According to Nathan Winograd's blog:
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The ASPCA is pushing legislation sponsored by Assembly Member Amy Paulin that would allow New York State shelters to kill animals immediately if shelter staff determine that the animals are in “psychological pain.” There is no definition of what constitutes psychological pain and no standards to how it will be applied. For the first time anywhere in the U.S., shelters will be allowed to kill animals with no holding period of any kind based on the animals’ perceived state of mind, giving regressive shelter bureaucrats unlimited discretion to immediately kill animals based on unenforceable, unknowable, and completely subjective criteria. Not only is this a real and immediate threat to shy and scared animals, as well as feral cats, but it is a very dangerous precedent to introduce in the animal control laws of our nation."
I believe that this is unconscionable. The proper response to feral, frightened, shy or scared animals is to gently comfort them the best one can, not to immediately assume that they're beyond hope and deserve to die.
We, the undersigned, believe that A5449 should not be passed. This bill contains a clause that would allow animal shelter staff to kill animals immediately, with no holding or observation period, if they decide that an animal is in "psychological pain". That is a dangerously subjective decision, and could result in untold numbers of feral, frightened or shy animals being put down when with gentle treatment they could go on to lead happy lives. We believe that animal shelters' mission should be to help animals, not kill them!
