FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 19, 2013 CONTACT: Chelsea Connor, Director of Communications (347) 866-6259 [email protected]

NYCLASS NAMES FIRST SET OF ENDORSEMENTS IN City Council Candidates Receive NYCLASS Backing for Their Stances on Animal Issues

(, NY) – Today, New Yorkers for Clean Livable And Safe Streets (NYCLASS) announced its first group of endorsements in Queens City Council races. This is the animal advocacy organization’s third public announcement regarding their support of City Council candidates. “NYCLASS proudly endorses eight candidates for City Council in Queens,” Allie Feldman, Executive Director of NYCLASS said. “These candidates have pledged their willingness to stand with NYCLASS as we promote the building of shelters to provide refuge for the abandoned animals wandering the streets of Queens. These paw protecting candidates will make sure Queens’ four legged constituents finally get the animal shelter they’re fighting for. We feel very strongly that stray animals should be given a home so that both they and New Yorkers are kept safe. Protecting ’s animals is our number one priority, and we look forward to working closely with these candidates throughout their campaigns and throughout their respective terms in the Council.” Candidates were also selected based on their support of a pilot program to replace the abused carriage horses with vintage electric cars, requiring pet stores to install life-saving fire sprinklers, banning puppy mills and protecting a senior citizens' right to have a companion animal.

Queens City Council Races District 19: District 20: Councilmember District 21: Councilmember Julissa Ferreras District 23: Councilmember Mark Weprin District 25: Councilmember District 26: Councilmember District 29: Councilmember District 31: Councilmember

More About NYCLASS: NYCLASS is an animal advocacy organization committed to ending the inhumane practices of the NYC carriage horse industry. NYCLASS advocates for retiring the carriage horses to sanctuary, while modernizing the current industry with a clean and safe alternative to this outdated tradition - the 21st Century Horseless Carriage. NYCLASS also advocates for many other NYC animal issues such as protecting a senior citizen's right to have a companion pet, mandating pet stores install fire sprinklers, protecting animals used in entertainment and reforming the city's animal shelter system. Founded in 2008 by a coalition of prominent animal lovers and business leaders, NYCLASS has grown to over 110,000 supporters with activist chapters in all five boroughs. For more information about NYCLASS please visitwww.nyclass.org. # # # For more information about NYCLASS please visit our website www.nyclass.org. Address: 39 Broadway Suite 1740 New York, NY 10006 Phone: (212) 626-6991