PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Patrice Miller, Cultural Arts Worker and Independent Rescuer from District 36
4:24:55
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107 sec
Patrice Miller, a native New Yorker and independent rescuer, shared her experience of becoming an informal resource for social workers and caretakers seeking help with animal-related issues for their clients. She emphasized the need for clear pathways to access veterinary services and support from city agencies.
- Miller's local pub has become a drop-in center for discussing animal welfare concerns with social workers and advocates.
- She highlighted the lack of knowledge among city workers about how to access services from ACC or ASPCA for their clients.
- Miller stressed the importance of a city initiative to provide clear and easy access to support for both regular pet owners and those working with city agencies.
Patrice Miller
4:24:55
Thank you.
4:24:56
Okay.
4:24:57
Thank you.
4:24:57
Hi.
4:24:57
My name is Patrice Miller.
4:24:59
I'm a native New Yorker, and I live in District 36 currently.
4:25:04
I'm a cultural arts worker and an independent rescuer.
4:25:08
In addition to everything that you've heard about our cats and dog crisis right now, I also wanted to bring forward my current experience, which is that In addition to holding rescue cats in my basement and doing all those things that many people here do, my weekly happy hour at my local pub has become a bit of a drop in for social workers, advocates, caretakers, and other people who are working with the disabled and elderly community.
4:25:43
Because of the Unclear pathways to reaching things like ACC or the ASPCA for care, people who are working regularly within the DOH who are regularly in contact with city agencies do not know what to do when their own clients or their own parents, as it were for caretakers, are at a loss of veterinary services when the kitten they brought in is starting to have kittens, etcetera.
4:26:13
So I've become known as that person, and at least once a week, I'm sitting with my local social workers and caretakers, and we are going through what options we have within the bedside bushwick area.
4:26:26
If and when, hopefully, we move towards a city initiative.
4:26:32
It will not only help regular pet owners, but it will ensure that the people who are already working with our city also have clear and easy access.
4:26:41
To support their clients.