Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals

06/19/2026

LI‑DOG Pack Walk™

Saturday, June 20, 2026
11 am Sharp!
Sands Point Preserve
127 Middle Neck Rd
Port Washington, NY 11050

Join LI‑DOG on Sat., June 20th at 11 AM for our next LI‑DOG Pack Walk™ at beautiful, dog‑friendly Sands Point Preserve, the historic 216‑acre former Guggenheim estate! (Please arrive 15 minutes early so we can start on time.)

Our Pack Walks—guided, group on‑leash dog walks—are a wonderful way for you and your pup to socialize while exploring one of Long Island’s most stunning parks. Sands Point Preserve features multiple wooded trails, rolling lawns, a pond, open fields, and sweeping views of the Long Island Sound. Some trails may be a bit steep or uneven with roots and rocks. We expect the walk to take about one hour, with opportunities for shorter routes for those who prefer them.

Picnic Lunch After the Walk: Stay for a bring‑your‑own picnic lunch on the great lawn in front of Hempstead House. We’ve reserved the shaded picnic tables. Many thanks to the Preserve for generously waiving the reservation fee for LI‑DOG and our guests!

Important Rules for the pack-walk: Dogs must remain leashed at all times (no Flexi leads); Dogs are not allowed on the beach, in buildings, the Rose Garden, or the playground; Bring plenty of water for your dog and yourself; Bring p**p bags—cleanup is a must. Admission Fee. $15 per car • $4 per walk‑in. Pay at the gatehouse (credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or exact‑change cash). For more info and to RSVP so LI Dog knows how many people to expect, click here:

LI-DOG Pack Walk™ at Sands Point Preserve!With Bring Your Own Picnic Lunch to Follow Saturday, June 20th, 11 AM to 1 PM121 Middle Neck Rd. Port Washington, NY 11050(Google Map) How to Find Us: Meet us by Charlie's Run, the Sands Point dog run, at the north end of the parking lot! Join LI‑DOG on

06/19/2026

From All About Rabbit's Rescue

We hope you can join us at our upcoming rabbit adoption event in Bushwick! 🌼

Date: Sunday, June 28th

Time: 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Location: Lovejoys

Address: 412 Troutman St, Bushwick, NY 11237

See all our adoptable bunnies:
https://www.petfinder.com/member/us/ny/forest-hills/all-about-rabbits-rescue-inc-ny1145/?zlinkid=95076cee-7d56-49a4-b9e1-d93f7211c844

Looking for a partner for your rabbit? We offer speed dates! Email [email protected] to set one up for your bun (all appointments must be made in advance).

Need help with nail trims or grooming? Stop by between 12–2 PM — services are available by donation.

06/19/2026

From Voters for Animal Rights (VFAR) https://vfar.org/

We are closer than ever — help us get this across the finish line!

We are closer than ever to securing historic levels of public funding from the New York City Council for spay/neuter and pet food pantries — but we need your help to bring it home.

Last weekend, Voters For Animal Rights partnered with Bronx Dog Haven to sponsor their pet food pantry, and the turnout was incredible. More than 500 New Yorkers came out to get food, supplies, and grooming for the animals they love — a reminder of how urgently these resources are needed.

We were joined by members of the City Council's Animal Welfare Caucus, including Council Members Justin Sanchez, Shirley Aldebol, and Harvey Epstein, who saw firsthand how investments in pet food pantries can help keep families together and animals out of our already overwhelmed shelter system.

And then on Tuesday, something huge happened:

City Council Speaker Julie Menin rallied with the Animal Welfare Caucus, VFAR, animal rescuers, and pet parents from every borough to call for $5 million in funding for spay/neuter, veterinary care, and pet food pantries in the FY27 city budget. Speaker Menin’s leadership marks a major turning point in this campaign, and we are incredibly grateful for her partnership and commitment to NYC's animals.

This would be transformational — but it is only the beginning.

Last year, the City Council allocated $500,000 for spay/neuter services but $0 for pet food pantries. If this funding is included in the final FY27 budget, it would represent a tenfold increase in last year's investment — and would go even further than the $3.5 million our coalition originally recommended. This funding would help provide approximately 10,000 low-cost spay/neuter surgeries — an investment that will immediately help families, animal rescuers, and community cats.

And we know that $5 million is still only a first step toward addressing the scale of the crisis. Our long-term goal remains clear: NYC needs permanent, sustainable funding for affordable spay/neuter clinics, veterinary care, and pet food pantries in every borough. The ASPCA estimates the need at 200,000 free or low-cost spay/neuter surgeries every year to truly solve the cat crisis.

