New Jersey, Bill to Help Victims of Dogfighting, Cats found in buckets in NYC, Kate del Castillo, 2018 Possum Drop, Burger King's 'Nightmare Burger', Male Chicks, Man Calls Burning Calves 'Fun' & “Dogs” Destroy a Car in this week's Animal & Wildlife Welfare Report!
The New Jersey legislature is considering legislation (S. 1923/A.1822) that would eliminate the damaging, automatic legal designations of “vicious” and “potentially dangerous” for dogs who were forced to engage in fighting activities or “unprovoked attacks.”
Dogs used in the heinous “sport” of dogfighting are cruelty victims, but under New Jersey’s current dangerous dog law, many face unwarranted confinement or destruction. Fear of heightened liability due to the labels imposed by this outmoded law may also discourage rescuers’ and adopters’ intervention. In addition, because prosecuting dog fighters would have the negative effect of harmfully and inappropriately labeling their canine victims, such prosecutions might not occur .
S.1923 would allow dogs to be evaluated solely based on behavior, with only genuine and unprovoked aggression resulting in restrictions on their participation in society. This is the most fair, effective and compassionate way to resolve concerns related to dangerous dogs in the community.
What You Can Do
Using the form here, please send an email to your state assembly members and Assembly Speaker Coughlin urging them to bring S.1923 to a vote in the Assembly with no further changes. Please visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center to quickly contact your assemblymembers and Speaker Coughlin and urge them to pass S. 1923 without delay.
The NYPD should investigate, to the greatest extent possible, who is responsible for trapping cats in sealed buckets and abandoning them around the city to stop this alarming pattern of animal cruelty.
Add your name to demand the NYPD fully investigate the recent instances of cats being cruelly trapped and abandoned in buckets across the city.
Someone Is Dumping Cats In Sealed Buckets On NYC Sidewalks
Police are looking for a person who left a sealed bucket containing a live cat on a lower Manhattan street corner. And this was the second time a cat in a sealed bucket was left in the neighborhood.
According to the NYPD, on December 13th, they received a call from the Animal Haven Shelter who said that someone put a sealed bucket at the corner of Hester and Centre Street around 7:40 p.m. The bucket, which had a hole in the lid, contained a malnourished cat.
Apparently an employee knew to take the bucket in because a cat had been found in a similar sealed bucket last month. In an Facebook post from November 17th, the shelter wrote:
BREAKING: We don't even know how to caption this photo (scroll through). Staff isn't left speechless that often anymore but when morning kennel went to move what appeared to be just an empty bucket on the side of our building near the back door, they were shocked to see a tiny eye looking back up at them. Yes, believe it or not but someone left an innocent cat in a bucket outside our door overnight. Luckily the sweet thing who we have named Sage is safe and sound now but we can only imagine how scary the ordeal must have been. Also to make matters even worse the bucket was left next to our trash so it's a miracle that Sage wasn't picked up by our garbage collector and never seen again. Please spread the word that if you ever need to surrender an animal, please contact us directly. Staff is working to find out who is responsible via our security cameras. If you have any information, please contact us at dogsandcats@ah-nyc.org or at 212.274.8511. You can also DONATE to Sage's care now. #animalhaven
A few days ago Animal Haven shared video of an employee using pliers to remove the lid of the second bucket (second in the slideshow), noting, "This poor kitty is in bad shape and, needless to say, is terrified. We have contacted the police, but we're asking that everyone in the vicinity of our shelter in Soho PLEASE keep your eyes out for any suspicious buckets or containers like the ones in these photos!"
The police released surveillance footage of the man who left the bucket on December 13th. Animal Haven executive director Tiffany Lacey told Gothamist that this was the same man who left the bucket in November. The bucket had been near the back door for a while, and then, "Luckily a very aware staff member thought it was strange and looked in and saw the eye peering out," she recalled.
Besides the incidents being very disturbing, Lacey said it was "so weird" the man left the bucket on the corner last week, "It could be taken with the corner trash!" If the person wanted to abandon the cats to the shelter, "he could have put the bucket in front of the door," she said.
The black cat found last week has been named Charlie; he is "very scared" and has some scratches but she expects a full recovery for him. The ASPCA is also now involved to see if they have get any forensic evidence to further the investigation.
Sage, the cat found in November, has been adopted,
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