>> [gavel] good afternoon everyone. the meeting will come to order. this is the thursday april 2, 2015 meeting of the public safety and neighborhood services committee of the san francisco board of supervisors. my name is eric mar. i'm the chair of the committee. to my left is supervisor julie christensen and to my right is supervisor scott wiener and katy tang. our clerk is mr. derek evans. could you give us the announcements. >> thank you mr. chair. please silent all cell phones and electronic devices. speaker cards and files should be splitted to the clerk and items will be on the april 14 board of supervisors agenda unless otherwise stated. >> thank you. we have three

important hearings on the agenda today so it's going to be a substantive meeting. the third hearing on addressing bias in the san francisco justice system and the racist and homophobic texts within the san francisco police department will be last and i will start with the first one. >> number one for the health code and prohibit wild or exotic animals for public entertainment or amusement. >> thank you. this is sponsored by supervisors tang, wiener and yee. supervisor tang. >> thank you very much and i would like to thank everyone for being here today and last month i introduced legislation that will prohibit the performance of wild or exotic animals for public entertainment or amusement in san francisco and many of us attended a circus or live animal performance in the past. they are common place in many of our cities. san

francisco last hosted a circus in the fall of 2013 and again slated for this year but circuses i believe do not provide educational value. i think that they do a disservice to many of the young people that attend circus us think it's natural for animals to perform certain acts. existing laws do not protect wild or exotic animals for conditions involved in shows and animal welfare laws are hard to enforce when shows travel between jurisdictions and the animal welfare act signed in 1966 when circuses or other shows mistreat the animals they're only required to pay a fine of the animals are not removed from the care which is nots them to potential future torture when inspectors are not present and furthermore entities can afford to pay the fines and

the animal welfare act provides slight criteria for the animals and stress and over heating and fails toy did fine what that means for the animals so i think the best way to send a message that we don't not support the abuse of animals especially for entertainment purposes is ban them in san francisco. the legislation bans wild or exotic animals in particular and monkeys, elephants, beer -- bears and zeb bras and could be subject to a violation. unfortunate this is common place in training these animals and results in injury and death. chronic stress and trauma have effects on the psychological effects of performing animals so at this time i do have a video

clip, probably the more -- or less traumatic one that we can show here in committee so sfgtv if you can show the video and i will continue my remarks while the video is playing. and while the video is cuing up i will just say that one of the individuals who are here to speak for the legislation today wanted to bring a [inaudible] into city hall but are not allowed to and it's a weapon for humans. sorry about the -- so

i think there's definitely more videos that much more difficult to watch, but i think that just shows a simple demonstration of what it is that we're trying to prevent and as i mentioned some of the individuals wanted to bring a bull hook into city hall just to demonstrate what it looks like and how it's used on animals but we're not allowed to bring it into city hall which demonstrates it's not appropriate for animals too so performances and shows endanger the trainers and public too. there have been instances that elephants have trammeled the performers and other animals have escaped their quarters and many are subject up to 11 months of travel in the year. according to a report by the new york city bar, a city that has a similar ban in place, animals

travel in small cars up to 36 hours on the road and creates a stressful environment that negatively impacts their health so this legislation goes beyond just banning circuses and means the animals are baned in films and we talked with the director of the film commission about this as well but there is a balance we're trying to strike. animals can be presented at institutions such as zoos as long as it's for educational purposes. there are 10 other municipalities in california that have similar bans or regulations in place and colorado and connecticut and washington and others have something on the local level as well so i have one particular amendment to make today. it's non substantive on line four and page 16 and strike out the american association and replace

with global animal sanctuaries when we submitted copies to the clerk. the reason that we're making the amendment the global sanctuary for animals and we wanted to include that. i wanted to thank dr. allison stangly and the executive director of the california chapter of league of voters dr. chaplain and everyone that is speaking in support of the legislation and my cosponsors again supervisor wiener and supervisor yee and before i turn it over to the department i wanted to give supervisor wiener an opportunity to say a few words as well. >> thank you mr. chairman and supervisor tang. i want to thank you for your leadership on this legislation and supervisor tang and i have partnered on various pieces of animal welfare legislation and budget support for animal care and control and

