Defending the Rights of Animal Care & Control Volunteers
September 1, 2010
Animal Care and Control of New York City (ACC) is the organization responsible for operating our city’s animal shelters. Many dedicated New Yorkers serve as volunteers at ACC facilities, giving their time to help care for homeless and neglected animals. Unfortunately, there have been reports from some volunteers of substandard conditions at ACC shelters, including allegations of animals wallowing in their own waste, cats and kittens going without food and water for extended periods of time, dogs not being properly socialized, ongoing killing of healthy animals, and failure to treat medical conditions.
I was deeply disturbed to learn that ACC has now instituted new volunteer policies apparently intended to silence such complaints. The new policies state, among other things, that volunteers may not “publicly criticiz[e]” or cast the agency “in a negative light.” These policies violate volunteers’ constitutional rights, and are clearly inconsistent with court decisions protecting whistleblowers and establishing that the opportunity to serve as a volunteer is a protected government privilege.
I am calling upon Mayor Bloomberg and New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley, who effectively control ACC, to have this policy repealed immediately. I have also asked City Comptroller John Liu to meet with me to discuss what steps can be taken to provide additional oversight of ACC, to ensure that volunteers are being treated fairly and that allegations of substandard conditions at ACC shelters are handled properly.
Copies of my letters to Mayor Bloomberg, Dr. Farley, and Comptroller Liu are below.
Letter to Mayor Bloomberg re: Animal Care & Control
Letter to Comptroller Liu re: Animal Care & Control
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3 Responses to “Defending the Rights of Animal Care & Control Volunteers”
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- @MicahKellner Hello, I live on #2ndavesubway + need help understanding why ConEd is able 2 jackhammer round the clock. No sleep since Monday
10 hours ago from webRT @MicahKellner: 9th Circuit Court of Appeals striking down #Prop8 same-sex marriage ban in California is a victory for the civil rights of all Americans.
2 days ago from web
Thank you for helping the city of New York to hold agencies responsible for neglectful behavior dealing with animals, people. Those agencies need to upgrade their training, and the requirements needed to hold a job. Honesty, reliability, and competency should be standard, No matter the pay.
I am happy to support your effort to prevent hydrofracking in New York.
We are lucky to have you represent us.
Dear Assembly Member Kellner — Thank you so much for staying on top of the issue of the care and the protection of animals — also, thank you for not allowing people to be silenced when we all have the right to speak up and speak out, especially under such life and death circumstances. One more thing, let us not forget about Oreo’s Law. Once again, i appreciate all you do on behalf of animals, and i am sure the animals thank you also.
Dear Micha Kellner:
In 1994 my cat was taken from my home. The ACC was one of the places I searched for her. I was given permission by its workers to look for her in their rooms, pet carriers, and crates. I saw animals in carriers and crates piled one on top of another. I was told that they were waiting to be seen by the veterinarian. When I asked when he/she would be in; I was told not until the morning.
I was also surprised to see many empty cages and those that did have animals contained puppies and kittens. They were otherwise bare except for some food and water.
Also, they have been advertising for food, litter and pet supplies. Who is overseeing this shelter? What can be done to make a change?
Brenda Goldman
348 East 87th Street
New York, NY 10128