• SUPPORT THE GREAT APE PROTECTION ACT H.R. 5852 - Help the approximately 1200 chimpanzees who are still imprisoned in US laboratories!
• HELP SAVE HORSES FROM SLAUGHTER - HELP PASS THE AMERICAN HORSE SLAUGHTER PREVENTION ACT H.R. 503/ S. 311
• HELP PROTECT WILD HORSES AND BURROS H.R. 249
  
  NEW YORK CITY ACTION ALERTS:
  
• New York State Bills that Have Been Signed Into Law/2008

NEW YORK CITY ACTION ALERTS:


• RALLY IN SUPPORT OF PETS IN HOUSING BILL FOR NEW YORK CITY INTRO. NO. 13
• Open Letter to New York City Councilmember Simcha Felder
• YOUR APT. OR YOUR PET? New Yorkers should not be forced to choose - HELP US PASS INTRO. No. 13!
• NYC ACTION ALERT: HUMANE EDUCATION, RESOLUTION 497

SUPPORT THE GREAT APE PROTECTION ACT
H.R. 5852

Help the approximately 1200 chimpanzees who are still imprisoned in US laboratories!

H.R. 5852, which is pending before the US House of Representatives, would stop invasive research on chimpanzees, retire federally-owned chimpanzees to a permanent sanctuary, and, by statute, stop funding for the breeding of federally-owned chimpanzees. Many other countries, including Australia, Austria, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United Kingdom have already passed laws to limit or ban research on chimpanzees.

Contact your US representative and urge him/her to sponsor H.R. 5852.

If you do not know the name of your Representative, call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 or go to www.house.gov (have your 9 digit zip code ready). Contact information for your Representative and Senators will be provided on this site. Additionally, letters to your Representative may be sent to:

# # #

HELP SAVE HORSES FROM SLAUGHTER
HELP PASS THE AMERICAN HORSE SLAUGHTER PREVENTION ACT H.R. 503/ S. 311

The only horse slaughterhouse remaining in the US may no longer slaughter horses according to a recent decision by the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. The appeals court, by upholding a lower court decision, has effectively stopped horse slaughter in the US.

IN ORDER TO PREVENT LIVE HORSES FROM BEING EXPORTED TO SLAUGHTERHOUSES IN CANADA AND MEXICO, FEDERAL LEGISLATION MUST BE PASSED. ALSO, A FEDERAL LAW BANNING HORSE SLAUGHTER WOULD PROVIDE GREATER ASSURANCE THAT HORSE SLAUGHTER IN THE US WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN!

Please contact your Representative in Congress and your two US Senators and ask them to co-sponsor the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act , H.R. 503 (for Representatives) and S. 311(for Senators) to ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption and to prohibit their export for slaughter in other countries.

If you do not know the names of your Representative or US Senators, call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 or go to www.house.gov (have your 9 digit zip code ready) and www.senate.gov (where you just have to click on your state). Contact information for your Representative and Senators will be provided on these sites. Additionally, letters to your Representative and Senators may be sent to:

The Honorable (name)
US House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable (name)
US Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Thank you!

# # #

HELP PROTECT WILD HORSES AND BURROS
H.R. 249

This legislation prohibits the commercial sale and slaughter of wild free-roaming horses and burros. As a result of a change in the law in 2004, these animals may be sold through auction to the highest bidder. Several of these magnificent animals have already been sent to slaughter. This cruelty must be stopped now.

ACTION: The House of Representatives has passed this legislation but it must be passed by the US Senate. Contact your two US Senators and urge them to support H.R. 249.

If you do not know the names of your senators, call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 or go to www.senate.gov (have your 9 digit zip code ready). Additionally, letters to your senators may be sent to:

The Honorable (name)
US Senate
Washington, DC 20510

# # #

Below is a list of several bills pending before Congress. Please contact your representative and two US Senators to urge them to support these bills. To see texts of any of the bills, go to www.thomas.gov and type in the bill number.

For contact information for your two US Senators and your Representative (congressman/woman) you can call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 or go to www.senate.gov and www.house.gov or www.congress.org . Have your 9 digit zip code ready. Additionally, letters may be sent to your US Senators and Representative to the following addresses:

The Honorable (name)
US Senate
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable (name)
US House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

H.R. 891: Dog and Cat Fur Enforcement Act

Labeling: This bill requires all fur products to be labeled regardless of the value of the fur. Currently, labeling is not required if the value of the fur is $150 or less.

Bans Sale of Raccoon dog fur: This bill bans the sale of fur from raccoon dogs. Raccoon dogs are killed in China, sometimes skinned alive, and their fur is then used in garments. The Dog and Cat Protection Act of 2000 prohibits the export, import, manufacture, or sale of products made with dog and cat fur. However, this law does not protect raccoon dogs. Between 1.5 million to 4 million raccoon dogs are killed in China each year for their fur.

This bill prohibits the import, export and interstate trade in bear parts. Bear parts are used in Asian medicines and are in increasing demand. To meet this demand, poachers are killing bears and selling the parts at huge profits. While trade in bear parts is illegal in many states, a federal law is needed to provide for more effective enforcement. It has been reported that law enforcement officers in the US have uncovered dead bears in our forests with only their gallbladders and paws removed. Videotapes of poaching also show the brutality involved in killing the bears.

Bans Using Animals in Sales Demonstrations: This bill prohibits the use of live animals for training, demonstrating, or marketing medical devices to sales representatives.

Increases Fines: Fines for violations of the Animal Welfare Act, the main federal law regulating the care of animals used laboratory experiments and tests, would be increased.

Reporting to Congress Reinstated: The US Department of Agriculture would be required to submit a report to Congress detailing its enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act and make recommendations for legislation to improve administration of the Act and the transportation of live animals in air transportation.

H.R. 661: Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act

Those animals who are too injured or sick to stand on their own are often pushed, prodded, pulled, kicked and dragged to move them to slaughter. H.R. 661 addresses this cruelty in the following ways:

Requires Euthanasia of Downed Animals: This bill requires all non-ambulatory livestock in interstate and foreign commerce to be immediately euthanized.

Strengthens Inspection Requirements: Provides that USDA inspectors may not pass through inspection any non-ambulatory livestock or the carcass or any part of the carcass of such livestock.

H.R. 2711/S. 2422: Computer Assisted Remote Control Hunting Act

This legislation would ban Internet hunting. This means hunting through the use of a computer or other equipment which allows a person to remotely control the aiming and discharge of a weapon to kill or injure an animal while not in the physical presence of the targeted animal. Internet hunters pay a fee, select an animal, and click the mouse to fire the rifle. 34 states have laws banning this practice.