it's a real pleasure to be able to work with you supervisor tang. and this is a long over due legislation and this is actually one of those areas where sometimes you propose something like this and people immediately say it's some sort of san francisco thing. well, we're not pioneers on this. we are doing the right thing, but other cities have already been doing this because this is really common sense, and here in san francisco we are a city that -- the city of st. francis and we deeply believe in the humane treatment of animals, and we have time and time again adopted innovative policies around animals to make sure we're not killing animals in our shelters, to make sure we're doing everything we can to ensure that animals of all variety, every variety of animals treated humanely in this city, and the

is that animals -- exotic animals used for performance whether in the circus or otherwise are frequently physically tortured. this isn't about simply aggressive training techniques and it's the physical torture of this animals and the bull hook is just horrible and i know someone suggested we should ban the bull hook. it goes beyond that and we have seen videos of animals being tied down to be trained and really aggressive way and other forms of physical abuse in addition to the way they're transported around the state and around the country, and this really has no place in san francisco, and so it is over due for us to do this and i am grateful to all of the advocates that have been working so tirelessly state wide and locally to move us in a great

direction and i look forward to getting this passed and to the mayor. >> thank you and through the chair one last comment i will say if this legislation passes in san francisco we really need to work on an effort at the state level because the circuses -- they come to the cow palace which is outside our jurisdiction so we need to work on that issue. we started conversations even before the potential warriors come here and would you not hold circuses in your arena and the effort doesn't stop today so with that said i would like to call up folks from three department representatives and virginia donahue and the new executive director of san francisco an male care and control, joe fitting and a deputy director of the san francisco swr zoo and sally stephens and then proceed to public comment. >> thank you for inviting me

to appear before the public safety and neighborhood services committee. i am virginia donahue and i am the new executive director of san francisco an male care and control. i have been in my position as of a month of today. >> >> we have reviewed the proposed ordinance and we believe we can enforce and implement it as part of the regular duties and we are in support of the legislation and would like to thank the supervisors for sponsoring it. san francisco has been a long leader in the animal welfare community entertainment doesn't reflect our values. the ordinance would provide us with additional tools to protect wild or exotic animals from cruel and inhumane treatment. thank you. are there any questions i can answer for you? >> no. i don't think so. thank you very much. >> i just wanted to welcome you ms. donahue and thank you so much for coming to san francisco .

>> good afternoon. thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to comment on this. my name is joe fitting and the deputy director of the san francisco zoo and i want to thank supervisor tang, wiener and yee for bringing forward this very important legislation, the san francisco. >> and the zoological society supports it emphatically and complement you for recognizing the important role of zoos and aquariums and connecting families with nature because the first step in protecting animals is connecting them to those places and by the connection we am create the future conservationists and you have taken the important step by doing this and protecting these animals and thank you very much on behalf of our membership.

>> hi i am sally steven and it is chair of the animal control welfare commission. our commission advises the board on issues involving animals. these issues have come up to our commission many times in the past and it's the type of thing we've always supported. there's just a technical timing issue that we couldn't take a vote at our last meeting on this specific legislation and ordinance, but just speaking as chair and speaking personally i wholeheartedly support this and i am sure that had we taken a vote the commission would have -- i can't say for sure, but this is the city of st. francis and we do value humane treatment of animals so i urge you and the full board to support this wholeheartedly. thank you very much. >> thank you. and i think that concludes the department speakers so if we can as the chair of the committee proceed

with public comment. >> yeah thank you very much for everyone to speak. we're going to keep comments to two minutes and a soft buzzer at 30 seconds to go so do your best to think about the time limits. thank you very much. >> through the chair i will call up the cards i have. [calling speaker names] . and i will call up the next set after. >> well, i can't tell you how delighted i am to be here. our organization performing an male welfare society -- animal society has been in existence for years and this is coming to fruition in educating people and legislators. i am excited to have the san francisco zoo here today. actually there is a

powerpoint that -- is it going? it go behind me. performing animal welfare society has three sanctuaries for displaced animals and abused and retired animals and one of the retired animals is the last elephant to leave the san francisco zoo which is lulu and finishes up the powerpoint program. i am on the committee to advise the director of fish and game in california as to the humane care of animals and i think federally and state wide we need much more stronger laws. the people that do the exhibiting of animals in different places around california are only required to have extremely small spaces for their animals to live, up to 3,000 square feet for a tiger for the entire life. >>

