Westchester legislators fail to protect animals: Letter
From Animal Defenders of Westchester (ADOW)

We advocate on all animal protection and exploitation issues, including experimentation, factory farming, rodeos, breeders and traveling animal acts.

Westchester legislators fail to protect animals: Letter

Letter as published on Lohud.com
November 1, 2017

Two years ago, we urged Westchester Legislator David Gelfarb to write legislation to restrict circuses and other traveling animals acts coming into Westchester.

Finally, to our happiness, he and Legislator Margaret Cunzio agreed to write legislation.

We went to a meeting and demonstrated circus instruments of "training" torture and reported onhorrible living conditions for circus animals. We provided information and copies of similar bills in other jurisdictions.

Two years later, nothing has been done.

While elephant performances are now banned in New York, Gelfarb and Cunzio still need to act. Circuses are still free to exploit bears, lions, tigers, horses; rodeos force bulls to appear "wild" by employing electric prods, spurs, straps painfully cinched on their abdomen, calves yanked by the neck. Veterinarians report the worst fractures and injuries to these otherwise peaceful animals.

In the meantime, 50 miles away New York City has introduced and passed a dynamic bill restricting these cruel traveling animal acts; large areas of New Jersey have done the same, so have Rhode Island and other localities across the U.S.

It is absolutely unconscionable that Westchester legislators have deliberately done nothing to protect animals. It's not just circuses: Why no action on a puppy mill bill, first proposed by legislator James Maisano three years ago, that would ban pet shops from selling commercially bred dogs, cats, rabbits and more? Many other venues taking similar action, including a sweeping, comprehensive law just passed in California?

We've worked with officials for many years in many areas — Bronx, Queens, Connecticut — never once have we had the problems we faced in our own backyard.

Animal protection is a community issue: Animals in circuses and puppy mills suffer in silence. Our local legislators' apathy and a lack of compassion and decency toward helpless beings is totally unacceptable.

We care about animals — and we vote. For those who cannot speak for themselves, we ask that the public speak for them.

Please contact us for information on how you can help: [email protected]. 

Kiley Blackman, Animal Defenders of Westchester
Anne Muller, Wildlife Watch
Deborah Pangle, Coalition to Help Fight Animal Abuse
Paula Garber, Lifeline Cat Behavior Solutions
Taffy Williams, NY Whale and Dolphin Action League
Kathleen Pistone-Carucci, Building Hope for the New Yonkers Animal Shelter
Julie Serenson, Friends of the Yonkers Animal Shelter
Susan Heywood, TNR Adocate

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