At-Risk Animals

Thank you for your interest in adopting from Animal Care Centers of NYC. Our At-Risk List is posted three times a week, on the evenings of Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday at 6:00PM and remains viewable for 42 hours.

Schedule overview:
Animals posted at 6:00PM on Sunday evening will be viewable until Tuesday at 12:00PM noon.
Animals posted at 6:00PM on Tuesday evening will be viewable until Thursday at 12:00PM noon.
Animals posted at 6:00PM on Thursday evening will be viewable until Saturday at 12:00PM noon.

To find out the status of at-risk animals, please visit the At-Risk Outcomes page.

If this is your first time visiting this site, please read the below information carefully.

For anyone who wishes to adopt, there is a mandatory deposit fee of $200 plus a transaction fee per animal to place an adoption reservation. The $200 covers $50 toward the adoption fee and $150 for the spay/neuter deposit. If the animal has already been spayed or neutered or is permanently waived by one of our veterinarians, the $150 deposit will be refunded at the time of the adoption. If the animal does need to leave without being spayed or neutered due to his/her medical condition, the $150 deposit will be refunded at the time they are brought back for the spay/neuter surgery or when proof of sterilization being done elsewhere is provided to ACC. If you do not follow through with the adoption, the entire $200 deposit will be considered a charitable donation to ACC's Special Treatment and Recovery Fund (STAR). Also, if the adoption fee for an animal is less than $50, the difference will be considered a charitable donation to the STAR Fund. Similarly, in-shelter pricing promotions do not apply to at-risk animals.

To complete an adoption, please click reserve on the animal of your choice. That animal will be loaded in your cart and you will have 15 minutes to complete the adoption process. In order to complete your reservation, you need to check out (top right corner). At this point, you will enter in your credit card information and a receipt will be emailed to you as confirmation of your reservation. If you have any issues, please email adopt@nycacc.org for help navigating the website.

If you are interested in fostering/adopting through one of our New Hope partners, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/ozHex3uqvNkQt2dq9

At-Risk Animals

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Ford Explorer

Ford Explorer is at risk due to behavior concerns. He arrived at the care centers as a stray with no known history. He has tolerated handling, occasionally taking treats, but has not acclimated well. Ford Explorer has remained highly fearful, shut down, and avoidant throughout his stay. He has escalated to growling and has been very reluctant to leave his kennel. Once out of the kennel he will display high FAS levels, remaining tense, crouched with a low head, lip licking, avoiding eye contact, and yawning. Handlers have been able to pet and collar him with a slow approach. Medically, he was treated for fleas but is otherwise healthy.
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Tuna
Tuna is at risk due to behavior concerns. Her previous owner reported that she is fearful of strangers and may hide, bark, and growl when approached. She has also snapped when having her nails clipped, guarded her food, and lunged and howled at other animals while on leash. In the Care Centers, Tuna has been fearful and initially refused to walk, at times flinching when staff attempted to clip her collar. Over time, she has become more social and will engage with toys; however, she continues to refuse to return to her kennel. Medically, Tuna is apparently healthy.
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Sky
Sky is at-risk due to ongoing behavioral concerns. She has not been thriving in the Care Center and continues to display distance-increasing behaviors when approached for interaction. Upon arrival, Sky was avoidant of touch and would hiss when approached. During her stay, her responses have escalated to growling, lunging, swatting, and biting the touch tool. These behaviors have contributed to increased stress among neighboring cats in the room. Sky would benefit from placement in a home with adopters who can provide adequate time and space for her to acclimate and who have experience supporting fearful cats as they adjust to unfamiliar people and environments. Medically, Sky has gingivitis.
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Harlem
Harlem is at risk due to his behavioral concerns. Harlem has shown a pattern of overarousal and persistent mounting behavior directed toward handlers. He has been repeatedly reported mounting in the driveway and grabbing a handler's leg, while returning to the care center, and when handlers are seated or standing. He is noted to also become overaroused by barking dogs and visual contact with his neighboring dog and has begun mounting the handler. Harlem is otherwise social and affectionate with handlers. Medically, Harlem is healthy at this time.
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Tiffany
Tiffany is on the at-risk list due to behavior. She is not thriving in the care center and continues to display distance-increasing behavior when approached for interactions. She has not warmed up despite staff using treats to build a positive association. Due to her stress levels, it is in her best interest to move out of the kennel environment and into a stable home as quickly as possible. She would do best in a home with adopters who are willing to give her plenty of time and space to adjust, and who have experience with helping a fearful cat adjust to strangers.
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Velveteen

