Animal Care Centers of NYC has reached a breaking point in the number of surrendered pets entering the shelter system, leaving cages in offices and staff burning out. NBC New York’s Linda Gaudino takes you behind the scenes of the East Harlem location.
The blended sound of barking dogs, rattling cages and running staff members echoes throughout the halls of the Animal Care Centers of New York City -- no matter which floor within the facility.
Animal shelters across the NYC boroughs are experiencing an alarming increase in surrenders this summer, leaving the rescue system grappling with capacity limits and inundated staff.
Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC) is a nonprofit with locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx and Staten Island that takes in abandoned or surrendered animals from cats, dogs, guinea pigs, rabbits, roosters and small birds. This June, the system saw an over 70% increase in housing capacity compared to last year.
NBC New York toured the East Harlem location before the morning rush jam-packed with scheduled veterinary procedures and adoption appointments. Dorothy Blomquist, the admissions supervisor at the ACC, described her position as she leads the small team that manages intakes and public interactions.
"Normal capacity is about 75 dogs and 100 cats. Right now, we have about 200 cats and 175 dogs," Blomquist told News 4. The organization is forced to pile crates in offices with a combination of animals, like ferrets, dogs and cats.
In late July, the ACC reached "critical capacity" with cat surrenders, as posted on the shelter's social media, and can no longer accept cat surrenders except for those in need of emergency medical care, that pose a safety risk or dropped off by government agencies.
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Reasons for the uptick in surrenders depend on the individual's situation but mainly stem from financial problems fueled by inflation. New Yorkers facing eviction, arrest and hospitalization are common explanations given to the ACC with the latter more so an impact during the COVID pandemic.
As an act of surrender prevention, Blomquist says the ACC will try to distribute free pet food to those owners in need, but in recent days, it does not seem to be enough.
"It's do you feed yourself or do you feed your pet? And when it comes to that, it really is like, what do you do?" asked Liliana Gomez, a veterinary team manager at the ACC.
Gomez is one of the many animal healthcare staff members at the Harlem location. She says that in just one weekend, the center received over 60 animals. In order to keep up with the workflow, Gomez is working 50 to 60-hour weeks and describes the situation as "well past burned out."
According to a study by Mars Veterinary Health, animal veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and veterinary specialists are facing an industry-wide shortage. Over 40,000 additional veterinarians will be needed to meet the needs of companion animal healthcare by 2030 with an expected shortage of about 15,000 vets by then, based on the data.
Euthanasia is on the rise in overburdened shelters, particularly for dogs. Shelter Animals Count is a national database stating that non-live outcomes for dogs nearly doubled this year compared to 2021.
“The crisis shelters are facing does not originate within the shelters,” said Stephanie Filer, Executive Director of Shelter Animals Count, in the release. “Shelters need help now more than ever. This is a community problem that requires a community solution.”
The ACC is countering the overcrowded cages with a new initiative -- lowering adoption fees to $5.00 all summer for adult dogs weighing over 40 pounds and for cats older than age five. Reduced adoption fees from $20.00 to $30.00 will apply to all cats ages seven months and older during a special on Aug. 4, including $5.00 fees for cats 5 years and older.
On top of the cut costs, the ACC has started an initiative giving new foster parents a one-time use rideshare Lyft pick-up up to $67.00 in order to increase fostering and capacity limits in the shelters.
Katy Hansen, director of marketing and communications for the ACC, notes the campaign has been helping but urges New Yorkers to adopt not shop.
To learn more about Clear The Shelters 2023 and search for adoptable pets in your area, visit cleartheshelters.com. You can also donate to your local animal shelters and rescue groups by visiting clearthesheltersfund.org.
Follow Clear The Shelters on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date on this year's pet adoption and donation news:
- Twitter @ClearTheShelter
- Instagram: @cleartheshelters
- Hashtags: #ClearTheShelters & #DesocuparLosAlbergues
