ECC NEWS
Another Brooklyn Group Supports Oreo's Law--Now, It's Your Turn!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Oreo's Law aims to save lives in New York State--and if it passes, it will. Oreo's Law--once passed--would make it illegal for an animal shelter or an animal control facility to kill a healthy or medically or behaviorally treatable animal if another legitimate non-profit animal rescue organization is willing to take the animal. Some establishments have policies to kill cats because they are feral; others kill kittens because they have colds or are still nursing and not completely weaned. Currently, there is no recourse for animal rescue organizations to protect animals from being unnecessarily killed if another animal sheltering establishment is determined to do so.
Laurie Bleier, director of the Brooklyn Animal Foster Network, an animal rescue organization, recently wrote: "My name is Laurie Bleier and I am the director of the Brooklyn Animal Foster Network. My group is one of many groups which were banned from removing animals from the Animal Care & Control of New York City (NYCACC) by past executive director Charlene Pedrolie.
In the two years before our suspension, we removed more than 1,000 animals from NYCACC as New Hope Partners, through our Care-A-Van adoption events with State Senator Erik Addams. Every weekend, Spring, Summer and Fall, you could see us on Seventh Avenue in Park Slope with 15 or more animals we just picked up from the Brooklyn Center on Linden Blvd. Many from the euthanasia list.
Shortly after Ms. Pedrolie began her tenure, she informed me unceremoniously that my group was banned because one of my dogs in foster care was found to be emaciated. After a thorough investigation by the ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement those charges were found to be completely baseless and the case was dropped. You can call Officer Joe Pentangelo at (212) 876-7700, ext. 4450 for confirmation of this.
Despite our complete exoneration, Ms. Pedrolie refused to give us back our New Hope status. In the 2 and 1/2 years that we have not had due process to regain our status we estimate more than 1,000 cats and dogs needlessly perished because one person could not admit she made a mistake. No one should have that kind of power over helpless animals.
Additionally, there was no response to countless letters of protest written to the board members of Animal Care & Control of New York City by hundreds of outraged New York animal loving citizens who knew our work.
And now, to our utter disbelief, the new Interim Director recently told me that Ms. Charlene Pedrolie's countless, capricious suspensions are not a priority for her. Seems a few more hundred animals will die under her temporary tenure.
Please feel free to use my story as a powerful reason to enact immediately Oreo's Law."
Please contact Assembly Member Micah Z. Kellner and State Senator Thomas K. Duane and thank them for their work to protect shelter animals! Their contact information is available on their websites.
If you're a New York State resident, PLEASE write, call AND email your Assembly Member and State Senator and ask them to support (and ideally co-sponsor) Assemblyman Micah Kellner and State Senator Thomas Duane's "Oreo's Law": a law that will protect countless companion animals from being unnecessarily destroyed when alternatives exist. You can find your New York State representatives here. You also get this information by calling the League of Women Voters of the City of New York's Telephone Information Service at 212-725-3541.
Please keep Empty Cages Collective in the loop about responses you get!
Basketball was pulled from the kill list at Animal Care & Control by Empty Cages. Should she have died if a shelter director decided he or she didn't want to work with ECC? Oreo's Law would provided needed protection for cats like Basketball.
Another Brooklyn Group Supports Oreo's Law--Now, It's Your Turn!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Oreo's Law aims to save lives in New York State--and if it passes, it will. Oreo's Law--once passed--would make it illegal for an animal shelter or an animal control facility to kill a healthy or medically or behaviorally treatable animal if another legitimate non-profit animal rescue organization is willing to take the animal. Some establishments have policies to kill cats because they are feral; others kill kittens because they have colds or are still nursing and not completely weaned. Currently, there is no recourse for animal rescue organizations to protect animals from being unnecessarily killed if another animal sheltering establishment is determined to do so.
Laurie Bleier, director of the Brooklyn Animal Foster Network, an animal rescue organization, recently wrote: "My name is Laurie Bleier and I am the director of the Brooklyn Animal Foster Network. My group is one of many groups which were banned from removing animals from the Animal Care & Control of New York City (NYCACC) by past executive director Charlene Pedrolie.
In the two years before our suspension, we removed more than 1,000 animals from NYCACC as New Hope Partners, through our Care-A-Van adoption events with State Senator Erik Addams. Every weekend, Spring, Summer and Fall, you could see us on Seventh Avenue in Park Slope with 15 or more animals we just picked up from the Brooklyn Center on Linden Blvd. Many from the euthanasia list.
Shortly after Ms. Pedrolie began her tenure, she informed me unceremoniously that my group was banned because one of my dogs in foster care was found to be emaciated. After a thorough investigation by the ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement those charges were found to be completely baseless and the case was dropped. You can call Officer Joe Pentangelo at (212) 876-7700, ext. 4450 for confirmation of this.
Despite our complete exoneration, Ms. Pedrolie refused to give us back our New Hope status. In the 2 and 1/2 years that we have not had due process to regain our status we estimate more than 1,000 cats and dogs needlessly perished because one person could not admit she made a mistake. No one should have that kind of power over helpless animals.
Additionally, there was no response to countless letters of protest written to the board members of Animal Care & Control of New York City by hundreds of outraged New York animal loving citizens who knew our work.
And now, to our utter disbelief, the new Interim Director recently told me that Ms. Charlene Pedrolie's countless, capricious suspensions are not a priority for her. Seems a few more hundred animals will die under her temporary tenure.
Please feel free to use my story as a powerful reason to enact immediately Oreo's Law."
Please contact Assembly Member Micah Z. Kellner and State Senator Thomas K. Duane and thank them for their work to protect shelter animals! Their contact information is available on their websites.
If you're a New York State resident, PLEASE write, call AND email your Assembly Member and State Senator and ask them to support (and ideally co-sponsor) Assemblyman Micah Kellner and State Senator Thomas Duane's "Oreo's Law": a law that will protect countless companion animals from being unnecessarily destroyed when alternatives exist. You can find your New York State representatives here. You also get this information by calling the League of Women Voters of the City of New York's Telephone Information Service at 212-725-3541.
Please keep Empty Cages Collective in the loop about responses you get!
Basketball was pulled from the kill list at Animal Care & Control by Empty Cages. Should she have died if a shelter director decided he or she didn't want to work with ECC? Oreo's Law would provided needed protection for cats like Basketball.