H.R. 2964/ S. 1498: The Captive Primate Safety Act

This legislation would ban the interstate and foreign commerce of primates for use as pets. These animals are often subject to abuse and neglect in the pet trade. While able to be handled as infants, when primates grow they become more difficult to handle. The result is that some of these animals end up at roadside zoos where they are kept in small cages and improperly cared for; others are confined in homes where their lives become barren and isolated.

H.R. 3829: Sportsmanship in Hunting Act

This legislation would prohibit the transport or possession of a confined exotic animal for the purpose of allowing the killing or injuring of the animal for entertainment or for the collection of a trophy. The purpose of this legislation is to prevent what has been termed “canned hunting,” the hunting of animals who are confined in areas from which they cannot avoid hunters. Often the animals are accustomed to human handling or feeding and do not even make substantial attempts to escape. These animals are shot, often at close range, just so the shooter can have the dead animal as a trophy.

H.R. 3327 and H.R. 3219: Federal Dog Protection Act

These bills would strengthen the federal dogfighting laws to include stiff penalties for those who are spectators at dogfights and for those who train or transport animals for dog fighting.

This legislation would establish additional prohibitions on the shooting wildlife from aircrafts. In the last seven years, about 700 wolves have been shot and killed from aircraft. The aerial shooting of wolves has taken place in Alaska, for example, in order to boost the moose and caribou population for hunters.

This legislation would prohibit the federal government from purchasing meat, dairy products or eggs for use in the military, prisons, schools and other federal programs unless the animals were provided with adequate space to stand, lie down, turn around completely and fully extend all limbs or wings, provided daily access to adequate food and water, and provided with adequate veterinary care. The legislation also states that the animals may not have been forced fed.

# # #

New York State Bills that Have Been Signed Into Law/2008

Below is a listing of key animal related bills that have been signed into law this year by New York State Governor Paterson. While these bills address important humane issues, in many instances they need to be strengthened to provide animals with greater protection. The Humane Society of New York will continue to work for the passage of more stringent animal protection legislation that effectively prevents cruelty to all animals.

Animal Irritancy Tests, A. 7402-B, S. 3528-A. Sponsored by Assemblywoman Rosenthal and Senator Padavan. Prohibits manufacturers from testing cosmetics and household products on animals when an alternative test method has been scientifically validated and recommended by the Inter-Agency Coordinating Committee for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM) and adopted by relevant federal agencies or programs within an agency responsible for regulating the specific product or activity for which the test is being conducted. California has a similar law.

Slaughter, A. 246-B, S.5920-A. Sponsored by Assemblywoman Clark and Senator Padavan. Places a moratorium on the operation of establishments where animals are slaughtered for food within a 1500 foot radius of a residential dwelling in a city with a population of one million or more. Existing facilities may still operate. Additional bills and other actions to ban/regulate these establishments are being considered.

Animal Fighting Spectators, A. 10092-A, S. 6466-A. Sponsored by Assemblyman Kavanaugh and Senators DeFrancisco, Larkin and Nozzolio. Makes being a knowing spectator at an animal fight a violation. More than 16 states make it a felony to be a knowing spectator and many states make it a misdemeanor. Thus, this bill, while a step forward, needs to be further strengthened.

Animal Response Teams, A. 9715-A, S. 7184-A. Sponsored by Assemblyman Timothy Gordon and Senator Saland. Authorizes the commissioner of Agriculture and Markets to establish state and county animal response teams to support the prevention of, preparedness for, response to, and recovery from emergencies and disasters affecting animals in New York State. Allows for the appointment of volunteers to such teams and further states that the commissioner shall be responsible for training the teams to ensure response during emergencies and disasters.

Task Force on Slaughter of Non-Ambulatory Animals, A. 3689-B, S. 8409. Sponsored by Assemblywoman Markey and Senator Young. Provides for the establishment of a task force to examine, evaluate and determine the most effective state actions to prevent the slaughter of animals who are unable to walk on their own due to illness or injury (referred to as downed animals). The legislature did not pass more effective legislation to prohibit slaughterhouses, stockyards, auction market agencies, or dealers from buying, selling or receiving a downed animal. The bill that did not pass stated that such facilities shall not hold a downed animal without taking immediate action to humanely euthanize the animal or humanely remove the animal for veterinary treatment.

Junior Hunting, A. 11033, S. 8228. Sponsored by Assemblywoman DelMonte and Senator Volker. Provides that 14 and 15 year olds can hunt deer and bear. This bill also allows minors under the age of 12 to assist licensed trappers. The Humane Society of New York and other humane organizations opposed this legislation which was supported by the NYS Department of Environment Conservation.

* We will continue to work for passage of humane legislation during the 2009 session, including supporting bills to make intentional cruelty to wildlife a felony, ban canned hunting, promote humane education, end horse slaughter, allow pets in housing, and much more.

# # #

- NEW YORK CITY ACTION ALERTS -

RALLY IN SUPPORT OF
PETS IN HOUSING BILL FOR
NEW YORK CITY INTRO. NO. 13

Date: Saturday, April 5
Time: Noon
Place: Steps of City Hall

Intro. No. 13, introduced by NYC Councilmember Tony Avella, states that once a no-pet lease clause has been waived by the landlord, the tenant can “replace” a pet or pets who are no longer in the apartment with a pet or pets of the same species. This means that if your waived-in pet dies, you would be able to get another pet without the fear of eviction, unless your pet creates a nuisance.

Under New York City's existing pet law, if a tenant keeps a pet openly with the knowledge of the owner (landlord) or owner's agent (such as a super, security guard, doorman) for three months or more and the owner does not commence a legal proceeding to enforce the no-pet lease clause within this three months period, the owner waives the right to enforce the no-pet clause. HOWEVER, the courts have interpreted the law to give landlords a three month opportunity each time a tenant gets a new pet. Thus, just because the no-pet clause is waived for one pet does not mean it is waived for future pets.

Intro. No. 13 would change this by making it clear that if the owner waives the no-pet clause for one or more pets, the tenant can then get the same number and species of companion animals in the future to “replace” the pets who are no longer in the apartment.

While we believe that no-pet lease clauses should be unenforceable unless a nuisance is created regardless of how long a tenant has kept a pet, Intro. No. 13 is a very important step forward.

INTRO. NO. 13 HAS BEEN LANGUISHING IN THE NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL'S HOUSING AND BUILDINGS COMMITTEE FOR TEN YEARS (while the bill has had different numbers and sponsors, the language has not dramatically changed over the years)

WE WILL BE AT CITY HALL ON APRIL 5 TH FOR THIS RALLY SPONSORED BY THE LEAGUE OF HUMANE VOTERS OF NEW YORK CITY.

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

# # #

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 APT. OR YOUR PET?
New Yorkers should not be forced to choose
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!

# # #

NEW YORK CITY ACTION ALERT
HUMANE EDUCATION
RESOLUTION 497

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.

