NEW YORK CITY ACTION ALERT
New York City Council Resolution 497 calls upon the NYC Department of Education to help increase compliance with section 809 of the NYS Education Law which requires instruction in the humane treatment and protection of animals, the importance they play in nature, and the necessity of controlling the proliferation of animals which are subsequently abandoned and caused to suffer extreme cruelty. The resolution asks that the NYC Department of Education issue a memorandum to all NYC public schools notifying them of the humane education mandate in section 809. It also requires all elementary school principals to direct their teachers to comply with the humane education requirements in the law.
Please contact City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and your own councilmember and ask that they sponsor Resolution 497 to promote humane education in our schools. You may wish to mention that raising awareness about the humane treatment of animals will foster kindness and respect for all living beings and will result in a generation of more compassionate and empathetic people.
Contact Information : Speaker Quinn: Phone: 212-788-7210; Fax: 212-788-7207; City Hall, New York, New York 10007. You can also e-mail Speaker Quinn. Go to www.nyccouncil.info and click “Council Members,” and then under “Contact a Councilmember,” click Quinn.
For your own councilmember, go to www.nyccouncil.info and under “Quick Links,” click “Find My Council Member.” Contact information will follow.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Your Home or Your Pet?
HELP US PASS INTRO. No. 13!
A new bill has been introduced by NYC Councilman Tony Avella which states that once a landlord waives a NO-PET lease clause, a rental tenant can replace pets who have died or are no longer living in the apartment with another pet of the same species.
For those of you who have been following this issue, Intro. No. 13 is similar to Intro. No. 189-A from last year but its provisions now apply only to rental tenants. We consider this an important first step in protecting the rights of people to share their lives with companion animals.
TAKE ACTION NOW !!!
CONTACT THE FOLLOWING CITY COUNCILMEMBERS AND URGE THEM TO SUPPORT AND SPONSOR INTRO. NO. 13
1. Your NYC City Council Member. Find out who your NYC Council Member is by clicking www.nyccouncil.info and then clicking on “Constituent Center” or by calling the League of Women Voters at 212-725-3541.
2. Speaker Christine Quinn. phone: 212-788-7210; quinn@council.nyc.ny.us
3. Council Member Erik Dilan, Chair of the Housing & Buildings Committee. phone: 212- 788-7284; emdilan@council.nyc.ny.us
YOU MAY WANT TO MENTION THE FOLLOWING REASONS WHY IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THEY SUPPORT INTRO. NO. 13
-Tenants with well-behaved cats and dogs should not be forced to live in fear of having to choose between their homes and their pets.
-Numerous studies show the physical & emotional health benefits that we derive from having pets.
-It will open up homes for thousands of wonderful, adoptable cats and dogs who are needlessly killed at overburdened NYC-funded animal shelters each year.
Federal law already grants tenants in public housing the right to have pets.
Thanks for your help!
2. Speaker Christine Quinn. phone: 212-788-7210; quinn@council.nyc.ny.us
3. Council Member Erik Dilan, Chair of the Housing & Buildings Committee. phone: 212- 788-7284; emdilan@council.nyc.ny.us
YOU MAY WANT TO MENTION THE FOLLOWING REASONS WHY IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THEY SUPPORT INTRO. NO. 13
-Tenants with well-behaved cats and dogs should not be forced to live in fear of having to choose between their homes and their pets.
-Numerous studies show the physical & emotional health benefits that we derive from having pets.
-It will open up homes for thousands of wonderful, adoptable cats and dogs who are needlessly killed at overburdened NYC-funded animal shelters each year.
Federal law already grants tenants in public housing the right to have pets.
Thanks for your help!
Open Letter to New York City Councilmember Simcha Felder
The Humane Society of New York strongly requests that you withdraw your proposal to fine people for feeding pigeons in our city. While we support efforts to evaluate the pigeon population and its effects, we suggest that any solution to address the pigeon population be humane to the pigeons and the New Yorkers who appreciate these unfairly maligned birds. The maximum fine for a Class A misdemeanor is $1000 (section 80.05, Penal Law). Penalizing good-natured individuals who take pleasure in feeding birds, as if these people are criminals, is extreme. Rather, an advisory council should be established to make recommendations that consider the well-being of those New Yorkers who appreciate the birds, those who do not, and the birds themselves. A moderate approach might include, for example, birth control and habitat modification in certain areas.
