White Plains CitizeNetReporter - Paulin Kill Bill Solution to Pet Shelter OverCrowding: Perk up and purr or Else!

WPCNR BLACK COFFEE. News & Comment Special to WPCNR from Westchester County Roving Correspondent, Nancy King. February 16, 2012: Elected officials do some loopy things during a campaign cycle. One of the strangest to date has been Assemblywoman Amy Paulin’s introduction of Bill AO5449. In essence ,Paulin has partnered up with the ASPCA to sponsor this bill also known as the “Quick Kill Bill”. Nancy King The gist of this bill gives animal shelters the opportunity to euthanize any animal that shelter workers determine to be in “psychological pain”. In my phylum as human, though it is indeed a higher order, I (along with all other humans) probably suffer a fair amount of psychological pain multiple times during the course of our day. Would Assemblywoman Paulin suggest that because we feel fear during our days causing us to “snap” at others, or that if we were to recoil at touch we’re not worth saving. Well this is what her bill implies to companion animals.

Animal shelter workers who by definition are probably the lowest paid and most poorly recognized employees on earth will now in addition to cleaning, medicating, neutering, training and adopting out animals, have to determine whether or not an animal is in enough psychological pain to be euthanized. What this really sounds like is that Mrs. Paulin has heard the cry that shelters are overcrowded and this is her idea of a quick solution to alleviate the crowding. Of course, Bill AO5449 has got more than Mrs. Paulin behind it. The ASPCA, the same organization that floods our airwaves with pictures of mournful looking pets is also supporting this bill. Faced with chronic overcrowding at their shelters and dwindling donations during this economic downturn, this bill affords the ASPCA the decision to euthanize animals without the guilt that goes along with it while maintaining their bottom financial line. As an added bonus, they’ll continue to run those heartwrenching ads begging for donations while precious little of that money goes for actual shelter care. As with all non-profits, you can bet your hard earned donations are going towards the salaries of those in charge. Which bring us to the question as to why Assemblywoman Paulinwould give one thought to overcrowded shelters. More than likely, a constituent in her affluent district probably had a feral animal spray some perfectly manicured shrubbery. With perhaps a promise of a hefty campaign donation or two, from the sprayee, a bill that could possibly cut down on kitty vagrancy and hygiene was born. That’s how things normally work in politics, you ultimately get what you pay for and more than likely this is the case. On the other hand, partnering up with the ASPCA was one of those partnerships that makes you scratch your head while saying WTH. Why would a large well known organization be doing forming a partnership with a lowly stateAssemblywoman? More than likely trying to rehabilitate their image and justify their support of last year’s Oreo’s Law (re-named CAARA) where they openly euthanized a dog deemed to be in “psychological pain” even though a variety of rescue organizations offered to take the dog. Animal rescue is just one of those polarizing topics that folks could debate forever. For sure, Americans love their pets but there is no doubt a problem with overcrowded shelters and unlicensed rescue groups. Bill AO5449 dismisses many shelter’s and rescue groups in the same manner it dismisses the lives of animals. By using a conquer and divide method of bill introduction, AO5449 would have pitted rescues against one another by preventing them from sharing animals and resources. However on February 15th, 2012, the bill passed the Ag committee and was headed to the Codes Committee when Chair Brooklyn Assemblyman Joe Lentrol got involved and saw the bill for the waste of legislative time that it is. Sadly enough though, Speaker Sheldon Silver could push this bill through no matter what a waste of legislative time it is. Amy Paulin is a rising star in Westchester County and her name has been bandied about as the Democratic challenger against Rob Astorino. Something tells me that she has lost the animal lovers votes already.


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