• SUPPORT THE GREAT APE PROTECTION ACT H.R. 5852 - Help the approximately 1200 chimpanzees who are still imprisoned in US laboratories!
• HELP SAVE HORSES FROM SLAUGHTER - HELP PASS THE AMERICAN HORSE SLAUGHTER PREVENTION ACT H.R. 503/ S. 311
• HELP PROTECT WILD HORSES AND BURROS H.R. 249
  
  NEW YORK CITY ACTION ALERTS:
  
• New York State Bills that Have Been Signed Into Law/2008

NEW YORK CITY ACTION ALERTS:


• RALLY IN SUPPORT OF PETS IN HOUSING BILL FOR NEW YORK CITY INTRO. NO. 13
• Open Letter to New York City Councilmember Simcha Felder
• YOUR APT. OR YOUR PET? New Yorkers should not be forced to choose - HELP US PASS INTRO. No. 13!
• NYC ACTION ALERT: HUMANE EDUCATION, RESOLUTION 497

SUPPORT THE GREAT APE PROTECTION ACT
H.R. 5852

Help the approximately 1200 chimpanzees who are still imprisoned in US laboratories!

H.R. 5852, which is pending before the US House of Representatives, would stop invasive research on chimpanzees, retire federally-owned chimpanzees to a permanent sanctuary, and, by statute, stop funding for the breeding of federally-owned chimpanzees. Many other countries, including Australia, Austria, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United Kingdom have already passed laws to limit or ban research on chimpanzees.

Contact your US representative and urge him/her to sponsor H.R. 5852.

If you do not know the name of your Representative, call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 or go to www.house.gov (have your 9 digit zip code ready). Contact information for your Representative and Senators will be provided on this site. Additionally, letters to your Representative may be sent to:

# # #

HELP SAVE HORSES FROM SLAUGHTER
HELP PASS THE AMERICAN HORSE SLAUGHTER PREVENTION ACT H.R. 503/ S. 311

The only horse slaughterhouse remaining in the US may no longer slaughter horses according to a recent decision by the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. The appeals court, by upholding a lower court decision, has effectively stopped horse slaughter in the US.

IN ORDER TO PREVENT LIVE HORSES FROM BEING EXPORTED TO SLAUGHTERHOUSES IN CANADA AND MEXICO, FEDERAL LEGISLATION MUST BE PASSED. ALSO, A FEDERAL LAW BANNING HORSE SLAUGHTER WOULD PROVIDE GREATER ASSURANCE THAT HORSE SLAUGHTER IN THE US WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN!

Please contact your Representative in Congress and your two US Senators and ask them to co-sponsor the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act , H.R. 503 (for Representatives) and S. 311(for Senators) to ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption and to prohibit their export for slaughter in other countries.

If you do not know the names of your Representative or US Senators, call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 or go to www.house.gov (have your 9 digit zip code ready) and www.senate.gov (where you just have to click on your state). Contact information for your Representative and Senators will be provided on these sites. Additionally, letters to your Representative and Senators may be sent to:

The Honorable (name)
US House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable (name)
US Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Thank you!

# # #

HELP PROTECT WILD HORSES AND BURROS
H.R. 249

This legislation prohibits the commercial sale and slaughter of wild free-roaming horses and burros. As a result of a change in the law in 2004, these animals may be sold through auction to the highest bidder. Several of these magnificent animals have already been sent to slaughter. This cruelty must be stopped now.

ACTION: The House of Representatives has passed this legislation but it must be passed by the US Senate. Contact your two US Senators and urge them to support H.R. 249.

If you do not know the names of your senators, call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 or go to www.senate.gov (have your 9 digit zip code ready). Additionally, letters to your senators may be sent to:

The Honorable (name)
US Senate
Washington, DC 20510

# # #

Below is a list of several bills pending before Congress. Please contact your representative and two US Senators to urge them to support these bills. To see texts of any of the bills, go to www.thomas.gov and type in the bill number.

For contact information for your two US Senators and your Representative (congressman/woman) you can call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 or go to www.senate.gov and www.house.gov or www.congress.org . Have your 9 digit zip code ready. Additionally, letters may be sent to your US Senators and Representative to the following addresses:

The Honorable (name)
US Senate
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable (name)
US House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

H.R. 891: Dog and Cat Fur Enforcement Act

Labeling: This bill requires all fur products to be labeled regardless of the value of the fur. Currently, labeling is not required if the value of the fur is $150 or less.

Bans Sale of Raccoon dog fur: This bill bans the sale of fur from raccoon dogs. Raccoon dogs are killed in China, sometimes skinned alive, and their fur is then used in garments. The Dog and Cat Protection Act of 2000 prohibits the export, import, manufacture, or sale of products made with dog and cat fur. However, this law does not protect raccoon dogs. Between 1.5 million to 4 million raccoon dogs are killed in China each year for their fur.

This bill prohibits the import, export and interstate trade in bear parts. Bear parts are used in Asian medicines and are in increasing demand. To meet this demand, poachers are killing bears and selling the parts at huge profits. While trade in bear parts is illegal in many states, a federal law is needed to provide for more effective enforcement. It has been reported that law enforcement officers in the US have uncovered dead bears in our forests with only their gallbladders and paws removed. Videotapes of poaching also show the brutality involved in killing the bears.

Bans Using Animals in Sales Demonstrations: This bill prohibits the use of live animals for training, demonstrating, or marketing medical devices to sales representatives.

Increases Fines: Fines for violations of the Animal Welfare Act, the main federal law regulating the care of animals used laboratory experiments and tests, would be increased.

Reporting to Congress Reinstated: The US Department of Agriculture would be required to submit a report to Congress detailing its enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act and make recommendations for legislation to improve administration of the Act and the transportation of live animals in air transportation.

H.R. 661: Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act

Those animals who are too injured or sick to stand on their own are often pushed, prodded, pulled, kicked and dragged to move them to slaughter. H.R. 661 addresses this cruelty in the following ways:

Requires Euthanasia of Downed Animals: This bill requires all non-ambulatory livestock in interstate and foreign commerce to be immediately euthanized.

Strengthens Inspection Requirements: Provides that USDA inspectors may not pass through inspection any non-ambulatory livestock or the carcass or any part of the carcass of such livestock.

H.R. 2711/S. 2422: Computer Assisted Remote Control Hunting Act

This legislation would ban Internet hunting. This means hunting through the use of a computer or other equipment which allows a person to remotely control the aiming and discharge of a weapon to kill or injure an animal while not in the physical presence of the targeted animal. Internet hunters pay a fee, select an animal, and click the mouse to fire the rifle. 34 states have laws banning this practice.

