PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Stewart Mitchell, Animal Rights Activist from Brooklyn
2:59:34
·
3 min
Stewart Mitchell, an animal rights activist and cat owner from Brooklyn, urges the New York City Council to allocate substantial funding for high-volume, low-cost spay/neuter services and affordable veterinary care. He shares his personal experience with expensive veterinary bills and emphasizes the importance of accessible care for all pet owners, especially those in public housing.
- Highlights the need for affordable veterinary care, citing a personal $9000 vet bill for his cat's treatment
- Stresses the importance of supporting colony managers who manage feral cat populations
- Argues that low-cost spay/neuter services and cracking down on backyard breeding would help maintain happy pet homes and manageable colonies
Stewart Mitchell
2:59:34
Good afternoon, counsel.
2:59:35
Thank you for letting me speak on this very important issue today.
2:59:38
My name is Stewart Mitchell.
2:59:39
I'm from Brooklyn, New York.
2:59:40
I'm a single father of 2 teenagers, Taj and Nazir.
2:59:44
I'm an author.
2:59:45
I also visit New York City Schools to talk about the importance of having capacity for animals, and I share the importance of adopting animals rather than buying from breeders that cause a number of problems.
2:59:55
I'm also an animal rights activist.
2:59:56
I'm involved in animal rescue that includes pigeons, cats, and other animals.
3:00:01
I'm a cat dad.
3:00:03
Me and my kids share our apartment with 3 rescue cats, Fern, Kamala, and Ali.
3:00:09
I'm here today with many other animal advocates that include colony managers, feeders, shelter volunteers, veterinarians, and fellow pet parents.
3:00:18
And we are here today to urge the CTV of New York to allocate substantial funding for high value, low cost, Spain Neuter and affordable veterinary care for anyone in need, including rescuers and pet parents, especially the many of us living in public housing.
3:00:35
Back in 2021, my baby boy Kamala was sick with FIP, which is a life threatening disease found in cats, Most cats die within 2 months of acquired disease, and death is almost certain if it's not treated promptly and effectively.
3:00:49
I could not afford the veterinary bill, and I had to rely on friends, family, and social media followers to donate money so that I could pay the bill to save Kamala's life.
3:00:58
I'm very lucky and and fortunate to have a strong community to rally around me and save my baby boy's life, and not everyone has that privilege.
3:01:05
And unfortunately, because we live in New York where everything is overpriced, from rent to grocery bills, and seemingly never end in inflation, Nobody has 1000 of dollars just laying around in case of an animal emergency.
3:01:17
And by the way, between the the vet visits and the medicine for my cat, everything came out to a little over $9000.
3:01:24
No parent or caretakers should have to deal with the stress of an expensive vet care bill when they already have enough on their plate to worry about, like getting their rent paid, clothing out children, putting food on the table, and taking care of utility bills.
3:01:38
Our animals mean so much to us, and this is why we are here to fight so hard for them today.
3:01:42
Council, you have the power today to impact so many lives in a positive way, human and animal.
3:01:47
Low cost Spain, Noodles will be such a huge relief for colony managers, feeders, and feeders who are paying for this caused out of pocket.
3:01:54
And who, by the way, are doing an extremely hard task of keeping down cat colony populations in the city due to breeders continuously breeding cats for profit?
3:02:02
Only to leave these animals to be neglected by those that purchase them and toss out into the streets to fend for themselves.
3:02:08
Without colony managers, the city would have a major crisis in an overpopulation to catch Roman in the streets.
3:02:14
And keep in mind, these colony managers are doing this out of their own pocket and on their own free time to get these cats fed, spayed, and neutered.
3:02:22
And lastly, I just wanna say this.
3:02:24
Cats and dogs are and other animals are a huge part of our family and also a huge part of our community.
3:02:30
And low cost Spain and Newitter plus cracking down on backyard breeding will ensure that we can maintain happy pet homes and easy to manage colonies.
3:02:38
Thank you.
3:02:38
Thank you, sir.