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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Julia Rassmann, Director of Rescue at Brooklyn Bridge Animal Welfare Coalition
6:07:29
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130 sec
Julia Rassmann, representing the Brooklyn Bridge Animal Welfare Coalition, advocates for ongoing support for pet owners and community cat caregivers, emphasizing the need for pet food pantries and increased spay/neuter access. She highlights the challenges faced by pet owners and community cat caregivers in New York City, particularly in NYCHA properties.
- BBAWC has partnered with NYCHA to address homeless cat populations in all five boroughs
- Many homeless cats are abandoned pets due to owners' inability to afford care or fear of housing loss
- Community collaborations, like with Maria in Far Rockaway, are crucial for long-term care of feral cat colonies
Julia Rassmann
6:07:29
Good afternoon.
6:07:30
My name is Julia Rossman.
6:07:31
I'm the director of rescue at the Brooklyn Bridge Animal Welfare Coalition, BBAWC, which operates the Brooklyn Cat Cafe and BBAWC Rescue Clinic.
6:07:41
I'm here to speak to you about how ongoing support for pet owners and community cat caregivers, such as a potential pet food pantry budget, will be an essential addition to increased spayneuter access and affordability.
6:07:55
In 2024, BBAWC initiated a multi year partnership with the New York City Housing Authority to trap, sterilize, and return homeless cats on NYCHA owned properties in all five boroughs.
6:08:08
It is clear from our own work on this initiative as well as conversations with concerned residents and staff that a significant number of homeless cats are intact, formerly owned pets that were abandoned outside.
6:08:20
Often these cats end up outside because pet owners simply cannot afford daily or basic vet care in an economy where they and their families are struggling to survive.
6:08:30
Additionally, in fear of complaints from neighbors or landlords about their cats' nuisance behaviors, which would cause them to lose their housing, many residents put the cats outside.
6:08:42
We have heard from countless pet owners who have been trying without success to get appointments at the ASPCA.
6:08:49
Feral cats, after they are spayed or neutered, often do not have anywhere to go.
6:08:54
You'll find them at outdoor cat colonies around the city tended by devoted members of the community.
6:08:59
At Beach forty one in Far Rockaway, a cancer survivor named Maria has cared for the outdoor cats for almost twenty years on her fixed income.
6:09:08
She does everything she can to feed and protect the cats, even collecting cans and bottles to buy food.
6:09:14
Long after the initial TNR project was complete, we have continued to send food for the colony.
6:09:20
Maria's knowledge of the cats also means that she is able to immediately alert us to illness or injury or for any newcomers so we can move quickly to get the cats that care.
6:09:31
This long term community collaboration is essential to ensure that these cats thrive for the rest of their lives.
6:09:38
Thank you.