Stand Up for Animals!

Be part of the movement.

What We Do

Our Focus

Explore Our Current Agenda Issues

  • Protecting the rights
    of tenants with
    companion animals
  • Advocating for cat
    rescuers and TNR
  • Defeating the
    federal EATS Act
  • Banning commercial
    bird releases
    (dove releases)
  • Prohibiting wildlife
    killing contests
  • Stopping the
    sale of adhesive
    animal traps
  • Ending the sale
    of kangaroo
    leather
  • Ending Captivity
    of Elephants
    in Zoos
  • Protecting
    Aquatic
    Animals
  • ENDING THE
    SALE OF
    GUINEA PIGS
    ENDING THE SALE OF GUINEA PIGS

    Problem:

    Guinea pigs are often impulse buys. Because they are sensitive animals with complex needs, families often surrender them after the novelty wears off, creating a crisis in our city’s animal shelters and rescues; the pandemic has made it unmanageable. Additionally, New Yorkers have been abandoning guinea pigs in city parks, which is a death sentence for the animals. They cannot survive in the wild and will either starve to death or be attacked by predators such as hawks and falcons.

    Solution:
    Voters For Animal Rights (VFAR) is proud to support the re-introduction of Intro 4, legislation by Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala that would prohibit the sale of guinea pigs in New York City. Such a law would not only prevent guinea pigs from overburdening our city’s animal shelters and rescues but it would also encourage the adoption of guinea pigs from Animal Care Centers of New York City (ACC), whose staff is facing an unprecedented and challenging increase in the intake of guinea pigs. This bill is common sense, humane legislation, like that which successfully banned the sale of rabbits in New York City pet stores in 2014.

  • BANNING
    SALES OF
    DOGS, CATS & RABBITS
    IN PET STORES
    BANNING SALES OF DOGS, CATS & RABBITS IN PET STORES

    Problem:
    The puppy, kitten and rabbit mill-to-pet store pipeline creates lives of misery from beginning to end. Breeding facilities and pet store have repeatedly been found to have poor sanitation, infectious disease, animals overcrowded in cages with no exercise, lack of proper veterinary care, lack of protection from harsh weather conditions, and lack of adequate food and water. These conditions result in great suffering, and many sick offspring are sold to unaware consumers. With millions of homeless animals languishing in shelters, why should pet stores and breeders be allowed to profit off the backs of animals?

    Solution:
    VFAR supports S1130 (Senator Michael Gianaris)/ A4283 (Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal). This legislation would ban the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in pet stores, while allowing pet stores to offer rescues the opportunity to hold in-store adoption events. No money from an adoption fee would be permitted to go to the pet store. We also support Reso 798 by Council Member Justin Brannan, which encourages New York State to swiftly pass the state bill.

  • ENDING
    THE PRACTICE OF
    CAT DECLAWING
    ENDING THE PRACTICE OF CAT DECLAWING

    Problem:
    Declawing, or onychectomy, is a major surgical procedure involving multiple amputations of the last bone of each of your cat’s toes. It is not a surgery that removes just the nails, but in fact a complex surgery that is incredibly detrimental to felines and has been found to be an unnecessary procedure — both scientifically and ethically. Declawing can cause serious short- and long-term physical problems such as painful paws, infections, and tissue death and also behavioral issues such as aggression and/or inappropriate soiling. Cat declawing can also endanger humans as cats will revert to biting in order to defend themselves. Contrary to popular belief, cat surrenders to animal shelters do not increase after a declaw ban is enacted. Shelter studies conducted by the Paw Project in 2015 showed that there were lower owner-surrender cat intakes post legislation, reporting a 43% reduction.

    Solution:
    VFAR stands by humane alternatives to declawing and is looking forward to New York joining the European Union, the U.K., Australia, Brazil, Israel, Denver and several California cities in banning this practice. We support state legislation A1303/S5532 by Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal and Senator Michael Gianaris and local legislation (Intro 1477) by Council Member Justin Brannan that would ban cat declawing in New York State and New York City, respectively.