H.R. 2964/ S. 1498: The Captive Primate Safety Act

This legislation would ban the interstate and foreign commerce of primates for use as pets. These animals are often subject to abuse and neglect in the pet trade. While able to be handled as infants, when primates grow they become more difficult to handle. The result is that some of these animals end up at roadside zoos where they are kept in small cages and improperly cared for; others are confined in homes where their lives become barren and isolated.

H.R. 3829: Sportsmanship in Hunting Act

This legislation would prohibit the transport or possession of a confined exotic animal for the purpose of allowing the killing or injuring of the animal for entertainment or for the collection of a trophy. The purpose of this legislation is to prevent what has been termed “canned hunting,” the hunting of animals who are confined in areas from which they cannot avoid hunters. Often the animals are accustomed to human handling or feeding and do not even make substantial attempts to escape. These animals are shot, often at close range, just so the shooter can have the dead animal as a trophy.

H.R. 3327 and H.R. 3219: Federal Dog Protection Act

These bills would strengthen the federal dogfighting laws to include stiff penalties for those who are spectators at dogfights and for those who train or transport animals for dog fighting.

This legislation would establish additional prohibitions on the shooting wildlife from aircrafts. In the last seven years, about 700 wolves have been shot and killed from aircraft. The aerial shooting of wolves has taken place in Alaska, for example, in order to boost the moose and caribou population for hunters.

This legislation would prohibit the federal government from purchasing meat, dairy products or eggs for use in the military, prisons, schools and other federal programs unless the animals were provided with adequate space to stand, lie down, turn around completely and fully extend all limbs or wings, provided daily access to adequate food and water, and provided with adequate veterinary care. The legislation also states that the animals may not have been forced fed.

# # #

New York State Bills that Have Been Signed Into Law/2008

Below is a listing of key animal related bills that have been signed into law this year by New York State Governor Paterson. While these bills address important humane issues, in many instances they need to be strengthened to provide animals with greater protection. The Humane Society of New York will continue to work for the passage of more stringent animal protection legislation that effectively prevents cruelty to all animals.

Animal Irritancy Tests, A. 7402-B, S. 3528-A. Sponsored by Assemblywoman Rosenthal and Senator Padavan. Prohibits manufacturers from testing cosmetics and household products on animals when an alternative test method has been scientifically validated and recommended by the Inter-Agency Coordinating Committee for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM) and adopted by relevant federal agencies or programs within an agency responsible for regulating the specific product or activity for which the test is being conducted. California has a similar law.

Slaughter, A. 246-B, S.5920-A. Sponsored by Assemblywoman Clark and Senator Padavan. Places a moratorium on the operation of establishments where animals are slaughtered for food within a 1500 foot radius of a residential dwelling in a city with a population of one million or more. Existing facilities may still operate. Additional bills and other actions to ban/regulate these establishments are being considered.

Animal Fighting Spectators, A. 10092-A, S. 6466-A. Sponsored by Assemblyman Kavanaugh and Senators DeFrancisco, Larkin and Nozzolio. Makes being a knowing spectator at an animal fight a violation. More than 16 states make it a felony to be a knowing spectator and many states make it a misdemeanor. Thus, this bill, while a step forward, needs to be further strengthened.

Animal Response Teams, A. 9715-A, S. 7184-A. Sponsored by Assemblyman Timothy Gordon and Senator Saland. Authorizes the commissioner of Agriculture and Markets to establish state and county animal response teams to support the prevention of, preparedness for, response to, and recovery from emergencies and disasters affecting animals in New York State. Allows for the appointment of volunteers to such teams and further states that the commissioner shall be responsible for training the teams to ensure response during emergencies and disasters.

Task Force on Slaughter of Non-Ambulatory Animals, A. 3689-B, S. 8409. Sponsored by Assemblywoman Markey and Senator Young. Provides for the establishment of a task force to examine, evaluate and determine the most effective state actions to prevent the slaughter of animals who are unable to walk on their own due to illness or injury (referred to as downed animals). The legislature did not pass more effective legislation to prohibit slaughterhouses, stockyards, auction market agencies, or dealers from buying, selling or receiving a downed animal. The bill that did not pass stated that such facilities shall not hold a downed animal without taking immediate action to humanely euthanize the animal or humanely remove the animal for veterinary treatment.

Junior Hunting, A. 11033, S. 8228. Sponsored by Assemblywoman DelMonte and Senator Volker. Provides that 14 and 15 year olds can hunt deer and bear. This bill also allows minors under the age of 12 to assist licensed trappers. The Humane Society of New York and other humane organizations opposed this legislation which was supported by the NYS Department of Environment Conservation.

* We will continue to work for passage of humane legislation during the 2009 session, including supporting bills to make intentional cruelty to wildlife a felony, ban canned hunting, promote humane education, end horse slaughter, allow pets in housing, and much more.

# # #

- NEW YORK CITY ACTION ALERTS -

RALLY IN SUPPORT OF
PETS IN HOUSING BILL FOR
NEW YORK CITY INTRO. NO. 13

Date: Saturday, April 5
Time: Noon
Place: Steps of City Hall

Intro. No. 13, introduced by NYC Councilmember Tony Avella, states that once a no-pet lease clause has been waived by the landlord, the tenant can “replace” a pet or pets who are no longer in the apartment with a pet or pets of the same species. This means that if your waived-in pet dies, you would be able to get another pet without the fear of eviction, unless your pet creates a nuisance.

Under New York City's existing pet law, if a tenant keeps a pet openly with the knowledge of the owner (landlord) or owner's agent (such as a super, security guard, doorman) for three months or more and the owner does not commence a legal proceeding to enforce the no-pet lease clause within this three months period, the owner waives the right to enforce the no-pet clause. HOWEVER, the courts have interpreted the law to give landlords a three month opportunity each time a tenant gets a new pet. Thus, just because the no-pet clause is waived for one pet does not mean it is waived for future pets.

Intro. No. 13 would change this by making it clear that if the owner waives the no-pet clause for one or more pets, the tenant can then get the same number and species of companion animals in the future to “replace” the pets who are no longer in the apartment.

While we believe that no-pet lease clauses should be unenforceable unless a nuisance is created regardless of how long a tenant has kept a pet, Intro. No. 13 is a very important step forward.

INTRO. NO. 13 HAS BEEN LANGUISHING IN THE NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL'S HOUSING AND BUILDINGS COMMITTEE FOR TEN YEARS (while the bill has had different numbers and sponsors, the language has not dramatically changed over the years)

WE WILL BE AT CITY HALL ON APRIL 5 TH FOR THIS RALLY SPONSORED BY THE LEAGUE OF HUMANE VOTERS OF NEW YORK CITY.

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

# # #

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 APT. OR YOUR PET?
New Yorkers should not be forced to choose
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!

# # #

NEW YORK CITY ACTION ALERT
HUMANE EDUCATION
RESOLUTION 497

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.

