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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Maddy Samaddar Johnson, Founder of Park Slope Cats, on Animal Welfare Crisis in New York City
5:04:13
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179 sec
Maddy Samaddar Johnson, founder of Park Slope Cats, testified about the urgent animal welfare crisis in New York City, particularly focusing on the cat population. She emphasized the need for sustainable support for animal rescuers and highlighted the importance of city-funded, high-volume, low-cost spay and neuter services as the primary solution to the crisis.
- Johnson stressed the exhaustion and financial strain experienced by animal rescuers who are "doing the city's job for free"
- She called for enforcing strong laws against animal hoarding and neglect, as well as educating the public about animal welfare
- Johnson emphasized the importance of starting animal welfare education early and making spay/neuter services compulsory by law
Maddy Samaddar Johnson
5:04:13
Is the mic on?
5:04:14
Thank you council members.
5:04:16
I'm Maddie Samadara Johnson, a multilingual, multiracial woman and run Park Slope Cats.
5:04:22
Let me just start by saying loud and clear, no, we are not crazy cat ladies.
5:04:28
We are ladies who rescue animals due to the compassion in our hearts and are getting driven crazy due to the lack of sustainable support.
5:04:36
I've been rescuing animals, cats, dogs, birds, critters for decades from the time I was a little girl, though in the past decade and a half it has focused more on cats and dogs, whether in NYC and earlier in the several other countries I've lived or worked in, Canada and countries in Europe, Asia, Mid East, and Africa.
5:04:51
On my own, I'm with rescue groups.
5:04:53
And let me be clear, if there is anything that is common no matter the country, race, religion across the world, it is cruelty and apathy towards animals.
5:05:02
New York City has an animal welfare crisis of gargantuan proportions.
5:05:06
I thank those like council member Justin Brannon and others who are bringing attention to this urgent issue.
5:05:14
Those in rescue like myself without a big volunteer network have zero funding and have been working without a break, depleting our finances, health, and running on dry but never giving up despite insurmountable odds.
5:05:25
Every day we receive innumerable calls, emails, and texts to help our dumped, stray, feral, injured animals.
5:05:31
It never ends.
5:05:32
We are so exhausted doing the city's job for free.
5:05:36
I'm trained professionally as an architect and urban planner and one foot in the music world.
5:05:40
And let me tell you, rescue work is the most brutal and relentless of all.
5:05:45
No time for anything else and no pages, huge expenses.
5:05:49
We all know we cannot adopt and foster our way out of this cat crisis.
5:05:53
The only way is dedicated, extensive, compulsory, high volume, high quality, low cost, and no cost spay neuter services provided by the city and building a support network for funding and educating.
5:06:05
We need to enforce strong laws against hoarding and neglect and stop the media from glamorizing store cats while ignoring their true suffering where the majority lead horrific lives trapped in dark, dank basements unfixed for their sad lives.
5:06:18
We who help the voiceless do it not out of masochism but because somebody has to and we pay a giant price for our kindness.
5:06:24
At the last hearing, was running between bottle feeding dumped neonates on no sleep after having just resolved a 40 count holding case in Bay Ridge.
5:06:31
Today I'm heading to pick up a kitten with severe burns, hence my early order.
5:06:36
While dozens other in foster homes or holding spaces need attention to.
5:06:39
The best way to prevent suffering is to stop it at the source.
5:06:42
That means spay and neuter.
5:06:44
I'm wrapping up.
5:06:45
Don't worry.
5:06:45
Often people don't do this for several reasons, financial, cultural, or sheer apathy.
5:06:50
So teach them young.
5:06:51
Make it the law.
5:06:52
I'll just end by saying that even if the humans among rescuers may occasionally growl, scratch, hiss or piss at each other, we are all united in one front.
5:07:01
City funded high volume, low cost services, pet pantries, empathy action and education on animal welfare.
5:07:09
Thank you.
Justin Brannan
5:07:10
Thank you very much.
Maddy Samaddar Johnson
5:07:11
Thank you.