As New York City faces a worsening affordability crisis, the effects have begun to extend to the animals that call the city their home, too. Animal shelters have become completely overwhelmed with the volume of pets being surrendered to their care, and have been forced to suspend intake.
The Animal Care Center of New York wrote in an Instagram post on Friday, “This is not a decision we take lightly, but we cannot take any more owner surrenders.” The shelter is at a breaking point, with over 1,000 animals in its care.
Despite a city mandate requiring a shelter in each of New York City’s five boroughs, the Brooklyn Animal Care Center location is closed for renovations until 2026, and the Bronx location has been “temporarily” closed since May, exacerbating the issues.
Shelter officials explain that New Yorkers have been pushed to the point of surrendering their pets, because they can no longer afford to keep them. Though the shelter empathizes with struggling residents, “We hear it every day: I just don’t have time anymore,” they implore pet owners to exhaust every resource before surrendering them. “Your pet doesn’t need all your time, just a little effort, a little care, and the chance to stay in the home they love,” the ACC stated.
There are other factors at play, besides the affordability crisis, that are also responsible for the plight of NYC shelters. Katy Hansen, the ACC’s director of communications, explains, “There is a pandemic-era dip in the rate of spaying and neutering in the city, which led to a population of puppies and kittens that are now growing into rambunctious dogs and cats in need of homes.” Furthermore, “as private equity firms have acquired and consolidated smaller medical practices, the cost of veterinary care has skyrocketed,” according to Katy Hansen.
The heartbreaking conditions in NYC’s animal shelters see animals doubled up in kennels and crates as urine and excrement pile up, filling the air. Overcrowding at NYC’s animal shelters has always been a problem. In 2024, the city opened the Queen’s ACC location, at $75 million, which was quickly overrun with animals, exceeding its 72-dog bed capacity almost immediately.
Today, New York City’s public shelters care for 382 dogs, 13 puppies, 383 cats, 163 kittens, 47 rabbits, 12 guinea pigs, and several birds. Volunteers also provide foster care for 290 more animals. The current conditions have forced shelters to turn away people who bring in cats, dogs, and other pets, with the exception of animals that pose a threat to the public, need emergency medical care, or are sent there by government agencies.
The state of NYC’s animal shelters has prompted GOP mayoral candidate, Curtis Sliwa, to leverage animal welfare issues for his campaign. The mayoral candidate told reporters that if elected, he would immediately nix the 34-year, $1.4 billion contract that the ACC has with the city, which he labelled “mismanaged.” Sliwa blames the ACC, stating, “Animal welfare issues are a priority, and Animal Care and Control once again proves it’s a complete catastrophe.”
In the meantime, animals in NYC are in need of help, especially those surrendered to shelters. The ACC continues to seek more volunteers in the face of severe understaffing, increased donations from the public, and, most importantly, more foster-parents for vulnerable animals.
