De Blasio Names Point Person on Four-Legged Friends

Call him the City Hall animal whisperer.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has tapped Jeff Dupee to handle animal issues, a move advocates said marks the first time the city has designated a point person for its four-legged inhabitants.

“We’re proud to welcome Jeff Dupee to our administration, where he is charged with working on various animal-related issues and outreach out of our community affairs unit,” the de Blasio administration said in a statement.

Dupee previously worked at Farm Sanctuary, a nonprofit focused on protecting farm animals and promoting vegan living, as well as the New York State Trial Lawyers Association and the Working Families Party, according to his LinkedIn account.

He started Jan. 12 and will earn a $65,000 annual salary.

Allie Feldman, executive director of NYCLASS, called the appointment historic, noting she and other animal advocates have been urging City Hall to hire such a liaison for years.

“This is the first time that any mayor in New York City has actually appointed somebody to be the official person on animal protection issues,” Feldman told City & State. “In New York City, with 8 million residents and so many different and diverse animal problems, it’s so important to have someone as a point person.” 

Within a month of de Blasio’s election, NYCLASS and other animal rights groups put out a policy paper recommending he centralize oversight of animal care, control services and welfare efforts by creating an independent office within the mayor’s office.

NYCLASS, which endorsed de Blasio and is pushing for a horse carriage ban, signed the policy paper along with The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Mayor’s Alliance for New York City’s Animals, a nonprofit comprised of more than 150 shelters and rescue groups working to save homeless animals.

Jane Hoffman, president of the Mayor's Alliance for New York City's Animals, said she was pleased the mayor adopted the top priority outlined in the white paper.

“We’re delighted,” Hoffman said. “I would love to see this turn into a department. I think it’s going to be more than a one-person job as things develop.”