Thanks to your advocacy, we now have the support of the Speaker of the City Council and the Animal Welfare Caucus — and we have more momentum than ever. But we are not done yet. The budget is being negotiated right now and will be finalized by June 30. We need every Council Member to hear from their constituents before the final decisions are made.

Please remember: kindness and professionalism are how we build the relationships needed to create lasting change for animals.

Please take one minute today:

🐱 Cat lovers: Contact your Council Member here:
https://vfar.org/cats/?link_id=2&can_id=bd8dc392c480e7220d817fd7eb284932&source=email-this-tuesday-rally-at-city-hall-for-spayneuter-pet-food-pantry-funding&email_referrer=email_3288478&email_subject=we-are-closer-than-ever-help-us-get-this-across-the-finish-line

🐶 Dog lovers: Contact your Council Member here
https://vfar.org/dogs/?link_id=3&can_id=bd8dc392c480e7220d817fd7eb284932&source=email-this-tuesday-rally-at-city-hall-for-spayneuter-pet-food-pantry-funding&email_referrer=email_3288478&email_subject=we-are-closer-than-ever-help-us-get-this-across-the-finish-line

Every email and phone call matters. Together, we can make sure NYC finally invests in the resources our animals, families, and rescuers desperately need.

Urge the New York City Council to fund pet food pantries and low-cost spay/neuter programs in the 2027 fiscal budget.

06/13/2026

Birds in the city

New science reveals that urban areas are surprisingly important for migrating birds. The question of why isn’t quite settled, but the patterns show that cities can serve as vital stopover sites for migrating species.

Nearly half of all stopover sites used by migrating birds in North America fall within urban areas.Nearly half of all stopover sites used by migrating birds in North America fall within urban areas.

06/13/2026

The Mayor's Alliance remembers Jordana Serebrenik with great fondness and respect. She is truly missed by many.

Lynn Stoller from City Critters shared with us the following message to the City Critters family. With her permission, we are sharing it here.

Remembering Jordana

We are deeply saddened to share that our longtime volunteer Jordana has passed away after living with Parkinson’s disease.

Many of you knew Jordana well — through adoptions, fostering, events, late-night cat conversations, vet visits, or years of volunteering together. Others may have only crossed paths with her briefly, and some newer volunteers may not have known her at all. But for a very long time, Jordana was part of the fabric of City Critters.

Jordana brought enormous heart, humor, intelligence, and dedication to rescue work. She cared fiercely about animals and about this community, and she gave so much of herself over the years to helping cats find safety and homes. She also never lost her ability to make people laugh — often at exactly the moment it was most needed.

Jordana had a way of meeting the realities of rescue work head-on, without losing humor or humanity. She was grounded, fiercely capable, and deeply committed to the animals and people around her — someone who made things better simply by showing up.

For those who would like to know more about Jordana and the life she lived, this article: https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/18/nyregion/jordana-serebreniks-unusual-vocation-cat-catcher.html

and video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWnvA9iFmsQ

capture her spirit beautifully. We have not yet heard details about memorial services, but we will share information when we do.

We know many people in this community will feel this loss deeply. We are holding Jordana’s family, friends, and everyone who loved her in our thoughts.

— City Critters

06/13/2026

SUMMER WEBINAR JUNE 16

Bees at The Battery:
How a Thriving Urban Pollinator Habitat was Created at the Tip of Manhattan

Tuesday, June 16, 6:30PM on Zoom

Register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/xnfuuBN9SPOfAk1cMI13dA #/registration

A bee disappeared from this New York City park. Then it came back.

Not by accident—but because native blueberry shrubs were planted.

The Southeastern Blueberry Bee (Habropoda laboriosa) depends on these plants to survive. When we plant intentionally, biodiversity follows.

Join us June 16th to learn from bee biologist Sarah Kornbluth how she has helped land managers restore bee communities at The Battery, a living park at the southernmost tip of Manhattan. Sarah will explore bee community dynamics in cities and suburbs, their co-evolution with native plants, and how we can best provide the habitat they need.

Sean Kiely, Park Manager at The Battery, will introduce Sarah and talk about the park’s plantings for pollinators, its shift over time toward planting more native species, and its surprise to learn how many wild bee species make their homes in this one corner of New York City.