• SUPPORT THE GREAT APE PROTECTION ACT H.R. 5852 - Help the approximately 1200 chimpanzees who are still imprisoned in US laboratories!
• HELP SAVE HORSES FROM SLAUGHTER - HELP PASS THE AMERICAN HORSE SLAUGHTER PREVENTION ACT H.R. 503/ S. 311
• HELP PROTECT WILD HORSES AND BURROS H.R. 249
  
  NEW YORK CITY ACTION ALERTS:
  
• New York State Bills that Have Been Signed Into Law/2008

NEW YORK CITY ACTION ALERTS:


• RALLY IN SUPPORT OF PETS IN HOUSING BILL FOR NEW YORK CITY INTRO. NO. 13
• Open Letter to New York City Councilmember Simcha Felder
• YOUR APT. OR YOUR PET? New Yorkers should not be forced to choose - HELP US PASS INTRO. No. 13!
• NYC ACTION ALERT: HUMANE EDUCATION, RESOLUTION 497

SUPPORT THE GREAT APE PROTECTION ACT
H.R. 5852

Help the approximately 1200 chimpanzees who are still imprisoned in US laboratories!

H.R. 5852, which is pending before the US House of Representatives, would stop invasive research on chimpanzees, retire federally-owned chimpanzees to a permanent sanctuary, and, by statute, stop funding for the breeding of federally-owned chimpanzees. Many other countries, including Australia, Austria, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United Kingdom have already passed laws to limit or ban research on chimpanzees.

Contact your US representative and urge him/her to sponsor H.R. 5852.

If you do not know the name of your Representative, call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 or go to www.house.gov (have your 9 digit zip code ready). Contact information for your Representative and Senators will be provided on this site. Additionally, letters to your Representative may be sent to:

# # #

HELP SAVE HORSES FROM SLAUGHTER
HELP PASS THE AMERICAN HORSE SLAUGHTER PREVENTION ACT H.R. 503/ S. 311

The only horse slaughterhouse remaining in the US may no longer slaughter horses according to a recent decision by the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. The appeals court, by upholding a lower court decision, has effectively stopped horse slaughter in the US.

IN ORDER TO PREVENT LIVE HORSES FROM BEING EXPORTED TO SLAUGHTERHOUSES IN CANADA AND MEXICO, FEDERAL LEGISLATION MUST BE PASSED. ALSO, A FEDERAL LAW BANNING HORSE SLAUGHTER WOULD PROVIDE GREATER ASSURANCE THAT HORSE SLAUGHTER IN THE US WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN!

Please contact your Representative in Congress and your two US Senators and ask them to co-sponsor the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act , H.R. 503 (for Representatives) and S. 311(for Senators) to ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption and to prohibit their export for slaughter in other countries.

If you do not know the names of your Representative or US Senators, call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 or go to www.house.gov (have your 9 digit zip code ready) and www.senate.gov (where you just have to click on your state). Contact information for your Representative and Senators will be provided on these sites. Additionally, letters to your Representative and Senators may be sent to:

The Honorable (name)
US House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable (name)
US Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Thank you!

# # #

HELP PROTECT WILD HORSES AND BURROS
H.R. 249

This legislation prohibits the commercial sale and slaughter of wild free-roaming horses and burros. As a result of a change in the law in 2004, these animals may be sold through auction to the highest bidder. Several of these magnificent animals have already been sent to slaughter. This cruelty must be stopped now.

ACTION: The House of Representatives has passed this legislation but it must be passed by the US Senate. Contact your two US Senators and urge them to support H.R. 249.

If you do not know the names of your senators, call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 or go to www.senate.gov (have your 9 digit zip code ready). Additionally, letters to your senators may be sent to:

The Honorable (name)
US Senate
Washington, DC 20510

# # #

Below is a list of several bills pending before Congress. Please contact your representative and two US Senators to urge them to support these bills. To see texts of any of the bills, go to www.thomas.gov and type in the bill number.

For contact information for your two US Senators and your Representative (congressman/woman) you can call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 or go to www.senate.gov and www.house.gov or www.congress.org . Have your 9 digit zip code ready. Additionally, letters may be sent to your US Senators and Representative to the following addresses:

The Honorable (name)
US Senate
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable (name)
US House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

H.R. 891: Dog and Cat Fur Enforcement Act

Labeling: This bill requires all fur products to be labeled regardless of the value of the fur. Currently, labeling is not required if the value of the fur is $150 or less.

Bans Sale of Raccoon dog fur: This bill bans the sale of fur from raccoon dogs. Raccoon dogs are killed in China, sometimes skinned alive, and their fur is then used in garments. The Dog and Cat Protection Act of 2000 prohibits the export, import, manufacture, or sale of products made with dog and cat fur. However, this law does not protect raccoon dogs. Between 1.5 million to 4 million raccoon dogs are killed in China each year for their fur.

This bill prohibits the import, export and interstate trade in bear parts. Bear parts are used in Asian medicines and are in increasing demand. To meet this demand, poachers are killing bears and selling the parts at huge profits. While trade in bear parts is illegal in many states, a federal law is needed to provide for more effective enforcement. It has been reported that law enforcement officers in the US have uncovered dead bears in our forests with only their gallbladders and paws removed. Videotapes of poaching also show the brutality involved in killing the bears.

Bans Using Animals in Sales Demonstrations: This bill prohibits the use of live animals for training, demonstrating, or marketing medical devices to sales representatives.

Increases Fines: Fines for violations of the Animal Welfare Act, the main federal law regulating the care of animals used laboratory experiments and tests, would be increased.

Reporting to Congress Reinstated: The US Department of Agriculture would be required to submit a report to Congress detailing its enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act and make recommendations for legislation to improve administration of the Act and the transportation of live animals in air transportation.

H.R. 661: Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act

Those animals who are too injured or sick to stand on their own are often pushed, prodded, pulled, kicked and dragged to move them to slaughter. H.R. 661 addresses this cruelty in the following ways:

Requires Euthanasia of Downed Animals: This bill requires all non-ambulatory livestock in interstate and foreign commerce to be immediately euthanized.

Strengthens Inspection Requirements: Provides that USDA inspectors may not pass through inspection any non-ambulatory livestock or the carcass or any part of the carcass of such livestock.

H.R. 2711/S. 2422: Computer Assisted Remote Control Hunting Act

This legislation would ban Internet hunting. This means hunting through the use of a computer or other equipment which allows a person to remotely control the aiming and discharge of a weapon to kill or injure an animal while not in the physical presence of the targeted animal. Internet hunters pay a fee, select an animal, and click the mouse to fire the rifle. 34 states have laws banning this practice.