Your report analogized the pigeon situation in New York City to that which existed in Trafalgar Square where feeding pigeons was a tourist attraction and where feeding was not only legal but actually encouraged. Thousands of birds in one location, landing on shoulders and heads, is not the situation in New York City. The same kind of drastic action to counteract decades of purposefully attracting pigeons in Trafalgar Square is not called for in our city. It is also important to note that even in your own paper, “Curbing the Pigeon Conundrum,” you mention that some of the more alarmist examples of danger that you raise, such as infrastructure damage and public health risks, are “widely exaggerated.”
Thus, as we see it, there is no immediate health threat or threat to our infrastructure. Rather, some people in our city dislike pigeons and consider them to be nuisances while others appreciate pigeons and some (far fewer in number) also enjoy feeding them. The issue then is how to reduce what some people believe to be nuisances created by pigeons in parts of our city. Recognizing that pigeons are not inanimate objects, any proposal affecting them must take into consideration the pigeons themselves. This may not seem important to those who disdain pigeons, but as a society that has laws to prohibit cruelty to all animals, including pigeons (section 353, Agriculture and Markets Law), and as a society that should promote compassion and tolerance, methods to deal with the pigeon population must be humane.
All too often people who dislike certain animals attempt to take the law into their own hands and abuse animals. We want to avoid this. The Humane Society of New York will support a dialogue among various groups interested in the “pigeon issue” in the hope of devising a plan to humanely control the pigeon population in certain areas of the city. In our opinion, people who feed pigeons within reason (not leaving excessive food behind) should not be treated as lawbreakers. There is so much garbage in this large city that one cannot blame the responsible pigeon feeders for the pigeon population. Small amounts of food fed to and immediately consumed by pigeons are not going to significantly affect the pigeon population. It is when people, whether they be those who like or dislike pigeons, act irresponsibly that problems are created.
We are calling for moderation and cooperation. At this juncture, we suggest that an advisory council be established to make suggestions for humane pigeon control where such control may be needed, not a heavy handed approach that will cause harm to animals and the people who care about them.
ACTION: Contact Councilmember Simcha Felder and ask that he withdraw his proposal to fine people for feeding pigeons.
District Office Address: 4424 16 th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11204
District Office Phone: 718-853-2704
District Office Fax: 718-853-3858
Legislative Office: 250 Broadway, 17 th Floor, New York, NY 10007
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-7357
E-mail: felder@council.nyc.ny.us
Your report analogized the pigeon situation in New York City to that which existed in Trafalgar Square where feeding pigeons was a tourist attraction and where feeding was not only legal but actually encouraged. Thousands of birds in one location, landing on shoulders and heads, is not the situation in New York City. The same kind of drastic action to counteract decades of purposefully attracting pigeons in Trafalgar Square is not called for in our city. It is also important to note that even in your own paper, “Curbing the Pigeon Conundrum,” you mention that some of the more alarmist examples of danger that you raise, such as infrastructure damage and public health risks, are “widely exaggerated.”
Thus, as we see it, there is no immediate health threat or threat to our infrastructure. Rather, some people in our city dislike pigeons and consider them to be nuisances while others appreciate pigeons and some (far fewer in number) also enjoy feeding them. The issue then is how to reduce what some people believe to be nuisances created by pigeons in parts of our city. Recognizing that pigeons are not inanimate objects, any proposal affecting them must take into consideration the pigeons themselves. This may not seem important to those who disdain pigeons, but as a society that has laws to prohibit cruelty to all animals, including pigeons (section 353, Agriculture and Markets Law), and as a society that should promote compassion and tolerance, methods to deal with the pigeon population must be humane.
