PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Jennifer Rhine, Representative of For Animals Inc.
5:30:38
·
138 sec
Jennifer Rhine, representing For Animals Inc., a non-profit animal rescue in Queens, New York, shared her experiences as a volunteer and highlighted the challenges faced by animal rescuers and caretakers. She emphasized the urgent need for free and low-cost spay and neuter programs in New York City.
- Described helping an 85-year-old woman who has spent thousands of dollars caring for community cats
- Highlighted the financial and personal sacrifices made by animal rescue volunteers
- Stressed the need for high-volume free and low-cost spay and neuter programs to support both animals and caretakers in New York City
Jennifer Rhine
5:30:38
Hi.
5:30:39
My name is Jennifer Rhine.
5:30:40
I'm representing 4 Animals Inc.
5:30:42
We are a not for profit animal rescue based in Queen's New York.
5:30:47
Focus on TNR and adoption of the friendly animals.
5:30:51
We run solely on volunteers and donations.
5:30:55
I've volunteered with 4 animals, Inc.
5:30:57
For over 8 years.
5:30:58
And during that time, I've not only been able to help numerous cats myself, but also the people who care for them.
5:31:04
For the last few months, I've been helping an eighty five year old woman who feeds cats near my school in Richmond Hill Queens, and council member, Schulman's district.
5:31:15
She herself has taken many of these cats to the vet herself over the last decade.
5:31:20
She spent thousands of dollars out of pocket, getting them spayed, neutered, dental surgeries, tail amputations, other surgeries, and I see the suffering that it causes her.
5:31:32
I've also met some of the most caring and kind people in my life during the time that I've been volunteering.
5:31:38
Other volunteers who commit their free time to helping as many animals as they can who are in need, and their stories bring me to tears, not only about the suffering of the animals, but what they themselves go through.
5:31:49
Most of them are in financial crisis.
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They have maxed out credit cards.
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They're watching their own health deteriorate.
5:31:56
They miss out on family gatherings and vacations because they can't leave the animals, and they don't have anyone else to help care for them.
5:32:04
I wanna bring their stories to you today as they couldn't be here today to tell them themselves.
5:32:09
They couldn't take off another day from work, and they couldn't leave the shelters or the cats that they're caring for.
5:32:15
Our founder and another volunteer just this morning We're at the vet with a cat that crashed and is costing now almost a $1000 with a rescue discount that we will have to do fundraising on social media to cover.
5:32:30
Every day, I see multiple posts and receive multiple emails on social media about an animal in need.
5:32:36
Most of the people in this city want to help these animals, but they worry that in doing so, they themselves will go into debt.
5:32:43
It shouldn't be this way.
5:32:44
New York needs high volume free and low cost bay and noodle programs for all of New Yorkers.
5:32:49
We need to help New York's kindest so that we can continue to help the community and the animals.
5:32:55
Thank you.