Gennaro questions PETA on toxic plants in Central Park
Gennaro questions PETA's Ashley Byrne about whether the organization addressed toxic Japanese yew plants in Central Park after Denise's death. Byrne says horses shouldn't have been in the park to eat the plants. Gennaro says he filed a bill request about toxic plants.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I think I'm going to start from my right and go left.
I wrote down some of the names.
First would be to Ashley from PETA.
When you found out, or when PETA found out, that Denise had, the horse Denise had died,
from eating toxic Japanese yew plants, you being a premier animal rights organization, did you do anything?
Yes, we pointed out that Denise never should have been in Central Park in the first place, and that if his driver was attending to him properly, he wouldn't have been eating the vegetation in the first place.
And if his driver was following regulations, he wouldn't have eaten the vegetation.
Well,
Let's kind of expand this a little bit.
So we have toxic plants in the park that are toxic to every species that is native to the park,
species that migrate through the park, people walking their dogs in the park, stray cats, whatever.
Every single animal is subject to being poisoned or killed by Japanese yew.
And as an animal rights organization, did you say anything to the Central Park Conservancy about this was not the kind of plant that should be in a park with such a diverse array of animals?
Did you address the concerns?
Forget about the horses right now because, you know, Denise is already dead.
And so...
And I, you know, as someone who's been an equestrian for 60 years, I know that horses graze.
Have you ever driven by a field of horses where even one was not grazing?
That's not how this works.
But anyway, moving to other animals, did you have any concerns about any of the other animals in the park, which your agency is supposedly all about?
Yes or no?
What you just pointed out about horses grazing is precisely one of the reasons they don't belong in Central Park.
Could you please answer my question?
They're denied everything natural to them and forced to be in an environment where they don't belong.
Hey, I get to ask the questions and you answer my questions.
So my question is,
Did PETA do anything about the presence of toxic plants in the park?
Are you asking if we started a campaign to ban a plant?
No clapping, no clapping.
I asked the questions here.
You put order with the general.
Come on.
When I heard about the plants, I issued a statement.
I put in a bill request about toxic plants in New York City parks.
And I wrote the Central Park Conservancy.
So I guess I'm more of an animal lover than you are.
Edie Falco.
That's cute, but the fact is that the horses should not have been in the park to eat the plants in the first place.
Edie Falco.
Council Member Gennaro, your time is up.
Council Member Hanif.