All too often people who dislike certain animals attempt to take the law into their own hands and abuse animals. We want to avoid this. The Humane Society of New York will support a dialogue among various groups interested in the “pigeon issue” in the hope of devising a plan to humanely control the pigeon population in certain areas of the city. In our opinion, people who feed pigeons within reason (not leaving excessive food behind) should not be treated as lawbreakers. There is so much garbage in this large city that one cannot blame the responsible pigeon feeders for the pigeon population. Small amounts of food fed to and immediately consumed by pigeons are not going to significantly affect the pigeon population. It is when people, whether they be those who like or dislike pigeons, act irresponsibly that problems are created.
We are calling for moderation and cooperation. At this juncture, we suggest that an advisory council be established to make suggestions for humane pigeon control where such control may be needed, not a heavy handed approach that will cause harm to animals and the people who care about them.
ACTION: Contact Councilmember Simcha Felder and ask that he withdraw his proposal to fine people for feeding pigeons.
District Office Address: 4424 16 th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11204
District Office Phone: 718-853-2704
District Office Fax: 718-853-3858
Legislative Office: 250 Broadway, 17 th Floor, New York, NY 10007
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-7357
E-mail: felder@council.nyc.ny.us
Save Animals, Help Seniors
Intro. No. 751, introduced by Councilmember Maria del Carmen Arroyo, states that no person 62 years of age or older shall be denied occupancy in or be subjected to eviction from a multiple dwelling on the sole ground that such person has pets. The bill does not apply to animals who create nuisances. While the Humane Society of New York supports the right of all humane and responsible people to have companion animals, we understand that legislation is often incremental. Thus, although this bill applies to seniors only, it is a very crucial step in the right direction.
PLEASE contact the legislators listed below in support of Intro. No. 751.
You may wish to make the following points:
* Numerous studies indicate the health benefits, both physical and emotional, that many people derive from having pets
* More than twenty thousand dogs and cats were killed last year at Animal Care and Control in New York City, many because of no-pet restrictions
* In order to reduce euthanasia, we need to promote the adoption of homeless animals and reduce the number of animals surrendered to animal shelters. No-pet clauses reduce adoptions and increase the surrender of animals
* Congress already recognized the importance of pets to many people by passing legislation giving people who live in public housing the right to have pets
CONTACT INFORMATION
Please urge these councilmembers to support Intro. No. 751 and to ensure that a hearing is held soon.
It may be easier to mail or fax your letter, but if you want to e-mail it, here are the directions. The councilmembers get so many e-mails that they have made it more difficult to e-mail them directly.
To e-mail, please go to the City Council’s website at www.council.nyc.gov, click “councilmembers,” and click the councilmembers’ names listed below. On Speaker Quinn’s page, you need to click “Contact Speaker Quinn” just above her office locations in order to get to her e-mail page. The others say “e-mail address” and when you click that, you can write a message.
Council Speaker Christine QuinnPhone: 212-788-7210, 212-564-7757 (leave a message at each # if you can)Fax: 212-788-7207
Councilmember Erik Martin Dilan Chair of the Housing & Buildings CommitteePhone: 212- 788-7284Fax: 212-227-5636
Councilmember Maria del Carmen Arroyo the bill’s sponsor and Chair of the Aging Committee.
Please thank her for her sponsorship and urge her to get a hearing on this humane legislation.
Phone: 718-402-6130, 212-788-7384Fax: 212-788-8920
Your New York City Council Member Find out who your NYC Councilmember is by clicking www.council.nyc.gov and then clicking “Council Members.”
All council members may also be written to at City Hall, New York, NY 10007
Thank you
PLEASE contact the legislators listed below in support of Intro. No. 751.
You may wish to make the following points:
* Numerous studies indicate the health benefits, both physical and emotional, that many people derive from having pets
* More than twenty thousand dogs and cats were killed last year at Animal Care and Control in New York City, many because of no-pet restrictions
* In order to reduce euthanasia, we need to promote the adoption of homeless animals and reduce the number of animals surrendered to animal shelters. No-pet clauses reduce adoptions and increase the surrender of animals
* Congress already recognized the importance of pets to many people by passing legislation giving people who live in public housing the right to have pets
CONTACT INFORMATION
Please urge these councilmembers to support Intro. No. 751 and to ensure that a hearing is held soon.
It may be easier to mail or fax your letter, but if you want to e-mail it, here are the directions. The councilmembers get so many e-mails that they have made it more difficult to e-mail them directly.