  • STOPPING THE
    SALE OF FORCE-FED
    GEESE AND
    DUCK PRODUCTS
    STOPPING THE SALE OF FORCE-FED GEESE AND DUCK PRODUCTS

    Problem:
    Foie Gras, or fatty liver, is produced with massive animal suffering. To enlarge the livers of ducks and geese, workers jam metal poles down the animals’ throats in order to feed them up to four pounds of food per day. This process, known as “gavage”, causes the birds’ livers to swell ten times their normal size.

    Multiple undercover investigations of Hudson Valley Foie Gras (the only foie gras producer in New York) from organizations like Mercy For Animals and PETA show malicious animal torture including death from force-feeding, ducks hyperventilating as their unnaturally large livers pressed against their lungs, birds with open, bleeding wounds left to suffer in tiny wire cages without proper veterinary care, and fully conscious ducks being shackled upside down and having their throats cut open. One investigation found that a single worker was expected to force-feed 500 birds three times each day.

    Solution:
    California has banned the sale of foie gras along with a dozen countries. Because of its cruelty, businesses like Costco, Safeway, Target, Whole Foods Market, and Wolfgang Puck have also refused to sell the diseased liver products. It’s time New York City takes a stand. We support Intro 1378, sponsored by New York City Council Member Carlina Rivera. This legislation would prohibit the sale of foie gras from force-fed birds.

  • SHUTTERING
    SLAUGHTERHOUSES
    IN OUR
    NEIGHBORHOODS
    SHUTTERING SLAUGHTERHOUSES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS

    Problem:
    There are approximately 80 slaughterhouses and live markets in New York City, in all five boroughs – more than any other U.S. city. These storefront abattoirs pose a significant health and safety hazard to the community. Blood, feces, urine, entrails, dismembered body parts, and feathers are normally found on our public sidewalks and streets due to the unsanitary conditions associated with the business of killing. They are a breeding ground for infectious diseases. Countless New Yorkers walk and roll strollers and wheelchairs through the filth every day, tracking bacteria and pathogens into their homes, around our city, and beyond. Many of these slaughterhouses are located dangerously close to schools and playgrounds. When large animals escape, it puts us all in danger of potentially fatal accidents. In addition to the physical dangers, offensive odors can be smelled, and the screams of animals can be heard for blocks — negatively affecting all in the immediate area. Slaughterhouses also lower property values of the surrounding area.

    Due to these concerns, and thanks to advocates from HSUS, New York State enacted a law in 2008 which prohibits the licensing of any new slaughterhouse within 1,500 feet of a residence in NYC. This law must be renewed every four years, and thanks to Governor Cuomo and the New York State legislature, it was renewed in 2012 and 2016.

    Solution:
    VFAR proposes to introduce similar legislation at the city level to permanently ban the licensing of slaughterhouses anywhere within city limits. We look forward to working with the City Council to improve the health and safety of our city and its residents. We believe that most New Yorkers agree: slaughterhouses do not belong in our neighborhoods.

  • JOINING
    OTHER CITIES IN
    BANNING THE
    SALE OF FUR
    JOINING OTHER CITIES IN BANNING THE SALE OF FUR

    Problem:
    It’s no secret that the fur industry is unthinkably cruel. Fur farms breed and confine animals in tiny, filthy cages where they suffer intense stress. They are beaten, bludgeoned, anally/vaginally electrocuted, and often skinned alive. And trapping animals in the wild is no better! Animals are trapped in cruel leg hold traps where they can suffer for days in excruciating pain — starving, until the trapper returns to shoot or bludgeon them to death. Mother coyotes are known to attempt to chew off their own legs trying to break free, desperate to get back to their young pups. Many other animals are unintentionally caught and killed in these traps, including household pets.

    Solution:
    We support Intro 1476, sponsored by Speaker Corey Johnson, that would ban the sale of fur in NYC. We also support the proposed state ban on the sale of fur by Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal (A5040). We take the bold stand against a cruel and dying industry and position ourselves on the right side of history. West Hollywood, Berkeley, and San Francisco have enacted bans on the sale of fur and NYC will join them as progressive pioneers. Several countries — Norway, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Japan, and the U.K. — have taken steps to close fur farms. With public awareness and innovative alternatives on the rise, popular designers such as Versace, Gucci, Michael Kors, BCBG Max Azria, Gap Inc., and The North Face have stopped using all animal fur. New York can get quite cold, but there is never an excuse to contribute to such suffering when so many viable, stylish, and warm ethical alternatives exist such as Vaute Couture, Hemp Hoodlamb, Wully Outerwear, Save The Duck, Noize, and more. Join us in this momentous undertaking.

