PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Dana Jacobs, Representative of Neighborhood Animal Rescue Network (NARN)
5:57:20
·
165 sec
Dana Jacobs, representing the Neighborhood Animal Rescue Network (NARN), testified about their grassroots efforts in rescuing and spaying/neutering cats in Central Brooklyn. She highlighted the lack of city services for feral cats and the need for affordable veterinary care.
- NARN, a network of about 75 volunteer rescuers, has spayed/neutered approximately 1,500 cats in the last 5 years.
- Nearly a quarter of the cats rescued by NARN in the last 2 years were abandoned pets, emphasizing the severity of the pet abandonment issue.
- Jacobs called for a paradigm shift in New York City's approach to animal welfare, particularly in providing widespread access to affordable spay/neuter services and basic veterinary care.
Dana Jacobs
5:57:20
My name is Dana Jacobs, and I'm a resident of Bedstone District 36.
5:57:24
Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak to the council today.
5:57:28
I'm here on behalf of Neighborhood Animal Rescue Network or Narn.
5:57:32
We are an organized group of about 75 animal rescuers living in Central Brooklyn.
5:57:37
Spanning bedside ocean hill crown heights in some neighboring areas.
5:57:41
We focus on spaying and neutering cats to lower the overall population of feral cats, giving them healthier lives, rescuing abandoned pets that have been put out on the street, and assisting community members who ask for help in getting back care for their own pets.
5:57:55
Most members of Naran, including myself, got rest got started and rescue the same way.
5:57:59
We noticed cat suffering in our neighborhoods.
5:58:02
And when we've researched what agencies and organizations, we might call for help many of us discovered the same thing.
5:58:08
No city agency exists to help these cats.
5:58:11
I myself went on social media.
5:58:13
I found Heidi who you heard from earlier and got involved from there.
5:58:17
In the last 5 years, Nauren has rescued Spade and or neutered about 1500 cats, a drop in the bucket, but certainly something to be proud of.
5:58:26
Consider that we are not a traditional public facing nonprofit.
5:58:30
Rather, we are a network of regular New Yorkers and some formal rescue organizations who operate like a mutual aid group.
5:58:36
We are bakers, policy advocates, artists, operations manager, sales professionals, and youth education professionals.
5:58:42
Rescue is not our full time job and in fact often takes away from our full time jobs.
5:58:47
It's not a hobby.
5:58:49
It's a service that we are volunteering in place of organized services.
5:58:54
Like you've heard, many of us are self funded, crowdfunding the money to cover the cost of rescue, and our collective was formed to help the many cats who we see struggling outside.
5:59:04
It's clear that widespread access to affordable space newter and basic vet care can be hugely consequential.
5:59:11
You know, in in Brooklyn alone, we've seen Brooklyn Bridge Animal Well for a coalition flatbush vet.
5:59:16
Pioneer low cost vet care, an ASPCA, Brooklyn chapter has been foundational for our work.
5:59:24
I'd lastly just like to say, I'd highlight one particular issue around dumped pets.
5:59:28
Nearly a quarter of the cats we rescued in the last 2 years were abandoned pets.
5:59:32
Finding them outside sudden finding themselves outside suddenly these abandoned pets often lack the skills to find food and shelter, and ask us the same to our group every time from community members.
5:59:42
It's a photo of an animal huddled, scared, and an urgent ask, can somebody intake?
5:59:47
Does somebody have room in their bathroom?
5:59:50
I myself have hosted 47 of these types of cats over the past 2 years, and the epidemic as you have heard is is very real.
5:59:58
Animals are suffering.
5:59:59
My hope today is that this hearing is the part of a paradigm shift in the city of New York, and we're grateful for your time and attention.