Gennaro questions Dr. Cook on sanctuary capacity and death sentence claim

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I noticed you gave a little extra time to the witnesses.

I certainly appreciate that.

What I don't appreciate was that it took more than three hours to have a panel that speaks for the industry actually come and speak for the industry.

I want to talk to Charisse.

You know, you did mention a kangaroo court, and that's precisely what this hearing is.

It was pronounced in the New York Times.

yesterday that the speaker had made a decision and here's what we're going to do with the workers and here's what we're going to do with the horses and we're going to do with this and then she spoke with all the advocates this morning and when she opened up the hearing today

it was just like this is what we're going to do and this is how we're going to take care of this part and this is how we're going to take care of that part so in her mind it's already done i will just mention that not even half of the members of the council are even

are even on this bill as sponsors.

And so when you talk about the process, you are very right when, you know, members can sign on to whatever bills they want, but when a speaker comes out,

and goes to the New York Times and makes a video on the same day and comes out the next day and talks about all the advocates, opens up the hearing and says that this is how, like this is happening, we just have to figure out like how we get it done.

That is, I'm the longest serving active council member.

This is not how the council is supposed to work.

And I apologize for that.

I have a minute and 20.

Left, I want to, you know, one of my major concerns, Dr.

Cook, is about the fallacy that there are, I mean, I've been at a question for more than 60 years.

I've been riding horses longer than anybody in this room.

And I know horses, saddle horses, for me, you know, you guys with the draft horses and the, you know, cold bloods and all that.

But, you know, the whole notion, because I know as a horse guy that, you know, if you want that, the sanctuaries are really for horses that have been abused.

Or have been neglected and whatever.

They're very, very underfunded.

And the animals in your industry wouldn't even go there because they need whatever meager slots they have for the horses that have really been abused.

So this whole notion that there are sanctuaries and entities that will pay between $15,000 and $25,000 a year per horse per year, this is fantasy.

I'd like you to comment on that.

The number might even be higher than that.

Oh, you mean in terms of what it costs?

Of what it costs.

Yeah.

The number's even higher than that.

And I think everyone has goodwill here, and I think people do want to find new jobs for the drivers, and they want to find beautiful homes and pastures for the horses.

It is so multifactorial and complex.

There are a lot of these horses.

I work on fairly nice, I work on very nice Olympic quality horses in Fairfield and Westchester County.

Some of these horses, when they get turned out, don't even like being out in fields.

They like the security of the barn.

So just to think you're going to put these horses out in the field and they're all going to be happy is also a fallacy.

It is one movement away for a horse, and then it will be lost.

And there are horses now that cannot find homes.

So the answer is it's not going to happen.

So just realize that you are providing a death sentence to these horses.

It's not just these hundreds of horses that are in New York City now.

You used the word death sentence.

Did you not?

I think this is a death sentence.

Okay, thank you.

I think this is a death sentence for not all of them.

Some will get placed.

But it is a death sentence for a lot of these horses.

And I think you need to think further than that.

It's not just the number of horses that we have in the city now.

It's the next 150 horses that are in Amish country that are going to be repurposed as carriage horses.

Because I'll tell you, in Amish country, if they don't get repurposed, they're being sold at auction.

And they're getting euthanized or sent to slaughterhouses out of the country.

So if you put it all together, it's more than just the present horses.

So the other panel, and I appreciate their passion for what they do, and we are never going to agree that horses shouldn't work, dogs shouldn't work.

I watch horses play polo.

They're playing the game.

The horses are watching the ball.

So I do believe there's a joy in the bond between people and animals.

There's a joy that animals get from working bird dogs that are hunting.

I see that.

My role in all that is to provide.

Medical care for them so that when I

feel that they're not fit to do that, we can address that and we can find a solution to that.

But if this ends, forget about these horses.

Just forget, it's forget about the horses, they're gone.

Thank you, doctor.

My time is up, but I look forward to someday possibly doing another successful reform bill like I did in 2010, which made a big difference.

Thank you.

We have other questions.

Madam Chair, if I could answer.

Councilmember Gennaro's question really quickly.

Okay, about the kangaroo court.

So it was very disappointing that members signed on to the bill without meeting or talking to the workers, especially people in leadership positions, because I feel like you all have a...

This is what you're supposed to do when you're in a leadership role.

And I've been getting calls the whole time.

I've been here from council members saying that they're being pressured to sign on to the bill.

And I can't help but wonder where would we be if the people that came before us, the trailblazers that came before us,

just got stopped in the line of opposition and threats.

Like none of us will be where we are today if those people had fallen prey to the opposition that came before them when they fought hard.

So I'm hoping that you at least give us more time and you have a dialogue because there are things

that we all agree on, and we should start there.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you, Sharice.

Thank you.

Council Member Marte.