  • TOUGHER
    PENALTIES FOR
    CAPTURING
    WILD BIRDS
    TOUGHER PENALTIES FOR CAPTURING WILD BIRDS

    The extremely brutal Pennsylvania pigeon shooting contests are largely supplied with pigeons cruelly and illegally stolen from the streets of New York City. Our urban wildlife friends are painfully captured by hired guns of the pigeon shoot industry who prey on flocks of peaceful birds by throwing them seeds and then violently capturing them in a huge net that clamps shut in seconds, often breaking the birds’ legs or wings. These birds are then driven in confinement to be sold for use in the last-remaining pigeon shoots in PA where they are kept in tiny dark cages with no food or water prior to being shot, and killed at close range in killing contests. Even though this capturing of pigeons and other wild birds in NYC is illegal, the current laws provide only for a violation — similar to a traffic ticket. These weak laws, which are also murkily-written, make it extremely difficult for the NYPD Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad and other police officers to make meaningful arrests due to the turnstile cycle of bird netters paying fines and cruelly netting pigeons as soon as the very next day.

  • enforcing
    the ban on
    animals in
    circuses
    enforcing the ban on animals in circuses

    In 2017, VFAR helped lead the effort to pass Intro 1233 into law, which banned the use of wild animals in circuses in NYC. This was our first victory, and We are grateful to the City Council and Mayor de Blasio for taking this bold step!

    But now, the circus industry is trying to gut the law by introducing a new bill, Intro 57, that would delay implementation of the ban by at least two years. We oppose this effort to proliferate the suffering of circus animals, and will fight to keep the effective date of the law (October 1, 2018) in place. You can help by calling your City Council Member and urging them to OPPOSE Intro 57.

  • healthy
    plant-based
    food for
    New Yorkers
    healthy plant-based food for New Yorkers

    We support the efforts of Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and Council Member Fernando Cabrera, who introduced Reso 238 which calls on the New York City Department of Education to ban processed meats from being served in New York City public schools. We also support Reso 551 by Council Member Helen Rosenthal, which recognizes ‘Meatless Monday” in NYC: a national and international campaign that encourages people to enjoy meat-free meals on Mondays to improve their personal and public health, animal welfare, wildlife protection, and environmental and agricultural sustainability.

  • protecting
    ny wildlife
    protecting ny wildlife

    We support the WildlifeNYC initiative to promote awareness and co-existence with urban wildlife. We advocate for humane strategies to conflicts with urban wildlife, support efforts to aid groups and individuals working in wildlife rescue and rehabilitation, and support efforts to address risk of migrating birds collisions with glass buildings.

  • alternatives
    to using animals
    as classroom
    science projects
    alternatives to using animals as classroom science projects

    We are working to introduce legislation that would stop the use of live animals in classroom science projects and making dissection projects a thing of the past.

  • Create a department
    of animal advocacy
    within ny government
    Create a department of animal advocacy within nyc government

    We are working on legislation to create a NY Department on Animal Protection.

  • Building
    Animal Shelters
    In The Bronx
    & Queens
  • Supporting
    the Single-Use
    Plastic Straw
    Ban in NYC
  • Ending the
    Horse Carriage
    Industry in NYC
  • Banning
    the Sale of
    Animal-Tested
    Cosmetics
  • Bella's Bill:
    Strengthen NY's
    Outdated Animal
    Cruelty Laws
    Bella’s Bill: Strengthen NY’s Outdated Animal Cruelty Laws
  • Promoting
    Humane Education
    In All New York
    Schools

Our Work

It’s an ambitious agenda and won’t be easy. Animal-abusing industries have fancy, expensive lobbyists that enable them to continue torturing and killing animals. But we can stop them with people power by building a massive, united, organized voting bloc for animal rights — with your help. Can we count on you? Take action now HERE.