To e-mail, please go to the City Council’s website at www.council.nyc.gov, click “councilmembers,” and click the councilmembers’ names listed below. On Speaker Quinn’s page, you need to click “Contact Speaker Quinn” just above her office locations in order to get to her e-mail page. The others say “e-mail address” and when you click that, you can write a message.
Council Speaker Christine QuinnPhone: 212-788-7210, 212-564-7757 (leave a message at each # if you can)Fax: 212-788-7207
Councilmember Erik Martin Dilan Chair of the Housing & Buildings CommitteePhone: 212- 788-7284Fax: 212-227-5636
Councilmember Maria del Carmen Arroyo the bill’s sponsor and Chair of the Aging Committee.
Please thank her for her sponsorship and urge her to get a hearing on this humane legislation.
Phone: 718-402-6130, 212-788-7384Fax: 212-788-8920
Your New York City Council Member Find out who your NYC Councilmember is by clicking www.council.nyc.gov and then clicking “Council Members.”
All council members may also be written to at City Hall, New York, NY 10007
Thank you
Bill to Promote Humane Education in Secondary Schools
SUPPORT A. 6126 TO PROMOTE HUMANE EDUCATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
AA. 6126 requires that instruction in the humane treatment and protection of animals be taught in secondary schools (middle and high schools). This instruction must include educating students on the principles of kindness to and respect for animals and observance of laws and rules pertaining to the humane treatment of animals. Currently, humane education must only be taught in elementary schools.
All too often we hear about animal abuse committed by youngsters. This legislation, if enacted, would promote compassion towards all living beings and, hopefully, will result in a decrease in violence and cruelty to animals. Youngsters also have a natural curiosity about animals and lessons in the humane treatment of animals will give students an opportunity to discuss their interests and concerns.
For the past six years, the Humane Society of New York, in conjunction with Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, has sponsored a humane essay contest for young students. Thousands of very heartfelt essays have been submitted, showing a genuine interest in the welfare of animals.
Fostering a humane ethic is so important and A. 6126 does just that.
Please contact the following legislators and urge them to support A. 6126. We will update this alert once the bill is introduced in the NY Senate. (Bills must pass both houses of the legislature and signed by the governor in order to become law.)
CONTACT INFORMATION
*Assemblyman Sheldon Silver, Speaker of the Assembly. Telephone: 212-312-1420, 518 455-3791; Fax: 212-312-1418; E-mail: speaker@assembly.state.ny.us; Address: LOB 932, Albany, NY 12248*Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan, Chair of the Education Committee. Telephone: 718-784-3194 (Woodside), 718-456-9492 (Ridgewood) and 518-455-4851 (Albany); Fax: 518-455-3847; E-mail: nolanc@assembly.state.ny.us; Address: LOB 838, Albany, NY 12248*Your local assemblymember. If you do not know the name of or contact information for your assemblymember, go to www.assembly.state.ny.us. In your letter, fax, call, or e-mail, please mention that you are a constituent and include your address in written correspondence.
Thanks for your help!
AA. 6126 requires that instruction in the humane treatment and protection of animals be taught in secondary schools (middle and high schools). This instruction must include educating students on the principles of kindness to and respect for animals and observance of laws and rules pertaining to the humane treatment of animals. Currently, humane education must only be taught in elementary schools.
All too often we hear about animal abuse committed by youngsters. This legislation, if enacted, would promote compassion towards all living beings and, hopefully, will result in a decrease in violence and cruelty to animals. Youngsters also have a natural curiosity about animals and lessons in the humane treatment of animals will give students an opportunity to discuss their interests and concerns.
For the past six years, the Humane Society of New York, in conjunction with Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, has sponsored a humane essay contest for young students. Thousands of very heartfelt essays have been submitted, showing a genuine interest in the welfare of animals.
Fostering a humane ethic is so important and A. 6126 does just that.
Please contact the following legislators and urge them to support A. 6126. We will update this alert once the bill is introduced in the NY Senate. (Bills must pass both houses of the legislature and signed by the governor in order to become law.)
