PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Meagan Licari, President of Puppy Kitty NYCity, on Animal Rescue and Overpopulation Crisis
4:59:14
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132 sec
Meagan Licari, President of Puppy Kitty NYCity, testified on the urgent need for city-funded, high-volume, low-cost spay and neuter services to address the animal overpopulation crisis in New York City. She emphasized the overwhelming burden on rescue organizations and the importance of enforcing existing animal welfare laws.
- Highlighted the organization's current load of 432 cats, mostly unaltered, demonstrating the scale of the problem
- Called for better enforcement of current laws and regulations by the Department of Health
- Urged support for Introduction 1018 and emphasized the need for comprehensive solutions to the animal welfare crisis
Meagan Licari
4:59:14
Thank you chairwoman and council members for your time and attention to this matter.
4:59:17
My name is Megan McCarrie, and I run puppy kitty in New York City.
4:59:20
As one of the large privately run rescues here in NYC, I can promise you there is only one clear solution to an overpopulation crisis, and that is high volume, low cost, city funded, Spain, and Newder.
4:59:31
My organization has 432 cats, which is the highest number we have ever had since our founding 10 years ago.
4:59:38
While that number might not seem high to you, it's an overwhelming number for a group run mainly by volunteers, 99% of the cats we take in are not spayed or neutered.
4:59:47
Dogs and cats must be spayed and neutered, and the city needs to provide the resources for citizens to do so.
4:59:53
The city also must provide the resources to enforce the current laws and regulations.
4:59:59
It has been made clear today that the Department of Health is not doing that at all, which is completely unacceptable, and I hope you'll work to address that.
5:00:08
If they won't ask for more resources, we all will, and that's why we are here today.
5:00:13
We cannot win this battle with breeding going on in our backyards, Bodegas, and city streets.
5:00:18
It is utterly unacceptable for individuals to profit from breeding while the city shelter and rescuers are overwhelmed and struggling to keep up financially and physically.
5:00:27
This not only goes against everything we stand for, but directly undermines our mission to reduce the overpopulation crisis and save lives.
5:00:34
So many situations I've encountered this year could have been avoided if Spayner resources were available to people.
5:00:40
One example is a 37 cat hoarding case that started from just 2 cats.
5:00:44
This case was handled by my organization with zero support from the city, including the NYPD who were called repeatedly and responded, but then did nothing.
5:00:53
As a wife of an NYPD detective, I can say with a 100% confidence that the NYPD does not have the training or resources to deal with animal issues, which is extremely sad and disappointing.
5:01:04
If we don't act now, this crisis will only continue to escalate leaving countless animals to suffer and stretching our city's resources even thinner.
5:01:11
I urge you to not only support council members, Brandon's bill, 1018, but to work together to create a comprehensive lasting solution to this issue.
5:01:19
There is no reason stray and homeless animals should be suffering on streets when all of us, this sea of green is giving you the solution.