Aug. 2, 2013 Staff Report
A Sunnyside resident who lives next door to an animal hoarder receives little help from city agencies.
The resident has had to cope with the smell of feces, the noise of six dogs and trash for years. She later discovers that the owner has cats too.
Click here to read the story.
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Probably best if you just said “this drunk guy.” Many of us speak Spanish but that doesn’t really put us all in a recognizable category.
Even if a cop saw him taking a dump under the El, he’s only going to receive a ticket. There was a drunk spanish guy at Times Square who took his pecker out & was spraying everybody with urine as they exited the 7 train. Can you imagine?!? The doors open & you go to exit the train and some guy is pissing on you. I arrived right after the incident & the cop told me what happened. It appeared all they did was give him a ticket. Now, if HE wasn’t arrested, I doubt the Chaange bum is going to be arrested! They need to make a one way trip to the Elmhurst psych ward for the Chaange guy!
Understand, not making fun, worrying about our community. I will have my phone ready to roll next time. I’ve seen him in action. With children around.
It probably is against the law, but a cop would have to witness this act and I wouldn’t be surprised if it involves nothing more than getting a ticket. The point is that there’s not too much we can do about a person like this, except for complain to each other, or make fun of him.
There’s been plenty of discussion but no one has come up with a good idea yet. People say he commutes her by #7 (or at least it’s been repoorted that he’s been seen on the staircase that leads to the station. Does this mean he has money for a metro card? Do you think he pays rean, buys groceries? I get the impression he is helplessly destitute.
When a man drops his pants and poops underneath the trains, is that not breaking the law?
I don’t think there is anything anyone can do about him. He’s not breaking any laws, from what I understand. I’m sure he is mentally ill, unemployable, and very poor. I’m curious what “drastic but necessary measures” the Liberian guy has in mind.
Southside, I think a shower would be considered a drastic measure as far as the change guy is concerned.
Charles, what does your being a librarian have to do with it??
What drastic measures are you proposing for the change guy?
He does a good job. Just sick of seeing his face on TV and in the Woodside Herald.
I have one living right next door to me. I’d like to know where I can get some help. I reported her to the Health Dept. AND Dept of Building because she has two very large cat condo’s for the feral cats, one in the front and one in the back of her house. And believe me, she doesn’t clean them. She cleans very little in other areas also. Tried to talk to her in a nice way……. forget it, she doesn’t acknowledge a problem at all. Who can help……. it appears the animals have more rights than we do!
I don’t know, JVB’s office has always worked very hard for me and my issues. They always pull things through for me.
JVB and his office work like dogs. you may not agree with everything he does but cant deny the work ethic. They get stuff done.
Agree with CP on this issue- this is unsanitary and harmful to the hoarder and all the animals she has, as well as the community as a whole. There must be affirmative and forceful intervention by the government/non-profits in extreme, sad situations such as these- including by local governments and JVB.
I appreciate that he can’t do everything, and tend to every individual case, but this is a case that clearly reaches out and affects the community as a whole, not just the woman (and her pets) living in that one residence…a call and persistence from his office to DOH or DOS gets a better response that the rest of us….
I like JVB a lot, but am disappointed (highly) by how it seems his office handled knowledge of this situation…
This place is right around the corner from Quaint and Claret Bar (on the same sq. block). If the stench was affecting their businesses, you can be sure this problem would have handled a lot quicker. Just sayin.’
call the media and call every queens newspaper regarding this serious matter — there is only so much JVB’s office can do — also call the department of health and sanitation — give it a try — who knows maybe some good might come out of this — good luck
This article doesn’t speak very highly of JVB’s office or Sunnyside Gardens in general. Where’s the community spirit to rally and help those in need?
not sure about those comments about the councilman’s office. they’ve helped me on a bunch of different issues and are a ton of help when 311 doesn’t work. He helped me get trees pruned after the city told me no and even got the sewers redone in the gardens among other things. not sure what this person is talking about. JVB’s always been a help around the neighborhood.
Mary Caulfield,
Here’s the solution. Since what these animal hoarders are doing is a serious threat to public health, government intervention is warranted, and I say that as a libertarian. The women should be taken in for mental evaluation and treatment whether they are willing or not. Their house then cleared out and disinfected by people in biohazard suits and the animals euthanized if they are sick or cannot be adopted. If the house is irredeemably infected or soiled, then it should be torn down.
Let’s not wait till some horrible outbreak of disease happens from a situation like this before taking the drastic but necessary measures.
Ditto for the “change bum”. The man is clearly mentally ill and his coughing and spitting on the street is a threat to public health and sanitation.
The people in JVB’s office have been extremely helpful to me with a recent, unusual and shattering problem that developed with a neighbor. They are not magicians, nor are they encyclopedias of solutions. They are human beings doing the best they can to help people in one of the biggest, most complicated cities on Earth.
They work long hours and their pay is only adequate. Their jobs are dependent on their bosses reelection so they have no assured future. When they take the job on they know they are offering themselves to be of service to many, many thousands of members of the general public. The general public means everybody, not just those mainstream enough to hold a job, think rationally and behave in a law-abiding, civil manner.
In other words, give them a break, please.
The complaining neighbor in this story spent years and consulted many, many people before coming close to reducing the size of this problem. Animal hoarders have a mental illness. And in this country we do not lock people up and throw away the key on such sufferers. At best we diligently, patiently work with people to bring them to a greater state of health. And that takes time.
You don’t live in a perfect world. If you know how to solve this problem any other way, please spell it out and send it to the professionals. They haven’t heard of it yet.
Not surprised they blew you off, no where to stand for a photo op.
It is on 47th street near Skillman. I have smelled this place many times walking to work. It is not a huge shock the JVB did not help. I had the same problem being blown off by his community affairs person. The community person in Joe Crowley’s office is pretty good. Not sure if they could help with this.
Hows everyone in 39th st enjoying that nice little biker party tonight huh? What a bunch of total badasses, I mean, just so tough and …badass! Good ol Sunnyside , totally worth the 1600 in rent
Is this what goes on in your precious land marked SG?
@JOR
Just follow your nose, you’ll find it.
It seems to me the purpose of republishing the article on the pages of the Sunnyside Post is because the editors believe it to be news. If so, then why is the address of the relevant parties(home owner and hoarder) not listed?
SUDS could have definitely helped you with this matter. Next time reach out to us and we can assist. We’ve done it before:)
Rick Duro
SUDS