CONTACT INFORMATION
*Assemblyman Sheldon Silver, Speaker of the Assembly. Telephone: 212-312-1420, 518 455-3791; Fax: 212-312-1418; E-mail: speaker@assembly.state.ny.us; Address: LOB 932, Albany, NY 12248*Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan, Chair of the Education Committee. Telephone: 718-784-3194 (Woodside), 718-456-9492 (Ridgewood) and 518-455-4851 (Albany); Fax: 518-455-3847; E-mail: nolanc@assembly.state.ny.us; Address: LOB 838, Albany, NY 12248*Your local assemblymember. If you do not know the name of or contact information for your assemblymember, go to www.assembly.state.ny.us. In your letter, fax, call, or e-mail, please mention that you are a constituent and include your address in written correspondence.
Thanks for your help!
Bill to Prohibit High School Students from Harming or Killing Animals
Support A. 3467 and S. 3751 To prohibit high school students from harming or killing animals
A. 3467, introduced by Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, and S. 3751, introduced by Senator Thomas Duane, prohibits high school students from performing harmful projects on vertebrate animals. These bills also require teachers to inform students of their right not to perform dissection on animals and to be offered an alternative project. Currently students who have a moral or religious objection to dissection have the right to opt out of dissection but there is no requirement in the law for teachers to inform the students of this right.
Despite the fact that high schools must obtain a waiver from the NYS Department of Education before students can perform harmful vertebrate animal projects, only four waivers in 12 years have ever been applied for and only after we contacted the schools whose students performed the projects.
In one New York high school, students raised and then killed chickens. No waiver was sought. When the Humane Society of New York became aware of the project from United Poultry Concerns, we immediately contacted the NYS Department of Education and the school. The school stated that they were not aware that a waiver was required. Based on our own visits to science fairs and visits by other individuals, we are aware of several other high school projects involving harm and death to vertebrate animals. Examples include exposing animals to smoke, then killing the animals to study the heart, testing cancer drugs on animals, inducing epilepsy, implanting electrodes in rats’ brains, and more.
The bottom line is that animals should not be harmed or killed for high school science projects. A. 3467/S. 3751, if enacted, would remove the unworkable waiver language and substitute the language from the prestigious Intel Science Talent Search rules (formerly Westinghouse) which do not allow high school students to perform invasive vertebrate animal projects. Those rules were adopted in 1969 after a sparrow was blinded as part of a high school student’s project.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Please ask the following legislators to support these bills:
For A. 3467:
*Assemblyman Sheldon Silver, Speaker of the Assembly. Telephone: 212-312-1420, 518 455-3791; Fax: 212-312-1418; E-mail:speaker@assembly.state.ny.us; Address: LOB 932, Albany, NY 12248*Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan, Chair of the Education Committee. Telephone: 718-784-3194 (Woodside), 718-456-9492 (Ridgewood) and 518-455-4851 (Albany); Fax: 518-455-3847; E-mail: nolanc@assembly.state.ny.us; Address: LOB 838, Albany, NY 12248*Your local assemblymember. If you do not know the name of or contact information for your assemblymember, go to www.assembly.state.ny.us. In your letter, fax, call, or e-mail, please mention that you are a constituent and include your address in written correspondence.
For S. 3751:
*Senator Malcolm Smith: Senate Majority Leader. Telephone: 518-455-2761; Fax: 518-455-2816; E-mail: masmith@senate.state.ny.us; Address: 909 LOB, Albany, NY 12247
*Your local state senator. If you do not know the name of or contact information for your state senator, go to www.senate.state.ny.us. In your letter, fax, call, or e-mail, please mention that you are a constituent and include your address in written correspondence.
Thanks for your help!
A. 3467, introduced by Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, and S. 3751, introduced by Senator Thomas Duane, prohibits high school students from performing harmful projects on vertebrate animals. These bills also require teachers to inform students of their right not to perform dissection on animals and to be offered an alternative project. Currently students who have a moral or religious objection to dissection have the right to opt out of dissection but there is no requirement in the law for teachers to inform the students of this right.
Despite the fact that high schools must obtain a waiver from the NYS Department of Education before students can perform harmful vertebrate animal projects, only four waivers in 12 years have ever been applied for and only after we contacted the schools whose students performed the projects.
