(your name)

(your return address)

(your city, NY, zip code)

Dear Assemblyman/Assemblywoman/Senator ________:

This letter is to express my support for S05363A, which is the Companion Animal
Adoption & Rescue Act (CAARA).

Currently, shelters in New York City face overcrowding, and every day, a large number
of animals are placed on a “kill list.” Unfortunately, current law and regulations have not
been satisfactory in the care and protection of shelter animals of New York. For
example, the Department of Health blatantly disregards Administrative Code § 17-803,
which requires each borough of New York City to have its own full service animal
shelter. And yet, Queens and The Bronx have not been provided with such shelters.
However, lawsuits against the Department of Health for its violation of § 17-803, have
been fruitless (e.g., please see, Matter of Stray from the Heart, Inc. v. Department of
Health & Mental Hygiene of City of N.Y.). Perhaps through CAARA, despite not all the
boroughs being provided with shelters, the City can resolve overcrowding. For example,
CAARA will require shelters to transfer stray animals to rescue groups during the hold
period to free up space in the shelter.

CAARA also will require shelters to publicize the animals who are being housed.
Shelters must check the microchips of stray animals and post on the Internet any stray
animals entering the shelters. By communicating to the public in this way will drastically
reduce the number of animals being killed at the shelter because it is more likely that
pets will be reunited with their owners. Furthermore, CAARA supports administrative
transparency in shelter operations; convenience killing must be stopped, and statistics
concerning the amount of animals killed must be made public.

Finally, and most important, CAARA will prevent the indiscriminate, unnecessary killing
of the shelter animals beyond the City. The approximate number of animals who will be
saved per year throughout the state would be 25,000 or more.

I hope that I can count on you to support this important legislation.

Thank you very much for your consideration.

Respectfully,

(your signature here)