H.R. 2964/ S. 1498: The Captive Primate Safety Act

This legislation would ban the interstate and foreign commerce of primates for use as pets. These animals are often subject to abuse and neglect in the pet trade. While able to be handled as infants, when primates grow they become more difficult to handle. The result is that some of these animals end up at roadside zoos where they are kept in small cages and improperly cared for; others are confined in homes where their lives become barren and isolated.

H.R. 3829: Sportsmanship in Hunting Act

This legislation would prohibit the transport or possession of a confined exotic animal for the purpose of allowing the killing or injuring of the animal for entertainment or for the collection of a trophy. The purpose of this legislation is to prevent what has been termed “canned hunting,” the hunting of animals who are confined in areas from which they cannot avoid hunters. Often the animals are accustomed to human handling or feeding and do not even make substantial attempts to escape. These animals are shot, often at close range, just so the shooter can have the dead animal as a trophy.

H.R. 3327 and H.R. 3219: Federal Dog Protection Act

These bills would strengthen the federal dogfighting laws to include stiff penalties for those who are spectators at dogfights and for those who train or transport animals for dog fighting.

This legislation would establish additional prohibitions on the shooting wildlife from aircrafts. In the last seven years, about 700 wolves have been shot and killed from aircraft. The aerial shooting of wolves has taken place in Alaska, for example, in order to boost the moose and caribou population for hunters.

This legislation would prohibit the federal government from purchasing meat, dairy products or eggs for use in the military, prisons, schools and other federal programs unless the animals were provided with adequate space to stand, lie down, turn around completely and fully extend all limbs or wings, provided daily access to adequate food and water, and provided with adequate veterinary care. The legislation also states that the animals may not have been forced fed.

# # #

New York State Bills that Have Been Signed Into Law/2008

Below is a listing of key animal related bills that have been signed into law this year by New York State Governor Paterson. While these bills address important humane issues, in many instances they need to be strengthened to provide animals with greater protection. The Humane Society of New York will continue to work for the passage of more stringent animal protection legislation that effectively prevents cruelty to all animals.

Animal Irritancy Tests, A. 7402-B, S. 3528-A. Sponsored by Assemblywoman Rosenthal and Senator Padavan. Prohibits manufacturers from testing cosmetics and household products on animals when an alternative test method has been scientifically validated and recommended by the Inter-Agency Coordinating Committee for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM) and adopted by relevant federal agencies or programs within an agency responsible for regulating the specific product or activity for which the test is being conducted. California has a similar law.

Slaughter, A. 246-B, S.5920-A. Sponsored by Assemblywoman Clark and Senator Padavan. Places a moratorium on the operation of establishments where animals are slaughtered for food within a 1500 foot radius of a residential dwelling in a city with a population of one million or more. Existing facilities may still operate. Additional bills and other actions to ban/regulate these establishments are being considered.

Animal Fighting Spectators, A. 10092-A, S. 6466-A. Sponsored by Assemblyman Kavanaugh and Senators DeFrancisco, Larkin and Nozzolio. Makes being a knowing spectator at an animal fight a violation. More than 16 states make it a felony to be a knowing spectator and many states make it a misdemeanor. Thus, this bill, while a step forward, needs to be further strengthened.

Animal Response Teams, A. 9715-A, S. 7184-A. Sponsored by Assemblyman Timothy Gordon and Senator Saland. Authorizes the commissioner of Agriculture and Markets to establish state and county animal response teams to support the prevention of, preparedness for, response to, and recovery from emergencies and disasters affecting animals in New York State. Allows for the appointment of volunteers to such teams and further states that the commissioner shall be responsible for training the teams to ensure response during emergencies and disasters.

Task Force on Slaughter of Non-Ambulatory Animals, A. 3689-B, S. 8409. Sponsored by Assemblywoman Markey and Senator Young. Provides for the establishment of a task force to examine, evaluate and determine the most effective state actions to prevent the slaughter of animals who are unable to walk on their own due to illness or injury (referred to as downed animals). The legislature did not pass more effective legislation to prohibit slaughterhouses, stockyards, auction market agencies, or dealers from buying, selling or receiving a downed animal. The bill that did not pass stated that such facilities shall not hold a downed animal without taking immediate action to humanely euthanize the animal or humanely remove the animal for veterinary treatment.

Junior Hunting, A. 11033, S. 8228. Sponsored by Assemblywoman DelMonte and Senator Volker. Provides that 14 and 15 year olds can hunt deer and bear. This bill also allows minors under the age of 12 to assist licensed trappers. The Humane Society of New York and other humane organizations opposed this legislation which was supported by the NYS Department of Environment Conservation.

* We will continue to work for passage of humane legislation during the 2009 session, including supporting bills to make intentional cruelty to wildlife a felony, ban canned hunting, promote humane education, end horse slaughter, allow pets in housing, and much more.

# # #

- NEW YORK CITY ACTION ALERTS -

RALLY IN SUPPORT OF
PETS IN HOUSING BILL FOR
NEW YORK CITY INTRO. NO. 13

Date: Saturday, April 5
Time: Noon
Place: Steps of City Hall

Intro. No. 13, introduced by NYC Councilmember Tony Avella, states that once a no-pet lease clause has been waived by the landlord, the tenant can “replace” a pet or pets who are no longer in the apartment with a pet or pets of the same species. This means that if your waived-in pet dies, you would be able to get another pet without the fear of eviction, unless your pet creates a nuisance.

Under New York City's existing pet law, if a tenant keeps a pet openly with the knowledge of the owner (landlord) or owner's agent (such as a super, security guard, doorman) for three months or more and the owner does not commence a legal proceeding to enforce the no-pet lease clause within this three months period, the owner waives the right to enforce the no-pet clause. HOWEVER, the courts have interpreted the law to give landlords a three month opportunity each time a tenant gets a new pet. Thus, just because the no-pet clause is waived for one pet does not mean it is waived for future pets.

Intro. No. 13 would change this by making it clear that if the owner waives the no-pet clause for one or more pets, the tenant can then get the same number and species of companion animals in the future to “replace” the pets who are no longer in the apartment.

While we believe that no-pet lease clauses should be unenforceable unless a nuisance is created regardless of how long a tenant has kept a pet, Intro. No. 13 is a very important step forward.

INTRO. NO. 13 HAS BEEN LANGUISHING IN THE NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL'S HOUSING AND BUILDINGS COMMITTEE FOR TEN YEARS (while the bill has had different numbers and sponsors, the language has not dramatically changed over the years)

WE WILL BE AT CITY HALL ON APRIL 5 TH FOR THIS RALLY SPONSORED BY THE LEAGUE OF HUMANE VOTERS OF NEW YORK CITY.

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

# # #

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 APT. OR YOUR PET?
New Yorkers should not be forced to choose
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!

# # #

NEW YORK CITY ACTION ALERT
HUMANE EDUCATION
RESOLUTION 497

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.

