Wayne Pacelle (Animal Wellness Action) testifies supporting ban
Wayne Pacelle of Animal Wellness Action testifies comparing the ban to historical shifts away from whaling, cockfighting, and dogfighting, calling it a balanced approach with worker transition support.
I'm Wayne Pacelli.
Okay, Wayne.
I'm president of Animal Wellness Action.
You know, in the 19th century, there were whale oil lamps around Central Park.
Are we going to persist with the understanding that there were innovative energy sources that were coming online?
With whaling, are we going to say we're going to take the jobs from the whalers and therefore we're going to continue to kill whales because we want those lamps, even though we have superior
alternative methods to deliver light when it's dark at night?
I led a ballot measure in Oklahoma to outlaw cockfighting.
In 2002, not that long ago.
It was legal.
There were 2.5 million fighting birds in the state.
There were 10,000 cockfighters.
You, Madam Chair, and other members
have been gracious in talking about providing economic support for people who have a vestigial practice that doesn't generate much money, it's just a very small number of people, the city is saying they're going to help them.
There was no support for the people to get money, all the cockfighters in that state of Oklahoma.
The same thing happened in Louisiana, the same thing happened in the 19th century with dogfighting here in New York.
This is a very balanced approach that you've taken.
You're identifying a practice that is demonstrably inhumane to the horses, that led to the death of a boy that if this council had acted a short time ago would be alive.
We have all sorts of other transportation opportunities.
We have all sorts of tourism opportunities.
Why are we holding on to this practice, seeing that Chicago and Philadelphia and cities around the country have addressed this issue?
We hear arguments from the proponents of this that this is going to lead to the end of all animal use.
Where are such proposals?
Where have we heard such nonsense before?
Real estate people, I have no idea what they're talking about with real estate issues.
It's a bunch of nonsense.
You all are on the right track.
I encourage you to have such a balanced approach.
Thank you.
Next.