- Carriage horses no longer can be worked when the heat/humidity index is too high.
- It's now a clear offense to trap and transport wild birds (including pigeons) out of state.
- Foie gras can no longer be sold in NYC, thereby eliminating a major market for this so-called delicacy.
ACC animals didn't fare as well.
In fact, all NYC animals lost a rare chance to have their lives improved dramatically.
A BOLD BILL. THEN A WATERED-DOWN VERSION
Four months ago bill Int. 1478
was introduced to:
establish a
Department
of Animal Welfare .... ...vested with the power to perform functions and operations relating to animal shelters... .
Imagine ...the Department of Health would no longer control ACC!!! SRAC argued that the bill should be amended to have the Department of Animal Welfare cover
all NYC animals, not just ACC animals. Go big, we urged
DON'T FALL FOR THE HYPE. THE AMENDED BILL CHANGED NOTHING
Intr. 1478 was amended to cover all animals. Okay, that was good. But the bill was further amended to substitute an "Office of Animal Welfare" for a "Department of Animal Welfare."
Substituting "office" for "department" doomed what would have been a game changer for NYC animals.
The amended bill simply acknowledged the reality that two people inside Mayor de Blasio's "Community Affairs Unit" have acted as liaisons between the Mayor's Office and the animal advocacy community. They
worked behind the scenes to try to help animals.
Under the new bill, they'll be called an "office." But they'll continue to lack the power, funding, and staff that City Departments possess. For example, t
hey won't be able to inspect animal shelters, pet shops,horse stables, etc. They won't be able to issue fines or close down offending operators. They won't have a staff of experts to investigate dangers to wildlife and pets. They won't fund improvements to the City's animal shelter system.
Rather, they will continue as liaisons and hope that whoever is in the Mayor's office will follow their advice.
But what if a future Mayor doesn't give a fig about animals? Or what if the City faces another financial crisis? You can bet that the Department of Health will to revert to its usual indifference to animal welfare. And the "Office of Animal Welfare" will be powerless to help.
WHAT NOW?
Amended Intr. 1478 passed. It will become law.
NYC animals could've had a Department.
Instead, they got an office.
That's not a reason to celebrate.
