The New York City Council's newly formed Animal Welfare Caucus has announced its legislative priorities for the coming year, which include ten bills aimed at improving animal welfare. Council Member Harvey Epstein, the caucus chair, will reveal the specific bills during an event on Thursday night. Notably, the package includes a bill that would ban horse carriages in the city, which is scheduled for a vote next week.
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According to Epstein, the caucus, which consists of 21 members from both parties, chose these bills during a retreat earlier this year. Epstein emphasized the significance of the caucus's work in addressing long-overdue animal welfare issues. "It’s a very large caucus that’s really focused in on something that has not gotten the attention it deserves," he said, while refraining from indicating which bills he believes will gain traction first.
Some of the proposed legislation had previously been introduced but failed, including a bill by Council Member Shanana Hanif that would require the Bronx Zoo to relinquish custody of its elephant, Patty, following the death of her companion, Happy, in May. Epstein had previously introduced a measure to ban the retail sale of non-poultry birds, such as parrots and finches, which has been reintroduced this year.
Other bills include one by Council Member Carl Wilson aimed at enforcing price transparency for veterinary care and another from Council Member Chris Marte, which seeks to remove ban on pets in unsubsidized rental housing. Additionally, Council Member Shaun Abreu has proposed a bill allowing sick leave to be used for caring for companion or service animals.
The caucus, announced in March, shifted its focus to legislative proposals after securing $1.5 million in the city budget for affordable spay/neuter services and a pet food pantry. While the caucus does not have a dedicated budget, it has appointed Karolina Gomez as its executive director.