordinator, has helped us in countless
ways during his service, acting as an advisor on numerous legal and legislative issues,
analyzing legislation, drafting amendments when necessary, helping draft model legislation
and speaking at conferences. In addition to his valuable role at NAIA, Julian is a Bulldog
breeder and exhibitor, Counselor for the Bulldog Club of America and an AKC judge who is
licensed as an attorney in NY. Julian serves as the Legislative Chairman for the Pennsylvania
Federation of Dog Clubs where his leadership was a key ingredient in gaining reasonable
changes in the Pennsylvania Dog Law. In his professional career he held several
Commissioner-level positions in NYC government and was the General Counsel and Executive
Director of New York City Animal Care and Control, where he negotiated an agreement with
the Mayor's Alliance for NYC Animals to reduce euthanasia rates and increase placement
rates by the City. In its fourth year as a Maddie's Fund project, this effort has increased
adoptions by 96% and reduced total deaths by 49% from the base year. He is currently a
public member of the PA Governor's Dog Law Advisory Board and has been a panel member
at the Animal Law Conference of the PA Bar Institute. Julian's unique background makes him a
tremendous asset to NAIA where he offers advice on a range of very complex and specialized
issues.
-------------------
In fact, Prager’s reign at the AC&C is marked by continuing deterioration of the AC&C. His only
positive “achievement” was signing an agreement with the Mayor’s Alliance in 2002 allowing
the Mayor’s Alliance to try to dig the AC&C out of the hole it had created. It was Jane Hoffman
who conceived of the Mayor’s Alliance, gathered rescuers, and secured funding by the Maddie’
s Fund.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 5, 2003
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Animal Care Community Sign Memorandum of
Understanding to Increase Pet Adoptions
January 5, 2003
PR-003-03
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) between the Mayor's Alliance for New York City's Animals and a complimentary
memorandum between the Center for Animal Care and Control (CACC) and Mayor's Alliance.
The MOU facilitates a Citywide adoption network to reduce the demand for animal control
services. The Mayor's Alliance was created in 2002 to establish a public-private partnership
with the City to develop creative approaches to issues concerning companion animal care and
control in the City and to raise public awareness of these issues by bringing together not-for-
profit animal care organizations to find homes for adoptable animals and promote the
spaying/neutering of such animals.
"The partnership forged today is a win-win for New York City," said Mayor Bloomberg. "It will
enhance the level of care at our animal shelters and increase animal adoption for needy pets
and host families."
"We are delighted that Mayor Bloomberg's administration, in signing this memorandum of
understanding with the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals, has demonstrated such a strong
commitment to developing creative solutions to the heartbreaking problems caused by cat and
dog overpopulation," said Jane Hoffman, President of the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals,
Inc. "As a result of this historic agreement, New York City's public spaces will soon be a
showcase for all the wonderful little four footed New Yorkers who want nothing more than the
opportunity to be someone's new best friend. Even for dogs and cats, New York is going to be
the greatest City in the world"
"We look forward to working with the Alliance to find homes for all adoptable animals in our
system," said Julian Prager, CACC's Executive Director. "Finding homes for all adoptable
animals in our shelters will be a reachable goal with the cooperation of the Alliance and its
participating groups," said CACC's Executive Director Julian Prager.
The City's MOU engages the Departments of Health and Mental Hygiene, Parks, Citywide
Administrative Services, and Transportation to act in a coordinated manner to provide sites,
primarily at City parks, for regular Alliance and CACC adoption events in the five boroughs.
Once consistent locations are established, adoption events will happen regularly, increasing
animal adoptions throughout the City. Historically, CACC sites are not situated for frequent
encounters with the public; the MOU organizes the appropriate City agencies to work with the
Alliance to increase animal adoption. The companion MOU between the Alliance and CACC
establishes principles of cooperation between the care community and the CACC to improve
City Animal shelters and the care that they provide.
_______________________________________________
As a professional bulldog breeder, Draper has gone on to oppose legislation aimed
at Pennsylvania’s notorious puppy mills, where Draper currently resides.
The Philadelphia Inquirer
March 7, 2007 Wednesday
Dog-law plan raises hackles
Amy Worden, Inquirer Staff Writer
PHILADELPHIA; Pg. B05
Animal-welfare advocates and dog breeders clashed yesterday at a legislative hearing on
regulatory proposals aimed at cracking down on inhumane conditions in large commercial
kennels.
Breeder-group representatives and some lawmakers argued that additions to the state's dog
law proposed by the Rendell administration were arbitrary and would impose costly burdens on
the state's 2,400 licensed kennels.
But an ASPCA attorney testified that current standards, which allow breeding dogs to spend
their lives jammed in tiny cages with no exercise, were inhumane and must be changed.
The proposed regulations "are vital if Pennsylvania is to improve conditions for dogs kept in
commercial kennels and end the state's reputation as the 'puppy mill capital of the East,' " Cori
A. Menkin of the animal-welfare group told the House Agriculture Committee and about 100
spectators, many of them Amish and Mennonite.
