"We have been pushing for a sprinkler requirement for years, and this is why," said John Phillips, LOHV-NYC's Executive Director "if you're going to shelter animals for extended periods of time, you should be doing everything in your power to ensure their welfare. Letting the animals under your care burn to death is cruel and irresponsible."
Council Members Alan J. Gerson (D-Manhattan), David Weprin (D-Queens) and Tony Avella (D-Queens) joined representatives from the League of Humane Voters of New York City (LOHV-NYC) on the steps of City Hall earlier this month to announce a new legislative effort to require sprinklers in pet stores. On August 6th, 2006, a blaze at a Queens pet store killed an untold number of animals; approximately two hundred were being kept in the store. In 2004, a similar pet store fire killed over one thousand animals in Long Island. In 2002, an Upper Manhattan inferno killed over two hundred animals.
Earlier this year, Phillips said he approached Gerson and asked him to re-introduce the bill. Gerson agreed and the bill was scheduled for introduction at the next City Council meeting. Then the fire happened.
Said Gerson: "When we confine animals, for whatever reason, we assume responsibility for their well-being. It breaks my heart to think of the pain and suffering endured by the poor creatures that perished in Monday's pet store fire. A sprinkler system could have saved them."
More Information
Fatal pet shop fire renews safety push
Lisa Colangelo, New York Daily News
Bill Aims to Protect Pets
Joseph Wendelken, Queens Chronicle
Visit our Issues page for more information on the current bill.
Our 2004-2005 City Council Humane Scorecard includes a record of sponsorship for the previous version of this bill, Intro. 217 of 2004.
Comments (1)
This is such a straightforward, commonsense bill. How could anyone in the City Council vote against it?
Posted by Daniel Elstein | August 31, 2006 11:59 AM
Posted on August 31, 2006 11:59