NYC Must Add More Shelters

You Can Help! NYC Must Create More Animal Shelters

The ASPCA applauds a decision by the New York State Supreme Court to uphold a 2000 law mandating the existence of full-service animal shelters in all five New York City boroughs. In last week’s ruling, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Marilyn Shafer gave the City 60 days to come up with a plan to implement the law which will ultimately allow for more animals to be adopted and fewer to be euthanized.

While the boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Staten Island are each outfitted with New York City Animal Care and Control shelters, the Bronx and Queens have only part-time animal receiving centers. Animals in these two boroughs are routinely sent to Manhattan and Brooklyn, where shelters quickly reach capacity, resulting in the euthanasia of healthy pets. Although funds were allocated for a full-service shelter in each borough, the City has not yet taken steps to purchase sites in the Bronx and Queens.
“Each New York City borough, by law, was required to have a full-service animal shelter by July 1, 2006,” states Michelle Villagomez, ASPCA Senior Manager of Advocacy & Campaigns. “The ASPCA has been urging New York City for years to fulfill its mandate and provide the people and animals of Queens and the Bronx with these shelters.”

In January 2009, the nonprofit group Stray from the Heart sued the City, reasoning that its failure to set up animal shelters in the Bronx and Queens resulted in the “needless suffering and death of homeless cats and dogs.” In its lawsuit, the group charged: “Homeless dogs have been dying in unconscionable numbers because the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has not provided the shelter space required by statute.”

Notes Villagomez, “Not only are healthy, innocent animals being euthanized before getting a chance at adoption, but residents of these boroughs are tax-paying New Yorkers and deserve the same services that residents in the other three boroughs receive.”

The City of New York plans to appeal the court’s decision.

How You Can Help

The impact of the shelter shortage is felt city-wide—even in the three boroughs that currently have shelters. Please phone your representative on the New York City Council and urge him or her to support the establishment of full-service animal shelters in all five boroughs.

“Vacancy” Pet Adoption Ads in NYC Subway Stations Next Week!

Watch for “Vacancy” Pet Adoption Ads in NYC Subway Stations Next Week!

“Vacancy” Ad Campaign asks New Yorkers, “Is there room in your life for a homeless pet?”

From September 28 until October 25, a series of intriguing print ads will pose a simple question to New York City subway riders: Is there room in your life for a homeless pet?

The advertising campaign was created to encourage New Yorkers to adopt their next pet from a shelter or rescue group instead of purchasing from a pet store. The Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals worked with Filter Advertising in New York City (who created the ads pro-bono) to develop the ads two years ago for an outdoor poster campaign that ran for a month throughout the city. Now the campaign has been recast to reach the tremendous audience of New York City subway riders.

The campaign’s revival was made possible as a result of the successful fundraising efforts by TAILS (Toward Animals In Loving Spaces) of the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals — a group of young New York philanthropists who work with the Mayor’s Alliance to help achieve its goal of transforming NYC into a no-kill community by 2015. TAILS raised the funds to place the ads at a spring fundraiser held specifically to fund the campaign. The timing of this campaign corresponds with the New York Week for the Animals, which takes place October 10-18 and features a wide range of animal-related events throughout New York State, including adoption events, spay/neuter clinics, microchipping clinics, and many more events that celebrate the importance of animals in our lives.

The ads’ creators developed the “Vacancy” campaign as a simple, graphic and emotional approach to pet adoption based on a single premise: asking New Yorkers if they have room in their lives for a homeless pet. The situations depicted in the series of five ads show people in recognizable settings where a dog or cat would naturally be present. But instead of a cat or dog, the absence of a pet is suggested by a “vacancy” sign. For example, one of the ads features a sleeping young couple, and at the foot of the bed (where there could very well be a dog or a cat) is a vacancy sign. The tagline states, “Is there room in your life for a homeless pet?”

“We are excited to launch our first advertising campaign in the NYC subways, and hope that it will increase responsible pet adoptions in our city and decrease the number of homeless pets at our city shelters,” says Jane Hoffman, President of the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals. “We’re grateful for the efforts made by the TAILS fundraisers and also Filter Advertising, who were the driving forces behind this moving campaign.”