Angered over poor treatment in kennels that has gone unchecked for decades, Gov. Rendell
fired the state dog law advisory board last spring and hired more staff. He announced the
proposed regulations in the fall.
The growing number of commercial kennels, primarily in Lancaster County, produce purebred
and "designer" mix-breed puppies that are sold to pet stores in the Northeast and through the
Internet or classified ads.
In the worst cases, puppies with infectious diseases and genetic problems that can be costly to
treat, or even fatal, are sold to unwitting consumers.
Among the most controversial proposals are ones that would double cage sizes and require
operators to exercise dogs for 20 minutes each day.
Jessie Smith, deputy secretary of the Bureau of Dog Law, said the changes would prevent
undesirable behavior, such as spinning in circles, that occurs when a dog spends all of its time
in a small enclosure. Other proposals would require more record keeping and stricter
cleanliness standards.
Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Hanna (D., Clinton) said in a statement that he favored
the changes. But some members called them "overkill" and "politically motivated."
"Some animal-rights activists don't believe in dog ownership," said Rep. Gordon Denlinger (R.,
Lancaster). "We need a middle-ground approach."
Smith said it was not the department's intent to harm small breeders who raise a few litters of
puppies by their bedside each year. In an interview earlier this week, she said she was willing
to seek compromises to assuage their concerns.
Julian Prager, legislative chairman of the Pennsylvania Federation of Dog Clubs, said the
regulations requiring kennel modifications would have "significant cost implications" that would
lead to higher boarding fees and costlier puppies.
But Bill Smith, founder of Main Line Animal Rescue in Chester Springs, who attended the
hearing but did not testify, said he saves 100 dogs each year from Lancaster County puppy
mills that arrive with mange, eye ulcers, and badly splayed feet from living in cages with wire
mesh bottoms.
Rescuing the victims of puppy mills is also costly, Bill Smith said, and requires extensive
behavioral therapy for them to be adopted.
The public comment period on the proposals ends March 16. Before becoming official, the
rules changes must still go through a review process that could last 18 months or more.
Contact staff writer Amy Worden at 717-783-2584 or aworden@phillynews.com.
Prager rewrites his history at AC&C, effectively claiming responsibility for establishment and
success of the Mayor’s Alliance. In fact, it was Jane Hoffman and her colleagues who
conceived the idea of the Mayor’s Alliance, and received Mayor Bloomberg’s and the DOH’s
approval as it was a cost-free proposition for them and the AC&C.
Julian Prager, NAIA’s Legal Analyst and Legislative Coordinator, has helped us in countless
ways during his service, acting as an advisor on numerous legal and legislative issues,
analyzing legislation, drafting amendments when necessary, helping draft model legislation
and speaking at conferences. In addition to his valuable role at NAIA, Julian is a Bulldog
breeder and exhibitor, Counselor for the Bulldog Club of America and an AKC judge who is
licensed as an attorney in NY. Julian serves as the Legislative Chairman for the Pennsylvania
Federation of Dog Clubs where his leadership was a key ingredient in gaining reasonable
changes in the Pennsylvania Dog Law. In his professional career he held several
Commissioner-level positions in NYC government and was the General Counsel and Executive
Director of New York City Animal Care and Control, where he negotiated an agreement with
the Mayor's Alliance for NYC Animals to reduce euthanasia rates and increase placement
rates by the City. In its fourth year as a Maddie's Fund project, this effort has increased
adoptions by 96% and reduced total deaths by 49% from the base year. He is currently a
public member of the PA Governor's Dog Law Advisory Board and has been a panel member
at the Animal Law Conference of the PA Bar Institute. Julian's unique background makes him a
tremendous asset to NAIA where he offers advice on a range of very complex and specialized
issues.
-------------------
In fact, Prager’s reign at the AC&C is marked by continuing deterioration of the AC&C. His only
positive “achievement” was signing an agreement with the Mayor’s Alliance in 2002 allowing
the Mayor’s Alliance to try to dig the AC&C out of the hole it had created. It was Jane Hoffman
who conceived of the Mayor’s Alliance, gathered rescuers, and secured funding by the Maddie’
s Fund.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 5, 2003
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Animal Care Community Sign Memorandum of
Understanding to Increase Pet Adoptions
January 5, 2003
PR-003-03
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) between the Mayor's Alliance for New York City's Animals and a complimentary
memorandum between the Center for Animal Care and Control (CACC) and Mayor's Alliance.
The MOU facilitates a Citywide adoption network to reduce the demand for animal control
services. The Mayor's Alliance was created in 2002 to establish a public-private partnership
with the City to develop creative approaches to issues concerning companion animal care and
control in the City and to raise public awareness of these issues by bringing together not-for-
profit animal care organizations to find homes for adoptable animals and promote the
spaying/neutering of such animals.
