Bill Text: NY J01066 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Commemorating the 10th Anniversary of the People and Animals Living Safely program
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-05-23 - ADOPTED [J01066 Detail]
Download: New_York-2023-J01066-Introduced.html
Senate Resolution No. 1066 BY: Senator GIANARIS COMMEMORATING the 10th Anniversary of the People and Animals Living Safely program WHEREAS, The People and Animals Living Safely (PALS) program was founded in 2013 by the Urban Resource Institute (URI) to provide safe and secure spaces for survivors of domestic violence, their families, and pets to stay together and heal together in shelter; and WHEREAS, PALS was the first and remains the only program in New York City that offers co-living for people and pets in shelter; and WHEREAS, PALS has expanded from one pilot program accepting only cats to 10 shelters with 304 apartment-style units across New York City that can accommodate hundreds of individuals every night along with pets of any species; and WHEREAS, In 2023, URI's PALS program served its 500th pet; and WHEREAS, 50% of survivors of domestic violence reported that they could not consider shelter if that would mean leaving their pet behind; and WHEREAS, The presence of pets is an important factor in the experience and decision-making of domestic violence survivors, and the human-animal bond is an important part of healing from trauma; and WHEREAS, The PALS program has provided comprehensive services to address the complex needs of domestic violence survivors and their diverse pets, and has expanded its scale and scope of services over a decade of learning; and WHEREAS, PALS offers technical assistance to other service providers seeking to accommodate pets and expand access to pet-friendly domestic violence shelter and services; and WHEREAS, PALS is a proof point of URI's commitment to innovation and impact in delivering trauma-informed, client-centered services; and WHEREAS, The PALS program is celebrating its 10-year anniversary; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the People and Animals Living Safely (PALS) program; and be it further RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body recognize the pioneering efforts of PALS in providing safe and secure spaces for Survivors of Domestic Violence, their families, and pets to stay together and heal together in shelter, and commend its leadership in making sustainable decisions that help to positively address climate change, respect natural resources, and create healthy indoor and outdoor environments; and be it further RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body acknowledge the importance of pet-friendly domestic violence shelter and services, and encourage the expansion of pet-friendly services to accommodate the needs of domestic violence survivors and their pets; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Urban Resource Center's People and Animals Living Safely (PALS) program.