By: Serach Nissim
Republican mayoral nominee, Curtis Sliwa, wants to add incentive for New York City residents to adopt pets from shelters.
Sliwa will face off against Democratic mayoral nominee Eric Adams in November’s general election. Best known as the founder of the Guardian Angels, a nonprofit organization of unarmed crime prevention, Sliwa has also been a radio talk show host for three decades, mostly on WABC-AM. The Brooklyn borough president is considered the heavy frontrunner in the race. For now, Sliwa is showing off his animal-living side.
Sliwa is proposing that the city cover $1,000 in pet expenses for people who save a dog or cat from being euthanized at a New York City shelter. On Saturday, the candidate cited an article from the NY Post which said that the Animal Care Centers of NYC had 1,393 pets dumped off to them in June—which is more than double the number from February. Many of the discarded pets were sought out as companions and for comfort during the COVID-19 pandemic, but are no longer wanted now that thigs have opened back up.
As per the Post, Sliwa and his wife live in a studio apartment together with 15 cats which they rescued from death row and nursed back to health, one of which is blind. The outspoken activist proposed that the city give a $1,000 “Pet Snap Card”, good for food, supplies and other pet-related expenses at local stores, to persons who adopt the abandoned animals from shelters. “This Pet SNAP Card will help promote and facilitate adoptions throughout New York City by easing the financial expenses of pets,” said Sliwa in a statement. “It works in the same way the traditional SNAP program except it can only be used toward pet expenses; food, supplies, vet care, etc.”
If implemented, the “Pet Snap Card” program would cost the city roughly $3.2 million annually, said Sliwa. The funding would stem from the $23 million Animal Care & Control Budget, he added. “This direct interface with the animal shelter will also facilitate that every animal coming into and going out of the shelter is spayed/ neutered and vaccinated,” Sliwa noted. “This will save thousands of animals from being euthanized.”
Describing life with the rescued kittens, the red beret wearing candidate said, “It’s a destresser”. “They actually cause tranquility. When I had high blood pressure after I had chronic Crohn’s disease, the cats would lay on my chest and bring my blood pressure down normally, naturally. That’s what cats could do,” explained Sliwa.