>> 300 square feet for the tiger to life and many things the people don't see when the tiger comes for a performance. the opposition fights to keep the standards so low and the public that supports that thing is much more aware of what happens. the animal trade is another disgusting part of the wild animal business, not just the ones that come to the city, but the ones that are bought, sold and traded that are considered surplus, so if anybody has any questions i have been doing this a long time and i might be able to answer some. >> thank you very much. i think that you have been a really great supporter of this legislation. i really support your efforts and what you're doing. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> good afternoon committee members. thank you so much for the opportunity to speak to you. i am captain cindy michado and

the director of animal services at the humane service and have been working there in a law enforcement capacity for over 30 years and a certified animal welfare administrator. congratulations to all of you for considering this very important legislation. it sets a precedent not only in san francisco but the bay area and california and across the country. these exotic animal issues are imperative that we take a proactive safe approach. i have been doing this long enough to see hideous issues in regard to traveling animal exhibits using these animals and i am referred to assistance with enforcement, with investigations, with passing local legislation, and trying to figure out solutions, and your approach this this problem is by far the most trend setting approach we've seen, and with every exotic animal performing what you're not seeing is what

is behind the scenes which is neglect, torture of training, surplus animals that are being bred and imported and exported to other areas. it's a cycle that needs to be stopped. by the time the animals are exhibiting it's just the tip of the iceberg. there is no enforcement with the usda to protect the animals and by bringing it down to the local level is the most effective way to deal with the issue and thank you for the legislation. we look forward to strongly supporting you and the process until it's signed. thank you very much. >> good afternoon supervisors and members of the committee. i am dr. allison stanley representing the league of humane voters of california. my sincere thanks to you supervisor

wiener, tang and supervisor yee for being willing to cosponsor this legislation. obviously it's very important. i also want to send big congratulations to the entire board of supervisors. you've done some extraordinary measures over the years and especially more recently to take humane measures on behalf of animals and it's just as somebody else said trend setting for the rest of the country. i want to make sure you're aware that the fact that the video shown of the abusive training of animals and have how they bring the animal acts to san francisco and i have articles here to provide evidence of that for you. again i really just want to give you my most sincere thanks and any additional information i can provide to you i am happy to do that but thank you and

congratulations. >> thank you and as the next speaker comes up i will call the last speakers. [calling speaker names] . >> good afternoon. my name is daffy lang and a lifelong san francisco resident and representing the animal legal defense fund. i want to thank supervisor tang, wiener and yee for sponsoring the legislation. when it comes to handles these animals for entertainment abuse is the rule, not the exception. handlers embed the sharp hook into the soft tissue behind elephant ears and other sensitive spots and under the chins and tigers are whipped and beaten and man are in tiny cages and this ordinance is in the

best interest of public safety and animals that are subjected to abuse are prone to unpredictable dangerous behavior that has a serious risk of injury and death and while weapons can inflict serious pain on animals they can't control a elephant or tiger that attacks and we applaud the supervisors for taking the lead on this issue and san francisco should join the other california cities that have banned exotic animal performing acts. thank you. >> good afternoon everybody. my name is krista herman and i am here on behalf of the san francisco spca and i am here to convey our organization a support of the proposed ordinance. this is a compassionate and really forward thinking measure that improves animal welfare and public safety in san francisco and it also sends a very clear message that

entertainment involving the exploitation of animals is completely out of step with our city's humane values. we urge your support on this important legislation and i thank you for letting me speak. >> good afternoon supervisors. my name is pat and i am with a group called humanities for education. i have been documenting the conditions and treatment of animals in circuses in the bay area for the last 27 years and applaud you for introducing the legislation and not only where our country is headed and the world is headed and mexico passed similar legislation. what i have seen in my 27 years documenting these conditions there are two ways circuses are hurting animals and one is prep i have vaigz and in-- deprivation and abuse of