In one New York high school, students raised and then killed chickens. No waiver was sought. When the Humane Society of New York became aware of the project from United Poultry Concerns, we immediately contacted the NYS Department of Education and the school. The school stated that they were not aware that a waiver was required. Based on our own visits to science fairs and visits by other individuals, we are aware of several other high school projects involving harm and death to vertebrate animals. Examples include exposing animals to smoke, then killing the animals to study the heart, testing cancer drugs on animals, inducing epilepsy, implanting electrodes in rats’ brains, and more.
The bottom line is that animals should not be harmed or killed for high school science projects. A. 3467/S. 3751, if enacted, would remove the unworkable waiver language and substitute the language from the prestigious Intel Science Talent Search rules (formerly Westinghouse) which do not allow high school students to perform invasive vertebrate animal projects. Those rules were adopted in 1969 after a sparrow was blinded as part of a high school student’s project.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Please ask the following legislators to support these bills:
For A. 3467:
*Assemblyman Sheldon Silver, Speaker of the Assembly. Telephone: 212-312-1420, 518 455-3791; Fax: 212-312-1418; E-mail:speaker@assembly.state.ny.us; Address: LOB 932, Albany, NY 12248*Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan, Chair of the Education Committee. Telephone: 718-784-3194 (Woodside), 718-456-9492 (Ridgewood) and 518-455-4851 (Albany); Fax: 518-455-3847; E-mail: nolanc@assembly.state.ny.us; Address: LOB 838, Albany, NY 12248*Your local assemblymember. If you do not know the name of or contact information for your assemblymember, go to www.assembly.state.ny.us. In your letter, fax, call, or e-mail, please mention that you are a constituent and include your address in written correspondence.
For S. 3751:
*Senator Malcolm Smith: Senate Majority Leader. Telephone: 518-455-2761; Fax: 518-455-2816; E-mail: masmith@senate.state.ny.us; Address: 909 LOB, Albany, NY 12247
*Your local state senator. If you do not know the name of or contact information for your state senator, go to www.senate.state.ny.us. In your letter, fax, call, or e-mail, please mention that you are a constituent and include your address in written correspondence.
Thanks for your help!
Bill to Include Wildlife in Felony Animal Cruelty Law
SUPPORT A. 6077 AND S. 2425 TO INCLUDE WILDLIFE IN FELONY ANIMAL CRUELTY LAW
Two swans were fatally beaten and stabbed in the Bronx. A Canadian goose was strangled in Hamburg. A red hawk was set on fire, tied to a bicycle and dragged down the street on Long Island. A baby goose was beaten to death with a hockey stick in Potsdam. Birds were trapped and crushed to death on Long Island. In West Eaton, state highway workers reported seeing a car speed up and swerve to hit a fawn, while the occupants of the car were laughing as they sped by. In Staten Island, a peacock was beaten to death.
New York’s felony animal cruelty law did not apply to any of this cruelty since the animals tortured were not companion animals.
A. 6077, introduced by Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, and S. 2425, introduced by Senator Frank Padavan, would expand New York’s felony animal cruelty law by making it applicable to wildlife.
CONTACT THE LEGISLATORS LISTED BELOW AND URGE THEM TO SUPPORT A. 6077 and S. 2425
For A.6077:
Assemblyman Sheldon Silver, Assembly Speaker. Telephone: 212-312-1420 or 518-455-3791; Fax: 518-455-5459; E-mail: speaker@assembly.state.ny.us; Address: 932 LOB, Albany, NY 12248
Assemblyman Joseph Lentol, Chair of the Codes Committee. Telephone: 518-455-4477; Fax: 518-455-4599; E-mail: lentolj@assembly.state.ny.us; Address: 632 LOB, Albany, NY 12248
Assemblyman William Magee, Chair of the Agriculture Committee. Telephone: 518-455-4807; Fax: 518-455-5237; E-mail: mageew@assembly.state.ny.us; Address: 828 LOB, Albany, NY
Your local assemblyperson. If you do not know the name of or contact information for your NYS asssemblymember, go www.assembly.state.ny.us. In your letter, fax, call, or e-mail, please mention that you are a constituent and include your address in written correspondence.