"The partnership forged today is a win-win for New York City," said Mayor Bloomberg. "It will
enhance the level of care at our animal shelters and increase animal adoption for needy pets
and host families."
"We are delighted that Mayor Bloomberg's administration, in signing this memorandum of
understanding with the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals, has demonstrated such a strong
commitment to developing creative solutions to the heartbreaking problems caused by cat and
dog overpopulation," said Jane Hoffman, President of the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals,
Inc. "As a result of this historic agreement, New York City's public spaces will soon be a
showcase for all the wonderful little four footed New Yorkers who want nothing more than the
opportunity to be someone's new best friend. Even for dogs and cats, New York is going to be
the greatest City in the world"
"We look forward to working with the Alliance to find homes for all adoptable animals in our
system," said Julian Prager, CACC's Executive Director. "Finding homes for all adoptable
animals in our shelters will be a reachable goal with the cooperation of the Alliance and its
participating groups," said CACC's Executive Director Julian Prager.
The City's MOU engages the Departments of Health and Mental Hygiene, Parks, Citywide
Administrative Services, and Transportation to act in a coordinated manner to provide sites,
primarily at City parks, for regular Alliance and CACC adoption events in the five boroughs.
Once consistent locations are established, adoption events will happen regularly, increasing
animal adoptions throughout the City. Historically, CACC sites are not situated for frequent
encounters with the public; the MOU organizes the appropriate City agencies to work with the
Alliance to increase animal adoption. The companion MOU between the Alliance and CACC
establishes principles of cooperation between the care community and the CACC to improve
City Animal shelters and the care that they provide.
_______________________________________________
As a professional bulldog breeder, Draper has gone on to oppose legislation aimed
at Pennsylvania’s notorious puppy mills, where Draper currently resides.
The Philadelphia Inquirer
March 7, 2007 Wednesday
Dog-law plan raises hackles
Amy Worden, Inquirer Staff Writer
PHILADELPHIA; Pg. B05
Animal-welfare advocates and dog breeders clashed yesterday at a legislative hearing on
regulatory proposals aimed at cracking down on inhumane conditions in large commercial
kennels.
Breeder-group representatives and some lawmakers argued that additions to the state's dog
law proposed by the Rendell administration were arbitrary and would impose costly burdens on
the state's 2,400 licensed kennels.
But an ASPCA attorney testified that current standards, which allow breeding dogs to spend
their lives jammed in tiny cages with no exercise, were inhumane and must be changed.
The proposed regulations "are vital if Pennsylvania is to improve conditions for dogs kept in
commercial kennels and end the state's reputation as the 'puppy mill capital of the East,' " Cori
A. Menkin of the animal-welfare group told the House Agriculture Committee and about 100
spectators, many of them Amish and Mennonite.
Angered over poor treatment in kennels that has gone unchecked for decades, Gov. Rendell
fired the state dog law advisory board last spring and hired more staff. He announced the
proposed regulations in the fall.
The growing number of commercial kennels, primarily in Lancaster County, produce purebred
and "designer" mix-breed puppies that are sold to pet stores in the Northeast and through the
Internet or classified ads.
In the worst cases, puppies with infectious diseases and genetic problems that can be costly to
treat, or even fatal, are sold to unwitting consumers.
Among the most controversial proposals are ones that would double cage sizes and require
operators to exercise dogs for 20 minutes each day.
Jessie Smith, deputy secretary of the Bureau of Dog Law, said the changes would prevent
undesirable behavior, such as spinning in circles, that occurs when a dog spends all of its time
in a small enclosure. Other proposals would require more record keeping and stricter
cleanliness standards.
Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Hanna (D., Clinton) said in a statement that he favored
the changes. But some members called them "overkill" and "politically motivated."
"Some animal-rights activists don't believe in dog ownership," said Rep. Gordon Denlinger (R.,
Lancaster). "We need a middle-ground approach."
Smith said it was not the department's intent to harm small breeders who raise a few litters of
puppies by their bedside each year. In an interview earlier this week, she said she was willing
to seek compromises to assuage their concerns.
Julian Prager, legislative chairman of the Pennsylvania Federation of Dog Clubs, said the
regulations requiring kennel modifications would have "significant cost implications" that would
lead to higher boarding fees and costlier puppies.
But Bill Smith, founder of Main Line Animal Rescue in Chester Springs, who attended the
hearing but did not testify, said he saves 100 dogs each year from Lancaster County puppy
mills that arrive with mange, eye ulcers, and badly splayed feet from living in cages with wire
mesh bottoms.
Rescuing the victims of puppy mills is also costly, Bill Smith said, and requires extensive
behavioral therapy for them to be adopted.
The public comment period on the proposals ends March 16. Before becoming official, the
rules changes must still go through a review process that could last 18 months or more.
Contact staff writer Amy Worden at 717-783-2584 or aworden@phillynews.com.