animals and deprive them from freedom, such as socializing with other animals and tigers and lions are kept in tiny cages and can't take many steps. tigers room rome -- additionally as you saw there is infliction from weapons on the tigers and the camels and the zebras. as far as public safety i have witnessed san jose zebras breaking free and camels breaking loose and i want to say as far as education goes these

circus tricks don't teach us anything about who the animals truly are. they perpetuate a gross and false image about who the animals are and doesn't teach us about them and i applaud you for introducing this legislation. thank you very much. >> my name is terry mad lock and born and raised in san francisco. i spent my whole life in eric mar's district. i'm a high school and college drop out. i always wanted to be a zoologist and never made it so i'm a volunteer at the zoo and joe is my boss and i'm not a representative or spokesperson for the zoo. i support this legislation because animal cute cruelty makes me sick and many of them involve [inaudible] >> >> and there aren't many left in the wild and to them abuse

side sickening and i know it's terrible for children to see this happening to animals because when they grow up and be my age may might not see them in the wild and may only know of them in. >>s and wildlife marks and the institutions are there to make a profit and not teaching people about conservation and abusing them to perform tricks to make money and that is immoral. i was in the london zoo and there were two fish and one was a madagascar fish and the other fish and both are extinct in the wild and because of the london zoo they might be reintroduced into the wild and have a chance and within the last hundred years there was a deer in china and known as david -- [inaudible] deer and extinct in china. however some were in europe in different swroos. the

diewk duke of fedford bred them and now there are herds of over a thousand where they were extinct and zoos may have some fault but they're now in the business of education and conservation which not at all what the entertainment industry is doing and to abuse the animals and support the legislation and boycott indiana. >> hi. my name is andrea montoya and thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak today. [inaudible] as a san francisco resident and animal activist i was excite and proud to learn that you are looking to ban the use of these animals to perform in the city. i have been a resident in san francisco for over 10 years and i am

astonished that this type of entertainment still exists in the city limits. san francisco is unique a role model for other cities and a city that sets precedents across the country. when i learned that oakland was one of the first to start a movement against this barbaric form of entertainment i was embarrassed with the city and san francisco has been involved with recycling in the city and create new jobs and the companies starting business here but san frant cannot be proud for allowing this behavior to continue with the wild or exotic animals. we need to be proud of our zero kill rate in the shelters and san francisco needs to be proud of the protection of the wildlife and proud of the zero tolerance of ivory sales in the city limits and san francisco needs to be proud to be one of the cities that do

not allow this performances to continue especially with how the animals are treated. >> this is our opportunity as a city to set precedent and let san francisco be a role model for others across the country. i hope you understand and believe this behavior shouldn't be allowed in the city limits. i hope you're the voice for the ones that cannot speak for themselves. san francisco has been able to financially survive through much of the time. i truly believe that our city will benefit from the ban in so many more ways than what the revenue can provide. thank you. >> hello. my name is daniella bore and i am here to tell you we're really, really happy that the city of san francisco to see this meeting today. i am just

a concerned citizen but i also volunteer for peta and dixie which is a group that take cake of all the animals and action everywhere and i wanted to let you know my team we go and welcome the circus when they come to cow palace or san jose and i also travel to san diego to help protestlet business of the circus and i want let you know there are a lot of people that believe this is what needs to be done, this ban that we're talking about today, because there's large amount of people believe that this is the time to do it and even though this room is too small to have the people here today this is really important for all of the people, and not only in san francisco as somebody mentioned, but for the whole state. we travel all the way from san diego to san francisco and this is really important for us. thank you for doing this.

>> good afternoon supervisors. my name is philip gary and a former commissioner on the animal control and welfare commission for six years and i am very familiar with all the issues concerning animal welfare i guess. i was moved to come here to speak today because i am in full support of what is being proposed. i am just surprised to me this is my personal opinion that public entertainment and amusement reads to me zoos which i was trying to many years ago become just a rescue zoo but the powers that be didn't happen, but in my mind on a lesser