Register here:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/xnfuuBN9SPOfAk1cMI13dA #/registration

A bee disappeared from this New York City park. Then it came back. Not by accident—but because native blueberry shrubs were planted. The Southeastern Blueberry Bee (Habropoda laboriosa, above) depends on these plants to survive. When we plant intentionally, biodiversity follows. Join us June 16th ...

06/13/2026

From SPCA Westchester

Scarsdale Paw-looza Event
Sunday, June 14th
10am to 2pm
Spencer Place at Chase Road

Join SPCA Westchester and Destination Scarsdale for our second annual Scarsdale Paw-looza Event, taking place on Sunday, June 14th from 10am to 2pm at Spencer Place at Chase Road. Well-behaved canine companions are also invited to take part in this fun-filled family event and pet extravaganza. Activities for two-and-four-legged attendees include: a puppy cuddle station, biscuit and pup cup bar, nosework sniffari, kids activities, wishlist donation drive and more!

And the best part? The SPCA's mobile adoption unit will be there with adorable dogs, puppies and kitties to adopt! There is no registration or fee to attend. To learn more, please email [email protected]. A special thanks to the Scarsdale Business Alliance, Destination Scarsdale and the Village of Scarsdale for partnering on this exciting event!

06/13/2026

From Voters for Animal Rights (VFAR)

This Tuesday, June 16, we have an opportunity to show City Hall that New Yorkers want a city that invests in animals and the people who care for them.

The New York City Council Animal Welfare Caucus and Speaker Julie Menin are holding a rally at City Hall in support of public funding for spay/neuter, veterinary care, and pet food pantries in the FY27 budget — and advocates from across the five boroughs are coming together to stand with them. Please help us fill the steps of City Hall with rescuers, fosters, colony caretakers, shelter staff, pet parents, veterinarians, and volunteers who make this work possible.

📅 Tuesday, June 16
⏰ 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM
📍 Steps of New York City Hall in Manhattan (Enter the security gate across from 250 Broadway)
✅ RSVP here so we'll know how many t-shirts and signs to bring.
https://actionnetwork.org/events/new-york-city-council-animal-welfare-caucus-rally-for-spayneuter-and-pet-food-pantry-funding?link_id=0&can_id=bd8dc392c480e7220d817fd7eb284932&source=email-meet-us-at-city-hall-2&email_referrer=email_3280499&email_subject=this-tuesday-rally-at-city-hall-for-spayneuter-pet-food-pantry-funding&&

🗣 Spread the word by sharing on social media

We are calling for:

$1.5 million for low-cost spay/neuter and veterinary care
$2 million for pet food pantries
This funding will help keep pets with families, and provide much-needed relief to animal rescuers and shelters.

Having the Speaker of the City Council and the Animal Welfare Caucus championing these investments sends a powerful message: City Hall recognizes that animal rescuers, shelters, and pet parents need support. Now we need to show them just how many New Yorkers are counting on these programs.

In partnership with: Bronx Dog Haven, Bronx Community Cats, Flatbush Cats, Sassee Cats, Puppy Kitty NYC, LIC Feral Feeders, ASPCA, Humane World for Animals, VFAR, and many more organizations.

06/12/2026

From Voters for Animal Rights

ASK YOUR NYC COUNCIL MEMBER TO PASS RYDER'S LAW TO BAN HORSE CARRIAGES IN NYC!

This week, a carriage horse collapsed and died in Central Park.

We have seen this before. Ryder. Lady. Aisha. Charlie. Smoothie. And now another horse whose life ended on the pavement.

This moment demands more than outrage. It demands action.

On Thursday, the City Council reintroduced Ryder's Law — legislation to finally transition New York City away from horse carriages and retire the horses to sanctuaries. The bill includes a real transition plan for workers, too: stable jobs, protections, and benefits for carriage drivers. And we are ready to work with TWU and all stakeholders to make that happen.

But none of it happens without pressure from constituents like you.

PLEASE EMAIL YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER RIGHT NOW and urge them to support Ryder's Law. Then, please follow up with a polite phone call to their office.

Simply fill out the form at the link below and click "next" to send your NYC Council Member an email.
https://secure.ngpvan.com/QQ2t3sxv2kyPdbCpFW6jmw2?link_id=2&can_id=bd8dc392c480e7220d817fd7eb284932&source=email-ryder-didnt-make-it-but-his-law-can-still-save-them-all-3&email_referrer=email_3275331&email_subject=another-carriage-horse-dead-_

For the horses. For the workers. For New York City.

Pass Ryder's Law.