For S. 2425:
Senator Malcolm Smith, Senate Majority Leader. Telephone: 518-455-2761; Fax: 518-455-2816; E-mail: masmith@senate.state.ny.us; Address: 909 LOB, Albany, NY 12247
Senator Darrel Aubertine, Chair of the Agriculture Committee. Telephone: 518-455-2761; Fax: 518-426-6946; E-mail: aubertin@senate.state.ny.us; Address: 903 LOB, Albany, NY 12247
Your local NYS Senator. If you do not know the name of or contact information for your NYS senator, go to www.senate.state.ny.us. In your letter, fax, call, or e-mail, please mention that you are a constituent and include your address in written correspondence.
Tell the legislators that you want them to support A.6077 and S. 2425. You may wish to mention:
There have been many documented cases of sadistic cruelty to wildlife. There is no justification to exclude wildlife from New York’s felony animal cruelty law. Wildlife is particularly vulnerable. These animals are outdoors, unsupervised, and at the mercy of all of us
Felony cases are given much more attention by our courts and the penalties are greater than in misdemeanor cases
There is a nexus between cruelty to animals and violent crimes against people Thanks for your help!
Two swans were fatally beaten and stabbed in the Bronx. A Canadian goose was strangled in Hamburg. A red hawk was set on fire, tied to a bicycle and dragged down the street on Long Island. A baby goose was beaten to death with a hockey stick in Potsdam. Birds were trapped and crushed to death on Long Island. In West Eaton, state highway workers reported seeing a car speed up and swerve to hit a fawn, while the occupants of the car were laughing as they sped by. In Staten Island, a peacock was beaten to death.
New York’s felony animal cruelty law did not apply to any of this cruelty since the animals tortured were not companion animals.
A. 6077, introduced by Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, and S. 2425, introduced by Senator Frank Padavan, would expand New York’s felony animal cruelty law by making it applicable to wildlife.
CONTACT THE LEGISLATORS LISTED BELOW AND URGE THEM TO SUPPORT A. 6077 and S. 2425
For A.6077:
Assemblyman Sheldon Silver, Assembly Speaker. Telephone: 212-312-1420 or 518-455-3791; Fax: 518-455-5459; E-mail: speaker@assembly.state.ny.us; Address: 932 LOB, Albany, NY 12248
Assemblyman Joseph Lentol, Chair of the Codes Committee. Telephone: 518-455-4477; Fax: 518-455-4599; E-mail: lentolj@assembly.state.ny.us; Address: 632 LOB, Albany, NY 12248
Assemblyman William Magee, Chair of the Agriculture Committee. Telephone: 518-455-4807; Fax: 518-455-5237; E-mail: mageew@assembly.state.ny.us; Address: 828 LOB, Albany, NY
Your local assemblyperson. If you do not know the name of or contact information for your NYS asssemblymember, go www.assembly.state.ny.us. In your letter, fax, call, or e-mail, please mention that you are a constituent and include your address in written correspondence.
For S. 2425:
Senator Malcolm Smith, Senate Majority Leader. Telephone: 518-455-2761; Fax: 518-455-2816; E-mail: masmith@senate.state.ny.us; Address: 909 LOB, Albany, NY 12247
Senator Darrel Aubertine, Chair of the Agriculture Committee. Telephone: 518-455-2761; Fax: 518-426-6946; E-mail: aubertin@senate.state.ny.us; Address: 903 LOB, Albany, NY 12247
Your local NYS Senator. If you do not know the name of or contact information for your NYS senator, go to www.senate.state.ny.us. In your letter, fax, call, or e-mail, please mention that you are a constituent and include your address in written correspondence.
Tell the legislators that you want them to support A.6077 and S. 2425. You may wish to mention:
There have been many documented cases of sadistic cruelty to wildlife. There is no justification to exclude wildlife from New York’s felony animal cruelty law. Wildlife is particularly vulnerable. These animals are outdoors, unsupervised, and at the mercy of all of us
Felony cases are given much more attention by our courts and the penalties are greater than in misdemeanor cases
There is a nexus between cruelty to animals and violent crimes against people Thanks for your help!
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