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Allie Taylor was just appointed the new director of the Mayor’s Office of Animal Welfare in New York City (NYC).
Taylor, the founder and former president of Voters For Animal Rights (VFAR), said she is “incredibly honored to continue fighting for animals” in her new role.
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As director of the Mayor’s Office of Animal Welfare, Taylor will advise and assist Mayor Zohran Mamdani on the city’s animal welfare issues. According to the animal welfare office’s website, it “recognizes the many connections between human and (non-human) animal well-being, and aims to foster a more humane city for all.”
Taylor told Plant Based News (PBN), “I’ve spent years fighting for animal rights in New York City, and I’m honored to have the opportunity to do that work from inside City Hall. As a cat rescuer, I know how much New Yorkers love their pets – and how hard it can be to afford the veterinary care they need. Animal welfare is connected to the challenges people face in their own lives: when New Yorkers can’t afford their rent, they and their animals can lose their homes. I also know how much work remains to protect wildlife and other animals across the city. I’m excited to work with Mayor Mamdani and the advocates to make spay/neuter more accessible, protect animals and wildlife, and keep people and their pets together.”
‘None of this happened because of one person’
On LinkedIn, Taylor wrote, “I’m incredibly honored to continue fighting for animals from inside City Hall, and I’ll remain involved with VFAR in an advisory capacity.”
She highlighted VFAR’s key achievements from the last 10 years, including: Passing bans on wild animals in circuses, guinea pigs in pet stores, and the sale of foie gras; passing the “Backyard Breeder Law”; securing funding for affordable spay and neuter services and “pet food pantries”; leading passage of an industrial octopus farming ban; and helping elect “dozens of animal champions” to public office.
Taylor added, “None of this happened because of one person. It happened because thousands of New Yorkers volunteered, donated, organized, voted, and showed up for animals.”
Before she founded VFAR, Taylor also led a campaign to ban horse-drawn carriages in NYC. There has been a renewed push for such a ban after the death of an 18-year-old tourist and the death of a carriage horse, both over the summer.
Read more: Zohran Mamdani Appoints Vegan Environmentalist To Direct NYC Food Policy
Mamdani appoints lifelong vegan to direct food policy
Earlier this year, Mamdani appointed Siddhartha Sanchez, a lifelong vegan and environmentalist, to direct food policy. According to the Mayor’s Office, Sanchez is a lifelong vegan and advocate for food justice in the city.
“Siddhartha Sanchez has spent his career fighting for food justice, strengthening community-led solutions and expanding access to healthy food,” Mamdani said. “Food access is an economic justice issue, and I am proud to welcome him to this administration, as we work to ensure that every New Yorker has access to food as a basic human right.”
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