ASPCA & Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals Welcome New Executive Director of Animal Care & Control of NYC, Ms. Julie Bank

NEW YORK—The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) and Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals® are pleased to welcome New York City’s new Executive Director of Animal Care and Control, Ms. Julie Bank.

Ms. Bank, who will assume her duties on April 12, 2010, has more than 20 years of animal welfare experience. Most recently, she served as Executive Director of North County Humane Society and SPCA (NCHS) in Oceanside, Calif., where she was responsible for managing a full- service organization that managed two animal control contracts with local municipalities. She also successfully negotiated the merger between NCHS and the San Diego Humane Society.

“Ms. Bank’s experience and commitment to providing positive outcomes for homeless animals is longstanding and will assure that New York City’s resources are coordinated and focused on serving our at-risk animals and solving the problem of animal homelessness,” said Ed Sayres, President and CEO of the ASPCA.

Added Jane Hoffman, president of the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals, “Homelessness is the No. 1 risk factor for companion animals, and with 42,000 homeless animals entering our city’s shelters each year, New York City needs a leader who will be able to provide life-saving outcomes for cats and dogs.”

Since 2003, the city’s euthanasia rate has dropped from 74 percent to 33 percent, its lowest rate in history. In addition, over the past nine years, adoptions have increased 130 percent. This progress has been made possible by the Mayor’s Alliance Participating Organizations (APOs), a coalition of 160 animal rescue groups and shelters, powered by Maddie's Fund®, The Pet Rescue Foundation, with support from the ASPCA, that routinely transfer animals in danger of being euthanized from the city’s public shelters to groups and organizations that can guarantee placement.

“Collaboration is a key component of our success in New York City, and as she’s demonstrated throughout her career, Ms. Banks understands the importance of partnerships,” added Sayres. “We look forward to working with Julie to continue NYC’s progress toward becoming a no-kill city”.”

Prior to her role at NCHS, Ms. Bank was the Deputy Director of Maricopa County Animal Care & Control where she handled marketing, public relations, fund-raising and public programs. She also served as Director of Education and Therapeutic Programs for the Arizona Humane Society.

Ms. Bank began her career at the ASPCA in New York City where she held various positions from shelter operations to humane education outreach over a ten-year period. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Ms. Bank is a graduate of Brooklyn College and looks forward to returning to her hometown, along with a rescued French bulldog named Lola and a cat named Carmen.

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About the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals: The Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals, Inc., founded in 2002 and powered by Maddie's Fund, The Pet Rescue Foundation, with support from the ASPCA, is a coalition of more than 160 animal rescue groups and shelters that is working with Animal Care & Control of New York City (AC&C) to end the killing of healthy and treatable cats and dogs at AC&C shelters. To achieve that goal, the Alliance, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, helps its Alliance Participating Organizations (APOs) work to their highest potential to increase pet adoptions and spay/neuter rates, with the goal of transforming New York City into a no-kill community by 2015.