Boston Mayoral Candidates 2021

The candidates were asked 7 questions about animal protection that may arise for a mayor of Boston. Below are responses from candidates John Barros, Andrea Campbell, Annissa Essaibi George, and Michelle Wu. Candidate Kim Janey did not respond to our several requests.

Dog Runs: Designated off-leash recreation areas for dogs are an opportunity for recreation for both dogs and their guardians. Do you support the idea of fenced dog runs in public parks where space and conditions make it feasible?

John Barros: Yes, every neighborhood should have a fenced-in dog park or dog run. There should also be some designated swimming areas for dogs. While in City Hall with the Walsh administration, we advocated for several new dog parks, including Garvey Park and Downer Park in Dorchester. More importantly though, we need to bring communities together to collaborate on creating safe and comfortable spaces for dogs to get a little exercise. Too often, we have seen dog park plans derailed by abutters who have concerns. We need to work from the beginning to build consensus. Responsible dog owners are great ambassadors.
Andrea Campbell: Yes. Fenced dog runs benefit both dog owners and dogs. Allowing off-leash recreation areas is inclusive to people of all backgrounds, including those who may be disabled and unable to walk their dog. Furthermore, dog parks foster community within neighborhoods and have proven to decrease damage to private property by providing protected space for dogs to exercise without disturbing the rest of the neighborhood.
Annissa Essaibi George: Yes
Michelle Wu: Yes, I support the creation of dog runs and dog parks that are safe for dogs, people, and nature and designed in close partnership with the community. Dog parks provide space for people and their canine companions to play outside together, and for dogs to develop social skills through supervised interaction with other people and dogs. Dog parks provide a platform for neighbors to get to know one another, building the kind of social cohesion that strengthens the fabric of our entire city. The beauty and joy of public parks can be made all the better when space for dogs is thoughtfully integrated. 

Animal Control: Animal control plays an important role in municipalities by protecting public safety, and by ensuring humane care for the animals in the care and control of the municipality, and in its animal shelter. Do you support funding to achieve and maintain high standards for the animal control function and city animal shelter? If you have any specific suggestions for improving the city’s animal control program (licensing, sheltering, adoptions, bite prevention, etc.) to ensure that it is run in a proactive, progressive, humane and effective manner?

John Barros: Recognizing the importance of the department and the functions, one of the first acts of the administration in which I worked was to change the name from Animal Control to Animal Care and Control. It’s a symbolic gesture for sure, but it reflected a new approach to how we wanted to work. We invested in and reformed our shelter, which was in very bad shape when we got there, according to a report by the Animal Rescue League. We first hired professional people trained in animal care to lead. We also moved the department from Inspectional Services, which is more of a regulatory agency, to Parks and Recreation, which is more geared toward programming and collaboration. We also partnered with the ARL and the MSPCA on pet adoption programs. There is still much work to be done, and if I am elected, I will invest in the department. For instance, I will act on some plans started with the Walsh administration to move the current shelter in Roslindale to a new purpose-built space in Franklin Park to make it more inviting for families looking to adopt pets. This new space can also be built to care for horses belonging to the Parks Department, and perhaps to house some City-owned goats. Currently, Parks rents goats for “goatscaping,” a wildly popular and natural way to do landscaping.
I’d like to explore the possibility of workforce development programs related to animal care. We could partner a Boston Public High School with a local college with a veterinary program. I would also invest in free spay/neuter, low-cost veterinary services, and low-cost dog training programs. I would work with landlords to lift breed bans, and though it’s outside the jurisdiction of a mayor, work with insurance companies that discriminate to educate them about the unfairness of breed-specific policies. My goal is to make Boston the most pet-friendly city in the country, with no breed discrimination.
Andrea Campbell: Yes. We need to ensure that our city works for every resident and that every city department is adequately funded and equipped to give world class service for all - and that includes the Animal Care and Control Department. As Mayor, I will invest our city budget to create more access to programming within the Animal Care and Control Department by removing high administrative fees, while also investing in educational programming for caring for pets and prevention. I will also work with local and national advocacy groups to create a more humane city for pets and animals.
Annissa Essaibi George: Yes
Michelle Wu: As Mayor, I will work with Animal Care and Control and local shelters to ensure all animals are safe, healthy, and cared for; expand our education and training resources to prevent dangerous incidents; identify households who can foster or adopt; and streamline the licensing process for pet owners.

