Shelter Reform successfully fought to open New York City's Animal Care and Control Board
meetings to the public. This was an important step towards exposing the Department of Health’s
stranglehold over ACC.  The DOH’s disinterest in animal care issues has ensured suffering and
death of ACC animals.

But the value of these open meetings is greatly diminished when misused by public attendees.
Below is a comment from our facebook page, made by an animal rescuer regarding the June 21,
2011 ACC board meeting where walkouts, interruptions, and insults hurled by the public were
frequent and intense:






We'd like to expand on this: it’s obvious that nothing public members say to the ACC
Board, politely or impolitely, is going to transform these 7 men into animal advocates.

It must be excruciating for the board (all chosen directly or indirectly by Mayor Bloomberg) to sit
through the public speakers’ portion of ACC meetings. Some board members are courteous
enough to make occasional eye contact with speakers, but most shuffle their papers or simply look
away. Old-timer John O’Connor (a blood sport hunter and self-professed “friend” of Bloomberg)
found a more productive way to tune out: he was caught on video texting while members of the
public spoke.

Though ACC Directors clearly don’t care much about ACC animals, rude and emotional
outbursts from the audience enforce the stereotype that animal activists are irrational and
disorganized, and not  to be taken seriously.

If animal advocates behave discourteously, we’ll squander invaluable opportunities to persuade the
greater public that the ACC needs to be overhauled from the Board of Directors on down. This goal
must take priority over a need to vent. In the age of cellphone videos and Youtube -- animal
advocates are speaking to a much larger audience, far beyond the confines of the DOH’s small
conference room.

The ACC Board of Directors isn’t our primary audience: NYC citizens, taxpayers, voters
and elected politicians are.  More than ever, we must present ourselves as informed,
rational constituents. So, please, we ask those who care enough to attend ACC Board
meetings: no more storming out, catcalls, outbursts, loud mutterings, personal insults, or
angry rants. Not at the Board meetings, not on Facebook, and not in any other public
forum.

Let’s be calm, logical, and firm. Come armed with facts, and behave in a manner that is both
persuasive and smart (and smartly funny is effective, too).

BEING ACC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SHOULDN’T MAKE ONE A PIŇATA.

Many of the more “passionate” among us are far too eager to launch personal attacks against ACC
management, particularly the ACC Executive Director (ED). In its 16 years of existence, the DOH
has chewed up and spit out 9 Executive Directors. No ED has ever had a chance in hell of properly
managing the ACC, even if he/she actually wanted to. It’s a wonder anyone would even accept the
position of ED position because it’s a no-win situation, as every ED is stuck between two fiercely
opposite forces:















While very much at odds with the current ED, we had to admire Ms. Bank’s steely refusal to be
flustered by interruptions and insults coming from the audience as she gave her report at the June
21st Board meeting. The audience should have been as cool-headed, allowing Ms. Bank to finish
her presentation without interruption. Even given the meeting's 3-minute limit for non-Board
speakers, there would have been time to expose all the doublespeak she loaded into her report, had
people used this time to do so.

Again, to be clear: Shelter Reform strongly disapproves of Ms. Bank’s management style
and decisions. We particularly resent her apparent eagerness to serve the DOH and Mayor
Bloomberg by soft-pedaling the disastrous conditions at the ACC. Nevertheless, after the
June 21st Board meeting, we are more convinced than ever that personal invective against
Ms. Bank (and anyone else in power at the ACC) is counterproductive and irresponsible. In
fact, it plays right into ACC Management’s hands.

For example, last week Ms. Bank told ACC employees that surveillance cameras  would be installed
in the shelters as a response to unidentified “threats.” She said she herself has received threats. If
indeed anyone has made threats to ACC employees, we find this conduct appalling. But beyond its
outright stupidity, it’s clear that ACC Management will pounce on any threats  as an excuse to divert
ACC’s limited resources to spy on volunteers.  Even though the ACC hasn’t the money for proper
food, medical supplies, or even employees, it will spend thousands on spy cameras.

There’s plenty to criticize ACC executives and board members about their professional
performance.  So, please, no more personal attacks or invectives against them.

Let’s be smart about how we put pressure on the ACC, the DOH, and our elected
representatives. Our goal is to persuade NYC residents and taxpayers that caring for
homeless animals is an important civic as well as moral duty. The only way we can do that
is to get the public on the shelter animals’ side, and the only way to do that is by making
rational, compelling and intelligent points.
Shelter Reform Action Committee (SRAC)
ShelterReform.org: Everything you ever wanted to know about the AC&C, but were afraid to ask.
Let’s be Smart about How We Challenge
ACC Board and Management:
"I don't understand how the animal welfare community expects to effect change
by yelling and insulting the board members.  When someone viciously insults
you, there are two choices: shut down or become defensive."
The Department of Health, which doesn’t give a damn about animals. Rather, the DOH
demands that every ED protect the DOH and the Mayor from embarrassment. So, the ED
may never be open and honest about the ACC’s dire situation, its miserable funding, its
inept board of directors, and the dreadful buildings the ACC is forced to use as “shelters.”
Speaking honestly about the situation would reflect badly on the DOH – thereby
embarrassing the DOH and the Mayor. So, in order to keep their job, all EDs must put a
positive spin on what’s going on at the ACC..

Animal Advocates, many of whom are personally familiar with the dismal conditions
inside the ACC, view every ED as an all-too willing toadie for the DOH. This may be
the case, but pouring on the emotional vitriol will guarantee that ED and the public will
turn a deaf ear to us.