September
1996
How
to Be An Activist: Helping Homeless Animals in New York
City
By Anne Earle
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There are plenty of things you can do to alleviate
the problems of homeless cats and dogs in this city. Anne Earle
offers some suggestions.
Volunteer
Volunteers are always needed at the two shelters
run by the CACC (Center for Animal Care and Control), especially
in Brooklyn. Activists should be aware that it can often be distressing
to work at these shelters, but the animals need you! There are also
many "no-kill" shelters in New York City and rescue groups that need
help and foster homes. Volunteers are also very welcome at the Fund
for Animals' new high-volume, low-cost spay-neuter clinic in midtown
Manhattan.
Contact:
Pat Anderson, Volunteer Coordinator for the CACC: 212-727-3620.
Lia Albo, The Fund for Animals: 212-246-2096. The clinic is
at 355 West 52nd Street, NYC 10019.
Educate
Go to schools and talk about humane dog and
cat care, the importance of adoption, the need for spaying and neutering,
and the problems faced by homeless animals. You don't have to come
from an organization to be a humane educator. Table about spaying
and neutering and Intro 3-2-1. We cannot count on the few agencies
involved in this to do all the work.
Contact:
Sheila Schwartz, Humane Education Committee: 212-410-3095.
Friends of Animals: 212-247-8120
Lobby
Tell your city councilmembers and the Mayor about the need for a preventive
animal control program. Intro 3-2-1, [see "Intro 3-2-1] breeding control
legislation, was introduced several years ago and is still "alive", but
it needs to be passed. Lobby your councilmembers through letters or better
still, in person. Indicate that there is legislation being passed all
over the country about this, and that New York is behind the times.
Contact:
Peter F. Vallone, Speaker of the City Council, 22-45 31st
Street, Astoria, NY 11206. Tel.: 718- 274-4500. Fax: 718-726-0357.
He is the most important person to contact.
Honorable Rudolf W. Giuliani, Mayor of the City of New
York, City Hall, New York, NY 10007. Tel.: 212-788-9600.
Enoch Williams, Chair, New York City Council Health Committee.
Tel.: 212-788-6862 or 718-604-8132. The killing of the animals
represents a severe sanitation problem and hazard to human health.
Priscilla A. Wooten, 1962 Linden Blvd., Brooklyn, NY 11207.
Tel.: 718-272-3055. Fax: 718-927-2584. City councilmember in
the district with the Brooklyn CACC shelter.
Adam Clayton Powell, 159 East 116th Street, New York,
NY 10029. Tel.: 212-427-0700. Fax.: 212-427-7540. City councilmember
in the district with the Manhattan CACC shelter.
League of Women Voters, 817 Broadway, New York, NY 10003-4760.
Tel.: 212-677-5050. To find out the name of your city and state
representatives.
Sandy Lewis, NY Director of Friends of Animals. Tel.:
212-247-8120. To help pass Intro 3-2-1.
Organize
Don't underestimate the power to make a difference.
The group that pressured for legislation in Camden, New Jersey
had no money and managed to get results in four years. The group
that got the high-volume, low-cost clinic and the mobile van
in Houston started had no money or fundraising experience and
succeeded in creating a life-saving program. It can be done.
Contact:
Sean Hawkins, director of Houston mobile spay-neuter program
and spay-neuter assistance program (SNAP): 713-863-3863.
Mary and Richard Herro, The Animal Foundation, 700 North
Mojava Road, Las Vegas, NV 89101. The Herros have set up many
high-volume, low-cost spay-neuter programs around the country.
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