THE ASSEMBLY STATE OF NEW YORK

LINDA B. ROSENTHAL
Assemblymember 67th District

CHAIR Commission on Science &Technology Subcommittee on Mitchell-Lama COMMITTEES Agriculture Corporations, Authorities & Commissions Energy Health Housing Tourism, Parks, Arts & Sports

ALBANY

TESTIMONY OF ASSEMBLYMEMBER LINDA B. ROSENTHAL BEFORE THE NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL HEALTH COMMITTEE ON THE COMPLIANCE WITH LOCAL LAW 59: IMPROVING ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL APRIL 12, 2013 Good morning, I am Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal and I represent the Upper West Side and parts of the Clinton/ Hells Kitchen neighborhoods in Manhattan. Eighteen months after the passage of Local Law 59 of 2011, which I opposed, I stand before this Committee yet again, to demand more from New York City Animal Care and Control (AC&C) on behalf of the thousands of stray and feral animals that suffer silently each day AC&C and the City fail to institute meaningful reform. Local Law 59 of 2011 allowed the City to operate shelters in only three boroughs Manhattan, Brooklyn and Staten Island as opposed to full-service shelters in all five boroughs, as required by Local Law 26 of 2000. In addition, it codified temporary exemptions and extensions granted in 2002 through Local Law 12 that redefined a full-service shelter as one in operation for 12 hours per day, five days a week, rather than 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. As part of the deal to pass Local Law 59 of 2011, which was pushed through as animal advocates were poised to win a decisive court victory and in the face of mounting opposition, the City committed to investing $10 million in the existing shelters over three years. Despite this commitment, the City of New York January 2013 Financial Plan for Fiscal Years 2013 2017 clearly shows that the City, rather than increasing funding to AC&C as it agreed to do, has inexplicably proposed to reduce funding by $800,000 in 2013 and $200,000 in 2014 because of discovered efficiencies. The City owes the public an explanation for these projected cuts, and regardless of any explanation given, the City has a duty to stand by the commitment it made to all of us to invest $10 million in AC&C operations over three years. The infusion of funding would have enabled AC&C to hire 100 additional staff members, who would work to improve conditions at the three existing shelters. Since Local Law 59s passage in 2011, AC&C has hired 24 new staff members. While I am pleased that more staff has been hired, 24 people are simply not enough to take care of the growing population of lost, stray and feral animals in this City. AC&C must accelerate the rate at which it hires new staff members to address continued overcrowding and provide critical socialization and medical care to shelter animals, which would reduce significantly the spread of disease like kennel cough, which are so easy to cure but so often lead to euthanasia instead. Though I am sure that AC&C will tout the fact that it euthanized fewer animals in 2012 than it did in 2011 as a victory, euthanizing nearly 9,000 animals last year is not something to be celebrated. In addition to a lower rate of euthanasia, AC&C also took in nearly 3,500 fewer animals in 2012 than it did in 2011. In part, this decrease is due to the work of countless local
DISTRICT OFFICE 230 West 72nd Street, Suite 2F New York, NY 10023 T: 212-873-6368 F: 212-873-6520 ALBANY OFFICE Room 741 Legislative Office Building Albany, NY 12248 T: 518-455-5802 F: 518-455-5015 rosenthall@assembly.state.ny.us

and community-based rescue groups, who have stepped up to fill in the gaps in service left by AC&C. In fact, I know many animal rescuers who willingly sacrifice their own salaries to care for stray animals because they would never consider leaving them at AC&C. After fighting for years with devoted advocates and elected officials at every level of the government, it is clear that AC&C is either incapable of or unwilling to reform. Since 1995, AC&C has had 11 executive directors and has been without a full-time medical director since 2010. AC&C has been operating without a permanent executive director for the last six months, since its former executive director quit amid scandal and rumor. High churn rates of senior management-level staff suggest systemic problems at AC&C, which cannot easily be cured by indiscriminately throwing money at the problem. Because all attempts to reform AC&C have been rebuffed, and because we all know that too many innocent, healthy and perfectly adoptable animals are euthanized for no reason other than that AC&C could do no better, this session I will introduce legislation that will overhaul the AC&C. From its funding to its oversight, this legislation will signal a new day for AC&C and the thousands of cats, dogs and other animals in its charge. Time and time again, those responsible for the management and oversight of AC&C assure the public that they are doing the best that they can. Ask the family of the lost, 7-year-old pit-bull that was mistakenly euthanized last year because AC&Cs computer system was down, once again, and the staff failed to follow proper protocol whether AC&C did right by them. The City should not be in the business of killing animals. It is a sad reflection, indeed, on our collective moral character if animals in New York are viewed as disposable. This shameful record of neglect will assuredly be a blight on the legacy of this Administration. At some point, those responsible must own up to their failure, and that time is now.