Wild animals in circuses: The complex social, psychological, and behavioral needs of wild animals cannot be met when they are kept as part of a traveling entertainment show. There are severe problems involving confinement, constant transport, nutrition, restraint, and harsh training methods. Wild animals placed in situations unnatural to them may act unpredictably, creating dangerous situations for circus employees, spectators, the general public, and the animals themselves. Incidences of elephant rampages and tiger attacks have ended tragically. Quincy, Revere, Provincetown, Braintree, Weymouth, Pittsfield, Cambridge, Topsfield, and Somerville have local ordinances that ban circuses that use wild animals from performing in their town. Would you support an ordinance that would prohibit wild animals from performing in traveling shows in Boston?

John Barros: Yes
Andrea Campbell: Yes
Annissa Essaibi George: Yes
Michelle Wu: Yes

Horse-drawn carriages continue to operate on the busy streets of Boston. Many residents and visitors express concern about the conditions under which they work, including dangers caused by traffic, congestion, road conditions, startling noises and movements, excessive temperatures, careless drivers, and other variables. Would you support phasing out horse-drawn carriages and examining alternatives such as electric vehicles to provide similar rides in the City?

John Barros: No, I support stringent regulations that would control the conditions under which these animals work.
Andrea Campbell: Yes
Annissa Essaibi George: Yes
Michelle Wu: Yes, Boston is a historic city that at one time depended upon horses for the movement of people and goods along its streets. That era has long since passed. We must ensure that the health and well being of horses is protected.

Have you taken any actions in either your public or private life that impacted the welfare of animals? (Co-sponsorship or votes while holding elected office, or other actions as a public official or private citizen?)

John Barros: As a member of Mayor Walsh’s team, I advocated for investment in Animal Care and Control, and against breed-specific rules of any kind.
Andrea Campbell: Yes, I have taken actions both in my public and private life that have demonstrated my commitment to the welfare of animals and a more humane city. In my personal capacity, I adopted my dog Sparky from the Animal Rescue League of Boston. During my tenure as Boston City Council President, I invited ARL President Mary Nee and her team to be recognized by the Council and to share information with all Councilors on their innovative mobile pet clinics and all the incredible services they provide to residents, not only to ensure the health and safety of residents’ animals, but also as a way to address the health of our residents by using information in these visits to address health disparities especially in communities of color. I supported an ordinance that banned the sale of puppies, kittens and rabbits from Boston pet stores, public parks and city streets (the “puppy mill bill”) that the Council unanimously passed in 2016.
Annissa Essaibi George: In 2016, I supported City Council legislation to ban the sale of commercially bred animals in Boston stores.
Michelle Wu: Yes. In 2019, authored and passed a Good Food Purchasing ordinance, which requires City departments and agencies that purchase food to meet community-generated standards around animal welfare, as well as standards for racial equity, nutrition, environmental sustainability, fair labor practices, and local economies. Our public dollars should be 100% aligned with our public values, and we should ensure that our food contracts adhere to best practices around animal welfare in food production.

Would you be in favor of ordinances to protect animals from certain forms of cruelty even if opponents said there is commercial and economic benefit from the animal exploitation? For example, opponents to a ban on wild animals in circuses say that if these traveling circuses did not perform in their town, jobs or income would be lost.

John Barros: Yes
Andrea Campbell: Yes, I would be in favor of protecting animals from any forms of cruelty in the City of Boston.
Annissa Essaibi George: Yes. We cannot justify cruelty with promises of commercial or economic benefit. Instead, I will work with those who are financially impacted by the implementation of new protections to ensure that they have the resources they need to pivot. As Boston’s economy continues to grow, we cannot sacrifice our ethics.
Michelle Wu: Yes. We can build economic opportunity through so many avenues other than those which derive economic benefit from the exploitation of animals.

Do you consider yourself as having animal protection as a core value? That is, do you see cruelty to/mistreatment of animals as an ethical issue that must be addressed as part of society's efforts toward moral progress?

John Barros: Yes. Taking care of those sentient beings that need our care is a moral obligation. Animals give us so much - comfort, joy, empathy, loyalty. And people with pets are among our most involved and engaged neighbors. Making it easier for them to have pets in the city is good for everyone.
Andrea Campbell: I firmly believe that any mistreatment of animals in inherently and morally wrong and we must do all that we can as a city to provide safeguards to prevent and intervene any cruelties they may face. As Mayor, I will create a safe and humane city for animals, investing in our department’s ability to report and investigate claims of abuse. I will also ensure every resident in the City of Boston has access to the programs and services from Animal Care and Control to serve every Boston resident.
Annissa Essaibi George: As an animal lover and a rescue dog mom, I am very invested in the welfare and protection of animals. I believe that the most vulnerable among us need to be protected, and that includes animals. As Mayor, I will work with animal welfare groups to explore how the city can better protect animals.
Michelle Wu: Yes. There must be no tolerance for cruelty to or mistreatment of animals. Research has shown that abuse of animals and abuse of people are often linked. The well-being of people and the well-being of animals go hand-in-hand.