Prior to the global pandemic forcing businesses to close down and people to lose their jobs, Brooklyn-Queens Animal Save has documented the unsanitary conditions of these live markets. Regardless of the theories, medical experts in China were able to trace  the Corona Virus from a nearby wet market in Wuhan, China. In the United States, we refer to these same markets which sell live animals for food as live markets. These live/wet markets are breeding grounds for diseases.  Yet, while people die alone in hospitals and medical care workers risk their lives to save others, these markets continue to operate in New York City.  Furthermore, these markets are not only filthy, they violate many health codes.

In addition, to the health hazard to the community, there's the unimaginable animal cruelty involved.  Before arriving to these markets, animals raised for food, are bred and raised in misery, ripped from their families. Once they are torn away from their mother, animals are deprived of their freedom. The process is followed by throwing these animals inside crates, stacking them on top of each other while other animals urinate and defecate on them. This is the life of most animals raised for food. Slaughterhouse workers throw animals into crates often injuring the animals, leaving them to suffer without any medical attention. Larger animals are thrown, kicked, or violently shoved inside trucks. Workers are not concerned with hurting the animals, they are expected to stack the animals in crates or trucks as fast as possible to keep up with the demand and production. Once these animals are thrown inside trucks to be shipped to their final destination (slaughter), they are exposed to travel conditions of more than 65 mph speed. Although, trucks transporting live animals are open for air, many animals die in transport due to the adverse weather conditions they're exposed. Animals travel for up to 72 hours without any food or water. Once they reach these slaughterhouses, many of the animals are left outside for hours, sometimes overnight before the live market open, further delaying their agony.  In January of 2019, around 6:00 am,  activists witnessed crates stacked on top of each other filled with chickens cramped inside. It was so cold outside some were freezing, dead from lack of food or water, or frozen to death. NYC does NOT want these markets, they do not want the horrible stench caused by these live markets, the guts, blood, urine, feces, left on public sidewalks from these markets. They also do NOT want the cruelty. Animals deserve better than this, the community deserves better, the WORLD deserves better than this. Neighborhoods have the right to choose which store fronts to have in their area, they also deserve to be educated on the negative impact this industry has on their health and the environment. In addition, these live markets are located only in low income communities, underprivileged neighborhoods, the poorer the area the more live markets. This is a social economic issue that needs to be addressed to council members and city officials.

Thankfully, on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, New York State Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal and State Senator Luis Sepulveda announced a new legislation A. 10399 to shutdown these live/wet markets in NY. 

If you see or know of a live market in your neighborhood, please contact Brooklyn-Queens Animal Save at brooklynqueensanimalsave@gmail.com, your council member, or state assemblymember in support of this bill A. 10399 to shutdown all live markets in NY. We appreciate and need everyone's cooperation.

Please sign this petition to have these live markets shutdown.