While Many States Moved to No-Kill Animal Shelters, NYC Signed a 34-Year Contract with ACC. Justin Brannan Was Silent Over This Contract
Last July, we adopted this kitten from ACC in Brooklyn. Sean Casey had seven beautiful male kittens, but we needed a girl.
Our 21-year-old cat had to be put to sleep during the pandemic. While we mourned, our other cat, Herb, cried because he missed his friend.
The black Bombay kitten was the only kitten available at ACC. We made an appointment and went to see her. She came home with us and they instantly fell in love.
Fifteen years ago, we adopted a dog from ACC and knew what ACC was like, but the place was quite different. While the staff was excellent, the facility was not. We remembered a much nicer place when we adopted our dog.
Due to Covid 19, we were the only customers there for over an hour.
In 2019, a mega-contract that lasts for 34 years was given to Animal Control and Care. (See here) Animal Care and Control, also known as ACC is not a no-kill shelter, like Sean Casey Animal Rescue. (What’s a No Kill Shelter?)
While most of NYC is not aware of this contract, animal activists throughout the US lashed out on Twitter against Justin Brannan because he was in charge of NYC Council’s Contracts. (See here and here)
Back then, Brannan told the activists he would look into the contract. I believed Justin Brannan when he told animal activists that he would look into the contract because I thought he was interested in doing the right thing. (Read this man’s comments) Brannan write an article or even mention the contract with ACC.
This shelter issues a KILL LIST on Tuesday evening at 6:00 pm and the animal is killed on Thursday if it is not adopted by 12:00 pm. It’s just not enough time – ESPECIALLY WITH THE PANDEMIC! Rescues continue to share stories about how they didn’t have enough time (See here) Another story here: (to save this dog).
On October 26th, Thor‘s story was shared:
If animal activists can’t scurry fast enough, a healthy pet is killed. See the animals on the kill list now – don’t click it if you are having a bad day already. Animal activists post all day and every day on Twitter – see here
Thor was killed even though NYPD officers wanted to adopt him:
NYC knew there were problems at ACC long before this deal because NYC Comptroller, Scott Stringer published a report in 2015 when ACC had a five-year 51 million dollar contract with NYC. (See here) Then in 2020, Stringer’s office issued another report about the conditions at ACC. (See news and report)
Justin Brannan did not speak out against ACC when Stringer published his report. Brannan didn’t do anything about it either. Andrew Weprin shared a video – don’t look if you can’t handle seeing one of the saddest videos. It hasn’t left my mind in years. (See here)
In 2019, Councilman Brannan introduced a bill for the Establishment of an Office of Animal Welfare. It was signed into law. (See here) This sounds great, right? In October 2020, The Post published an article about conditions at the Brooklyn shelter (See here) and it was discovered that the Office of Animal Welfare wasn’t functioning – Brannan spoke about in this article – See here and here
Animal Activists hit Brannan hard on social media and explained how Brannan’s bill was changed from the original bill. (See here) For Brannan, this was a story in the paper. (See here)
In addition, there was a piece of property purchased by NYC at 151 Woodward Avenue in Queens for a high price.
The property has to be cleaned up by the DEC.
There were so many properties for sale in Queens. Why would NYC choose this property that had toxins (arsenic, barium, and mercury)?
Queens residents say that the shelter is not in a good location for Queens and wanted the shelter to be placed an area where there was the highest need (Jamaica, Rockaway, or Astoria)
Why wasn’t this open for public review?
In July, Nancy Sliwa, wife to Curtis Sliwa, slammed Brannan for being silent.
Brannan commented about how the shelter will make jobs for people.
Nancy Sliwa fired back because Brannan didn’t stand up for animals:
Justin Brannan was the head of NYC Council’s Contracts Committee. People implored Brannan to help because he claimed he was an animal lover.
Brannan didn’t write any articles or do anything when the contract was created. Social media is filled with animal activists who publish dogs pictures every day to save them from being kill.
ACC boasted about a boasting about the 90 percent placement rate for animals in their care. Animal activists on social media start scurrying when they see the KILL LIST because they know the dogs have 2 days to live.
During the pandemic, ACC was not open to the public and took appointments. In September, Andrew Weprin shared this:
Finally, aren’t there any staffers at Justin Brannan’s office who like animals? How are so many people silent?
I know that everyone doesn’t like animals, but isn’t there at least one staffer who believes a animal should be given a chance to get a home?
My heart breaks when I see ACC’s KILL List because there are always young black cats on it.
In my lifetime, I won’t see NYC become a no-kill shelter for animals because Justin Brannan was silent when a 34-year contract was made in NYC. Please don’t vote for a man who won’t stand up for animals.
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In December 2020, a Bay Ridge Resident went to the news because he could not get help from politicians. (See here)
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Hugs,
marlene
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