NYC Council Intro 1502

Intro 1502 is still in the legislative process. It should be brought up for a vote.

Intro 1502 requires the NYC ACC to report all killing decisions including "silent" kills and behavior kills. The ACC will need to disclose the qualifications of the decision makers and how their decisions to kill are made. The ACC will also have to disclose whether there were empty kennels when they kill, and what attempts were made to find homes for the animals that they plan to kill, so that these animals have their chance to be rescued - fostered or adopted.

Intro 1502 would create a taskforce which will develop policy changes and legislation, and recommend animal shelter best practices to promote the welfare of shelter animals. It will include member representatives from New York City's community of animal welfare advocates.

This Intro will help enforce enforce CAPA legislation once it is passed on the state level.

The ACC continues to kill.
NJ Animal Observer
Facebook Post 7-9-20

Remove "humane" from euthanasia in the ACC's reporting.
It's neither humane, nor is it euthanasia when healthy adoptable animals are killed.

As part of its call for transparency, Intro 1502 will remove "humane" from euthanasia in the ACC's reporting,

Euthanasia is "The act of killing hopelessly sick or injured individual animals in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy."

One of the founders of Best Friends writes: It's not a matter of semantics. We shouldn't sugarcoat.

End the euphemism for ending lives. "At The Sentinel, the words I insist on are “kill” and “destroy.”
“Euthanize” is a political word created by shelter officials and others to minimize the horror of what really goes on, which is the wholesale killing of unwanted pets."

The difference between euthanasia and killing.

Don't call the ACC a 'Care' Center - when it's not.
The ACC changed their name from Animal Care & Control (NYC ACC) to Animal Care Centers (NYCACC). They did this even though the ACC remains a kill pound, and in many ways is run without care for its charges. As someone said – "the ACC is too kill happy to be called a shelter."

The ACC is a killing field.
New York ACC Quickly Kills Large Numbers of Animals
The above 12-2019 article by NJ Animal Observer outlines these ACC stats.
21% dogs killed
58% dogs over 10 years killed
33% owner surrenders killed
91% of all killed cats Owner Request Euthanasia

Stop manipulating the Live Release Rate (LRR)
"Shelters" try to lie about their stats.

The ACC inflates their Live Release Rate (LRR) by not counting Owner Requested Euthanasia

See The Kill Pound Lobby

Loophole: The ACC doesn't count owner-requested euthanasia in their stats.
The lawsuit against the Baltimore, MD pound is an example of how shelters use this loophole to kill wantonly - and keep their stats pristine. There was a lawsuit brought against the Orange County, CA pound. The "shelters" quickly changed their numbers to far less impressive release rates under oath.

Report all killings including silent kills.
This is not being done. Silent kills are rampant at NYCACC.

The ACC fudges the numbers.
from: New York ACC Quickly Kills Large Numbers of Animals
12-2019 article by NJ Animal Observer.
This may rise to charity fraud given the ACC is a 501-c3. Charity fraud can also mean including using false statistics and information to solicit donations.

Maddie’s Fund looks the other way at the ACC's "Veil of Secrecy".
" in order to meet the "Zero Healthy Deaths” provision of the Maddie's Fund grant, the numbers for AC&C are falsified. Healthy pets are killed and recorded as sick, pets with normal behavior reported as hopelessly aggressive."

New Hope Rescues are in crisis.
The ACC boasts about their large list of New Hope Rescue Partners - while only a handful of these rescues pull. A complete overhaul is needed, as well as new New Hope partners.

The ACC lacks tranparency on Social Media.
At-Risk (ARL) animals were hidden on Facebook. They are non-existent on Twitter. Why?
Previously, At-Risk Animals were posted on a separate ACC Facebook page. Currently they're posted on the maiin ACC page but their exposure needs improvement.

There are benefits to having a dedicated Facebook page for ARL animals
as well as posting them on the ACC's general social media.

Why not have both - a dedicated page as before as well as exposure to the general public that wouldn't know otherwise that they exist or how to find these animals who are in danger of being killed by the ACC. The public can't help foster/adopt these animals if they don't find out about them. These animals are not brought to adoption events and they're not easily viewable at the ACC facility itself.

Maddie's Fund says "photos of shelter pets are their voices".
Why not give them as much exposure as possible? Just as the advocates and public who care about these homeless animals work sometimes around the clock without financial renumeration to save these animals' lives.

Blocking of the public on Social Media.
The ACC was a big-time blocker on social media, until they were forced to stop when they were shown that this is illegal. Despite this, they still engage in blocking the public. Their publicist Katy Hansen is probably behind this.

Blocked by NYCACC on Twitter.

For more about the killing of Thor
Visit NYS Animal Legislation and page down.

"I was also blocked by NYCACC until I noted that since they DO receive tax dollars, blocking is illegal in that it is a “designated public forum” related to a government function. People expressing alternate points of view from the contractor's are protected by the 1st Amendment."
See: Know Your Rights

The ACC has violated their contract and public trust.
It’s almost impossible to know the full extent of malfeasance that occurs, as ACC staff and volunteers sign gag orders / NDA's (Non-Disclosure Agreements) as a condition of their employment. However, the ACC is run on taxpayers dollars, so there can be no legal NDA or gag order. Any person who comes forward is protected by whistleblower laws.

Speaking time at the Hearing was:
• Too short for knowledgeable advocates to present info.
• No opportunity for discussion with NYCACC CEO Risa Weinstock, ACC Board memmber Corrine Schiff (Ex officio, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene), and Mayor’s Office Christine Kim.
• Too late in the hearing. Was Risa Weinstock, Corrine Schiff and Christine Kim even still there when these advocates spoke?

• Who scheduled it this way? Mark Levine's office?

Letter
from Jonathan Pirro from Senator James Tedisco's office
to NYC Council Speaker Johnson
12-12-17

A humane and transparent Department of Animal Welfare is needed.

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Please work with Nathan Winograd of the No Kill Advocacy Center.

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ShelterNotes@outlook.com

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Last modified June 2021.

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