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Mayor’s Alliance Success Stories

Celebrate with Rational Animal/Mayor’s Alliance

WHO: Rational Animal/Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animal
WHAT: Spay/Neuter PSA Launch Party
WHEN: Wednesday, April 22, 7-10pm
WHERE: Le Royale
22 7th Ave S. (at Leroy St.) www.leroyaleclub.com

WHY: a great way to celebrate Earth Day, so that all animals on Earth have homes!

Come celebrate the launch of the three public service announcements (PSAs) Rational Animal produced for the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals and communities around the country. The spots are now running on NY1, WABC and soon coming to Bucks County, Penn with more channels to be announced.

All are welcome tho we must advise you give your furry loved ones a treat and leave them safely at home.

Donations will gladly be accepted at the door. Hope to see you there!

Puppy Mills: Exposed, Animal Planet

To read this complete article please visit Thoughts Fur Paws.

Starting in Pennsylvania, a state which some organizations have dubbed “the puppy mill capital of the east,” Animal Planet follows the committed law enforcement officers of the Pennsylvania SPCA (PSPCA) to take viewers inside the world of puppy mills in PUPPY MILLS: EXPOSED. Premiering Monday, April 27, at 10 PM (ET/PT), this special episode of ANIMAL COPS: PHILADELPHIA utilizes photographic and video evidence and the firsthand accounts of investigators and employees who brought down some of the largest puppy mill operations in the country. PUPPY MILLS: EXPOSED illuminates the horrifying conditions of puppy mills while forcing viewers to ask how this inexcusable business continues to flourish on American soil.

In Pennsylvania, PUPPY MILLS: EXPOSED explores the case of Limestone Kennels — one of the highest profile puppy mill cases the state has ever seen. On July 17, 2008, just outside of Philadelphia in Chester County, investigators rescued more than 80 dogs from Limestone and brought owner John Blank to justice. Unfortunately, victory was bittersweet because what the officers saw inside the puppy mill was astonishing — multiple dogs packed into cramped cages, food dishes contaminated with feces and animals with multiple birth defects, including dogs with missing eyes. The worst part was the kennel had passed inspections on multiple occasions, calling into question the enforcement of state laws surrounding the welfare of animals in Pennsylvania. Humane Law Enforcement Officer Ashley Mutch followed the lead that led to the warrant and raid of Limestone Kennels.

Calendar Clothing- Donations to KittyKind

Once again, one of KittyKind’s volunteers is donating 10% of auction profits on her vintage cocktail dresses all week starting tonight. Please visit Calendar Girl Clothing on eBay and help our cats.

Volunteer of the Month at KittyKind

Congratulations to Alison C. our April Volunteer of the Month!  Alison has been an extremely dedicated, thorough, and valuable asset to the Meds Group, as well as fostering when she can, during her three years with us.  Her motivation for volunteering? “It’s inspiring to me that animals are so willing to give us trust and love, even despite negative past experiences, and I want to be able to give back some of that care to these cats that are struggling and so need people to help them.”  Alison is graduating from NYU this year and will be moving back to her home town.   Thank you Alison, you have been a joy to have as part of the KittyKind team and when you are gone, we will miss you greatly!!

This months nominations included Lynell for her long term commitment and constant care of the cats, Jilda for taking all of our lovely cat photos and handling all of Petfinder, and Caren for managing her Wed PM shift beautifully.

***Winners are chosen at random from all nominees.

Great Kids Art for KittyKind

Thanks to Jacque Wadsworth and the students of Do Art Make Stuff for creating these wonderful, whimsical, and imaginative posters that we will hang at our adoption center in Petco this Spring. We all say thank you!!!!!! -KittyKind

Camilla

Chloe and Marisa

Christina

Izzy

Mary

Maya

McKenna and Catherine

A Super Happy Ending at KittyKind NYC

Elliot and Oliver were adopted from KittyKind last year. Their adopter Ryan, sent in this fabulous video that shows the two brothers living a normal and happy life.

Here is an excerpt from what Ryan wrote about the video.

“This is a short video of my two cats, Oliver and Elliot. I adopted them in February 2008 from a group in NYC called KittyKind. Both cats were born with Cerebellar Hypoplasia (CH) because their mother had distemper when she was pregnant with them. They are two out of a litter of four (all born with the disability). While they have some unusual ways of doing things, they are mostly normal cats.”

KittyKoncert to Benefit KittyKind-Feb 28