Res. No. 952
Resolution calling upon the New York State Legislature to pass and the Governor to sign the Companion Animal Access and Rescue Act, A.7321B/S.5363B, legislation that would establish standards for the care of abandoned, stray, or seized animals and requires the release of a shelter animal to a rescue group prior to euthanasia.
By Council Members Dromm, Brewer, Gentile, James, Koppell, Koslowitz, Recchia, Rose, Williams, Nelson, Mark-Viverito, Rodriguez, Gonzalez and Ulrich
Whereas, In New York City, the Center for Animal Care and Control reported that 35,588 cats and dogs came into the New York City shelter system in 2010, and 22,246 were adopted; and
Whereas, Over the same period, 9,373 cats and dogs were euthanized; and
Whereas, While the euthanasia rates have dropped by approximately two-thirds since 2003, the rate of euthanasia in New York City remains unacceptably high; and
Whereas, Assembly Member Micah Kellner (D-Manhattan) and Senator Joseph Robach (R-Rochester) introduced the Companion Animal Access and Rescue Act (CAARA); and
Whereas, CAARA provides that before an animal is euthanized, the facility in possession of the animal shall notify an animal rescue or adoption organization about the impending termination; and
Whereas, An approved animal rescue or adoption organization would be allowed to adopt animals under CAARA; and
Whereas, This legislation also establishes a minimum standard of care for abandoned, stray, or seized animals including the provision of daily fresh food and water, environmental enrichment that promotes the animals' psychological well-being, daily exercise, a clean living environment, and prompt veterinary care; and
Whereas, This bill requires that whenever an organization takes possession of an animal, the organization check the animal for methods of identification, maintain and monitor reports of lost animals on a daily basis, post descriptions of each stray animal on the Internet, and when an animal's owner is identified, take reasonable efforts to notify the owner of the animal's location; and
Whereas, This legislation extends the amount of time that a facility must hold an animal before euthanasia and mandates the reporting of information including the number of animals impounded, adopted, and transferred to other agencies; and
Whereas, CAARA contains similar provisions to legislation passed in California in 1998 and in Delaware in 2010; and
Whereas, By enacting this legislation, New York State would save the lives of countless animals and reduce the cost to taxpayers; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York State Legislature to pass and the Governor to sign the Companion Animal Access and Rescue Act, A.7321B/S.5363B, legislation that would establish standards for the care of abandoned, stray, or seized animals and requires the release of a shelter animal to a rescue group prior to euthanasia.
LS # 2605
JM
7/6/2011