New York City is a hellacious place for animals, perhaps one of the worst in the nation.  Almost every single day dogs and cats are being slaughtered in what amounts to animal concentration camps under the direction of Risa Weinstock.  If Risa Weinstock cannot achieve no-kill status in NYC, or does not care to do such, she should be asked to step down.  She will be entering her third year as Executive Director of NYC Animal Care and Control this summer.  NYC AC&C is a non-profit organization, not a government entity, contracted with the city. 

According to http://www.nycacc.org/pdfs/pressreleases/06072013.pdf NYC AC&C takes in 30,000 animals a year.   In comparison, Austin, Texas takes in about 18,000 animals a year (http://www.austintexas.gov/department/animal-services) and must deal with a warmer climate which typically leads to higher breeding rates.  New York City’s metro population is 20 million people.  Austin’s metro population is 1.25 million people.  With just over a third more animals but almost 20 times more people, it is an abomination that New York City cannot place all animals into some sort of home or rescue.  Austin has achieved a no-kill status by having a 94% save rate.  New York City should strive for such.  Even if certain aspects have improved for animals in NYC, it is far from what it should be.  There are rescue groups like Rescue Road Trips, Inc. (http://www.rescueroadtrips.com/Rescue_Road_Trips.html) that are pulling dogs from the southern United States and taking them to New England for homes.  This is a valiant act, but what about the numerous dogs and cats being killed almost every day in New York City shelters?  This is not acceptable!

The bill that should have been Oreo’s Law (mirroring that of Hayden Act in California) should be revisited and enacted in New York.  This law was meant to protect animals from being killed in New York City shelters when a rescue is willing to pull them.  According to Nathan Winograd per http://www.nathanwinograd.com/?p=2201 and http://www.nathanwinograd.com/?p=13686 , 25,000 animals a year would be saved in New York had Oreo’s Law been passed.  That means that over 80% of the animals that have been killed in New York could have actually been saved.  But instead, as politics would have it, the bill was shot down with assistance of the ASPCA which is based out of New York City.  Please see http://gatorgirl277.blogspot.com/2015/12/what-you-may-not-know-about-peta-aspca.html for more information on the ASPCA.

New York City Housing Authority (from here on referred to as NYCHA) is a major setback to the pets of New York City.  NYCHA needs to end BSL (breed-specific legislation) which includes 27 different breeds of dogs, including the Boston Terrier.  BSL does not work.  It is a form of prejudice and “dog racism”.  Owners of aggressive dogs need to be the ones punished. Not innocent animals who have committed no wrongdoing.

Those living in NYCHA units should also be able to own at least two pets, not either one dog or one cat per household.  The weight limit on pets should also be removed.  A weight limit of 25 lbs. for a pet is ridiculous. Will they soon put a weight limit on humans as well?  A pet’s weight should not keep them from being able to have a home, ultimately costing them their life many times.

Please see http://animallawcoalition.com/nycha-issues-ban-on-numerous-breeds/ for referencing on the NYCHA information.

Lastly, please visit http://urgentpodr.org/ which is a very noble volunteer-lead group trying to make a difference in NYC.  Click on the “Urgent Dogs” link followed by the “Gone but NOT Forgotten” folder.  Click on the photos of the mostly pit bull-type dogs that lost their lives and read their stories.  Warning, there are a lot of them. Their lives mattered. Their now lost lives still matter.  They should inspire change.   Some were not even given 18 hours to try and find a new home.   Some achieved “perfect” temperament scores yet still found themselves murdered.  This must be stopped.

Please sign this petition to save the lives of thousands of animals in NYC.  Your signature could make a difference in the lives of thousands of animals starting in New York and hopefully beyond.