New York City’s animal shelters are in the midst of a crisis.
The animal population in shelters has exploded (due in large part to people no longer being able to afford pets), with many animals waiting weeks or months without being adopted. Because of overcrowding, dogs at one Manhattan shelter are being kept in makeshift kennels. Stacks of cat cages line the hallways.
Overcrowding at shelters is nothing new, nor is it a specific New York City problem. But in New York, things are especially tough, especially against the backdrop of a national veterinarian shortage, political apathy, and economic uncertainty.
Just three boroughs — Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Staten Island — have full-service city-run shelters. They took in around 4,500 cats and 2,429 dogs in the first six months of this year, compared with just 3,900 cats and 1,976 dogs during the same period last year. Despite some shelters being at capacity, their contracts stipulate that they have no choice but to keep accepting animals.
Euthanasia is also 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.
Rescuers are calling it the perfect storm with no end in sight.
