PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Laura McEvoy, Director of Data and Policy Strategy at Puppy Kitty NYC
6:42:24
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120 sec
Laura McEvoy, volunteer director of data and policy strategy for Puppy Kitty NYC, testifies about the complex issue of animal welfare in New York City and the need for resources and support. She shares a personal story about a kitten named Tyconderoga to illustrate the importance of spay/neuter programs and responsible pet ownership.
- Emphasizes the need for high-volume, low-cost or free spay/neuter services for individuals and rescues
- Calls for government support, education on community cats, enforcement of breeding bans and animal cruelty laws
- Stresses the importance of educating the public about responsible pet ownership and the necessity of spay/neuter
Laura McEvoy
6:42:24
Hi.
6:42:24
My name is Laura McEvoy, and I'm the volunteer director of data and policy strategy for Puppy Kidney, New York City.
6:42:31
In Queens.
6:42:33
And I call it my second full time job that I don't get paid for.
6:42:37
As you're hearing today, Animal Welfare is an incredibly large and complex issue in New York City.
6:42:42
And while many rescuers are working tirelessly to solve it.
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We can't do it without resources and support.
6:42:50
I'd like to tell you a story today about a kitten named Tyconderoga number 2 pencil.
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I damn a lot of cats And he came to me with his siblings at a couple of days old as a bottle baby after their finder took them from their mom, fed them cow's milk, and then realized that they were in over their head.
6:43:08
I tried for several days to keep him alive, getting up every 2 hours to bottle feed while working my full time non rescue job.
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But eventually, it was clear that he was actively dying.
6:43:19
I took him to a very expensive emergency clinic where his veins were so small and dehydrated that they had to euthanize him with an injection to the stomach while I held him in the palm of my hand.
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But he didn't have to die like that.
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If his parents had been spared and neutered, he never would have suffered like that for his small short 10 days of life.
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And those cats are probably still out there having more litters.
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This isn't a unique story.
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Kittens die like this every day, whether it's outside, in homes, in shelters.
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And the only way out of this is high volume, low cost, or free, spare neuter for both individuals and rescues.
6:43:58
We need government support for widespread change in our programs, education on community and Bodega cats, actual enforcement on the ban on companion animal breeding and selling, enforcement of annual cruelty laws under Ag And Markets, and educating the public about the importance of responsible pet ownership and what that entails, including why Spay and Neuter is necessary, not just making it affordable.
6:44:21
Thank you for your time and opportunity to discuss decision.