• SUPPORT THE GREAT APE PROTECTION ACT H.R. 5852 - Help the approximately 1200 chimpanzees who are still imprisoned in US laboratories!
• HELP SAVE HORSES FROM SLAUGHTER - HELP PASS THE AMERICAN HORSE SLAUGHTER PREVENTION ACT H.R. 503/ S. 311
• HELP PROTECT WILD HORSES AND BURROS H.R. 249
  
  NEW YORK CITY ACTION ALERTS:
  
• New York State Bills that Have Been Signed Into Law/2008

NEW YORK CITY ACTION ALERTS:


• RALLY IN SUPPORT OF PETS IN HOUSING BILL FOR NEW YORK CITY INTRO. NO. 13
• Open Letter to New York City Councilmember Simcha Felder
• YOUR APT. OR YOUR PET? New Yorkers should not be forced to choose - HELP US PASS INTRO. No. 13!
• NYC ACTION ALERT: HUMANE EDUCATION, RESOLUTION 497

SUPPORT THE GREAT APE PROTECTION ACT
H.R. 5852

Help the approximately 1200 chimpanzees who are still imprisoned in US laboratories!

H.R. 5852, which is pending before the US House of Representatives, would stop invasive research on chimpanzees, retire federally-owned chimpanzees to a permanent sanctuary, and, by statute, stop funding for the breeding of federally-owned chimpanzees. Many other countries, including Australia, Austria, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United Kingdom have already passed laws to limit or ban research on chimpanzees.

Contact your US representative and urge him/her to sponsor H.R. 5852.

If you do not know the name of your Representative, call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 or go to www.house.gov (have your 9 digit zip code ready). Contact information for your Representative and Senators will be provided on this site. Additionally, letters to your Representative may be sent to:

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HELP SAVE HORSES FROM SLAUGHTER
HELP PASS THE AMERICAN HORSE SLAUGHTER PREVENTION ACT H.R. 503/ S. 311

The only horse slaughterhouse remaining in the US may no longer slaughter horses according to a recent decision by the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. The appeals court, by upholding a lower court decision, has effectively stopped horse slaughter in the US.

IN ORDER TO PREVENT LIVE HORSES FROM BEING EXPORTED TO SLAUGHTERHOUSES IN CANADA AND MEXICO, FEDERAL LEGISLATION MUST BE PASSED. ALSO, A FEDERAL LAW BANNING HORSE SLAUGHTER WOULD PROVIDE GREATER ASSURANCE THAT HORSE SLAUGHTER IN THE US WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN!

Please contact your Representative in Congress and your two US Senators and ask them to co-sponsor the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act , H.R. 503 (for Representatives) and S. 311(for Senators) to ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption and to prohibit their export for slaughter in other countries.

If you do not know the names of your Representative or US Senators, call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 or go to www.house.gov (have your 9 digit zip code ready) and www.senate.gov (where you just have to click on your state). Contact information for your Representative and Senators will be provided on these sites. Additionally, letters to your Representative and Senators may be sent to:

The Honorable (name)
US House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable (name)
US Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Thank you!

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HELP PROTECT WILD HORSES AND BURROS
H.R. 249

This legislation prohibits the commercial sale and slaughter of wild free-roaming horses and burros. As a result of a change in the law in 2004, these animals may be sold through auction to the highest bidder. Several of these magnificent animals have already been sent to slaughter. This cruelty must be stopped now.

ACTION: The House of Representatives has passed this legislation but it must be passed by the US Senate. Contact your two US Senators and urge them to support H.R. 249.

If you do not know the names of your senators, call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 or go to www.senate.gov (have your 9 digit zip code ready). Additionally, letters to your senators may be sent to:

The Honorable (name)
US Senate
Washington, DC 20510

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Below is a list of several bills pending before Congress. Please contact your representative and two US Senators to urge them to support these bills. To see texts of any of the bills, go to www.thomas.gov and type in the bill number.

For contact information for your two US Senators and your Representative (congressman/woman) you can call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 or go to www.senate.gov and www.house.gov or www.congress.org . Have your 9 digit zip code ready. Additionally, letters may be sent to your US Senators and Representative to the following addresses:

The Honorable (name)
US Senate
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable (name)
US House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

H.R. 891: Dog and Cat Fur Enforcement Act

Labeling: This bill requires all fur products to be labeled regardless of the value of the fur. Currently, labeling is not required if the value of the fur is $150 or less.

Bans Sale of Raccoon dog fur: This bill bans the sale of fur from raccoon dogs. Raccoon dogs are killed in China, sometimes skinned alive, and their fur is then used in garments. The Dog and Cat Protection Act of 2000 prohibits the export, import, manufacture, or sale of products made with dog and cat fur. However, this law does not protect raccoon dogs. Between 1.5 million to 4 million raccoon dogs are killed in China each year for their fur.

This bill prohibits the import, export and interstate trade in bear parts. Bear parts are used in Asian medicines and are in increasing demand. To meet this demand, poachers are killing bears and selling the parts at huge profits. While trade in bear parts is illegal in many states, a federal law is needed to provide for more effective enforcement. It has been reported that law enforcement officers in the US have uncovered dead bears in our forests with only their gallbladders and paws removed. Videotapes of poaching also show the brutality involved in killing the bears.

Bans Using Animals in Sales Demonstrations: This bill prohibits the use of live animals for training, demonstrating, or marketing medical devices to sales representatives.

Increases Fines: Fines for violations of the Animal Welfare Act, the main federal law regulating the care of animals used laboratory experiments and tests, would be increased.

Reporting to Congress Reinstated: The US Department of Agriculture would be required to submit a report to Congress detailing its enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act and make recommendations for legislation to improve administration of the Act and the transportation of live animals in air transportation.

H.R. 661: Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act

Those animals who are too injured or sick to stand on their own are often pushed, prodded, pulled, kicked and dragged to move them to slaughter. H.R. 661 addresses this cruelty in the following ways:

Requires Euthanasia of Downed Animals: This bill requires all non-ambulatory livestock in interstate and foreign commerce to be immediately euthanized.

Strengthens Inspection Requirements: Provides that USDA inspectors may not pass through inspection any non-ambulatory livestock or the carcass or any part of the carcass of such livestock.

H.R. 2711/S. 2422: Computer Assisted Remote Control Hunting Act

This legislation would ban Internet hunting. This means hunting through the use of a computer or other equipment which allows a person to remotely control the aiming and discharge of a weapon to kill or injure an animal while not in the physical presence of the targeted animal. Internet hunters pay a fee, select an animal, and click the mouse to fire the rifle. 34 states have laws banning this practice.

H.R. 2964/ S. 1498: The Captive Primate Safety Act

This legislation would ban the interstate and foreign commerce of primates for use as pets. These animals are often subject to abuse and neglect in the pet trade. While able to be handled as infants, when primates grow they become more difficult to handle. The result is that some of these animals end up at roadside zoos where they are kept in small cages and improperly cared for; others are confined in homes where their lives become barren and isolated.

H.R. 3829: Sportsmanship in Hunting Act

This legislation would prohibit the transport or possession of a confined exotic animal for the purpose of allowing the killing or injuring of the animal for entertainment or for the collection of a trophy. The purpose of this legislation is to prevent what has been termed “canned hunting,” the hunting of animals who are confined in areas from which they cannot avoid hunters. Often the animals are accustomed to human handling or feeding and do not even make substantial attempts to escape. These animals are shot, often at close range, just so the shooter can have the dead animal as a trophy.

H.R. 3327 and H.R. 3219: Federal Dog Protection Act

These bills would strengthen the federal dogfighting laws to include stiff penalties for those who are spectators at dogfights and for those who train or transport animals for dog fighting.

This legislation would establish additional prohibitions on the shooting wildlife from aircrafts. In the last seven years, about 700 wolves have been shot and killed from aircraft. The aerial shooting of wolves has taken place in Alaska, for example, in order to boost the moose and caribou population for hunters.

This legislation would prohibit the federal government from purchasing meat, dairy products or eggs for use in the military, prisons, schools and other federal programs unless the animals were provided with adequate space to stand, lie down, turn around completely and fully extend all limbs or wings, provided daily access to adequate food and water, and provided with adequate veterinary care. The legislation also states that the animals may not have been forced fed.

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New York State Bills that Have Been Signed Into Law/2008

Below is a listing of key animal related bills that have been signed into law this year by New York State Governor Paterson. While these bills address important humane issues, in many instances they need to be strengthened to provide animals with greater protection. The Humane Society of New York will continue to work for the passage of more stringent animal protection legislation that effectively prevents cruelty to all animals.

Animal Irritancy Tests, A. 7402-B, S. 3528-A. Sponsored by Assemblywoman Rosenthal and Senator Padavan. Prohibits manufacturers from testing cosmetics and household products on animals when an alternative test method has been scientifically validated and recommended by the Inter-Agency Coordinating Committee for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM) and adopted by relevant federal agencies or programs within an agency responsible for regulating the specific product or activity for which the test is being conducted. California has a similar law.

Slaughter, A. 246-B, S.5920-A. Sponsored by Assemblywoman Clark and Senator Padavan. Places a moratorium on the operation of establishments where animals are slaughtered for food within a 1500 foot radius of a residential dwelling in a city with a population of one million or more. Existing facilities may still operate. Additional bills and other actions to ban/regulate these establishments are being considered.

Animal Fighting Spectators, A. 10092-A, S. 6466-A. Sponsored by Assemblyman Kavanaugh and Senators DeFrancisco, Larkin and Nozzolio. Makes being a knowing spectator at an animal fight a violation. More than 16 states make it a felony to be a knowing spectator and many states make it a misdemeanor. Thus, this bill, while a step forward, needs to be further strengthened.

Animal Response Teams, A. 9715-A, S. 7184-A. Sponsored by Assemblyman Timothy Gordon and Senator Saland. Authorizes the commissioner of Agriculture and Markets to establish state and county animal response teams to support the prevention of, preparedness for, response to, and recovery from emergencies and disasters affecting animals in New York State. Allows for the appointment of volunteers to such teams and further states that the commissioner shall be responsible for training the teams to ensure response during emergencies and disasters.

Task Force on Slaughter of Non-Ambulatory Animals, A. 3689-B, S. 8409. Sponsored by Assemblywoman Markey and Senator Young. Provides for the establishment of a task force to examine, evaluate and determine the most effective state actions to prevent the slaughter of animals who are unable to walk on their own due to illness or injury (referred to as downed animals). The legislature did not pass more effective legislation to prohibit slaughterhouses, stockyards, auction market agencies, or dealers from buying, selling or receiving a downed animal. The bill that did not pass stated that such facilities shall not hold a downed animal without taking immediate action to humanely euthanize the animal or humanely remove the animal for veterinary treatment.

Junior Hunting, A. 11033, S. 8228. Sponsored by Assemblywoman DelMonte and Senator Volker. Provides that 14 and 15 year olds can hunt deer and bear. This bill also allows minors under the age of 12 to assist licensed trappers. The Humane Society of New York and other humane organizations opposed this legislation which was supported by the NYS Department of Environment Conservation.

* We will continue to work for passage of humane legislation during the 2009 session, including supporting bills to make intentional cruelty to wildlife a felony, ban canned hunting, promote humane education, end horse slaughter, allow pets in housing, and much more.

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- NEW YORK CITY ACTION ALERTS -

RALLY IN SUPPORT OF
PETS IN HOUSING BILL FOR
NEW YORK CITY INTRO. NO. 13

Date: Saturday, April 5
Time: Noon
Place: Steps of City Hall

Intro. No. 13, introduced by NYC Councilmember Tony Avella, states that once a no-pet lease clause has been waived by the landlord, the tenant can “replace” a pet or pets who are no longer in the apartment with a pet or pets of the same species. This means that if your waived-in pet dies, you would be able to get another pet without the fear of eviction, unless your pet creates a nuisance.

Under New York City's existing pet law, if a tenant keeps a pet openly with the knowledge of the owner (landlord) or owner's agent (such as a super, security guard, doorman) for three months or more and the owner does not commence a legal proceeding to enforce the no-pet lease clause within this three months period, the owner waives the right to enforce the no-pet clause. HOWEVER, the courts have interpreted the law to give landlords a three month opportunity each time a tenant gets a new pet. Thus, just because the no-pet clause is waived for one pet does not mean it is waived for future pets.

Intro. No. 13 would change this by making it clear that if the owner waives the no-pet clause for one or more pets, the tenant can then get the same number and species of companion animals in the future to “replace” the pets who are no longer in the apartment.

While we believe that no-pet lease clauses should be unenforceable unless a nuisance is created regardless of how long a tenant has kept a pet, Intro. No. 13 is a very important step forward.

INTRO. NO. 13 HAS BEEN LANGUISHING IN THE NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL'S HOUSING AND BUILDINGS COMMITTEE FOR TEN YEARS (while the bill has had different numbers and sponsors, the language has not dramatically changed over the years)

WE WILL BE AT CITY HALL ON APRIL 5 TH FOR THIS RALLY SPONSORED BY THE LEAGUE OF HUMANE VOTERS OF NEW YORK CITY.

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

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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

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YOUR APT. OR YOUR PET?
New Yorkers should not be forced to choose
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!

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NEW YORK CITY ACTION ALERT
HUMANE EDUCATION
RESOLUTION 497

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.