Velveteen is at risk due to behavior concerns in care. Velveteen is reported to be reactive to dogs, lunging toward them and being unable to be redirected. She is also noted to pull hard on the leash, particularly when returning to the shelter. During walks, she may become tense and hypervigilant, requiring treats and coaxing to continue. She is noted to enjoy playing with balls with familiar handlers. Medically, Velveteen is apparently healthy.
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Paris
Paris is at risk due to behavioral reasons. While in care, Paris has been observed to be fearful and is noted to be avoidant of handlers. She will begin to seek exit when they attempt to interact with her. Recently Paris has begun to snap at handlers when they interact with her. Such as when a handler attempted to remove their slip leash, Paris snapped at their hand. Her previous owner describes her as active and playful. Medically, Paris is currently healthy.
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Sticky Keys
Sticky Keys is at risk due to behavioral concerns. Sticky Keys has been noted to display arousal concerns, jumping up on handlers, pull very hard, and becoming mouthy. Sticky Keys due to his exorbitant behavior he has knocked handlers over while they were kneeling, tangling his leash on handlers legs, and one instance nipping handlers finger while jumping up which didn't break skin. In kennel, Sticky Keys has been obseved to spin, vocalize, bite his tail, and the top of the kennel. Sticky Keys is noted to be a sweet dog who loves to sniff around once in a calmer state. Medically, Sticky Keys is apparently healthy.
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Lazuli
Lazuli is on the at-risk list due to behavior. She is not thriving in the care center and continues to display distance-increasing behavior when approached for interactions. While she has warmed up to allowing brief pets in shelter while eating treats, she remains wary of petting and handling. Due to her stress levels, it is in her best interest to move out of the kennel environment and into a stable home as quickly as possible. She would do best in a home with adopters who are willing to give her plenty of time and space to adjust, and who have experience with helping a fearful cat adjust to strangers.
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Koko
Koko is on the at-risk list for medical reasons. Koko has a significant hard palate defect/injury and severe facial swelling. She will need additional veterinary wound care and possibly surgery. At this time, Koko has a good appetite and is stable. Behaviorally, she has allowed all handling.
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Laffy Taffy
Laffy Taffy is at risk due to behavioral concerns. Laffy Taffy has not acclimated well to the shelter environment. When attempting to conduct a handling assessment, he approaches handlers with a tense body and does not allow collaring. In the kennel, Laffy Taffy is experiencing a high level of kennel stress. He is throwing his water bowl around the kennel while screeching. On one occasion, when a handler checks on him, Laffy Taffy is seen standing on the water bucket, body tense, and escalated to lunging at the handler while hard barking. He then returns to throwing the bucket around while vocalizing. Medically, Laffy Taffy is apparently healthy.
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Axel
Axel is at risk due to behavior concerns. In the Care Centers, Axel is highly reactive toward other dogs when they are in close proximity to him. During one incident, he redirected and bit a staff member, though the bite did not break skin. During his assessment, Axel was also observed jumping on staff with his mouth open. When outside with staff in a calm environment, Axel is able to engage in training and relaxation. Medically, Axel is apparently healthy.
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Larry The Lobster
Larry the Lobster is at risk due to behavioral concerns. Larry has not acclimated well to the shelter environment despite best efforts to keep him comfortable. During his intake, he was observed to be fearful - flinching, whale-eyeing staff, and lip licking and was reported to have been growling, hard barking, baring teeth, and snapping at officers when transporting him to the care centers. Larry the Lobster has shown similar behaviors when attempting to remove him from his kennel, even with higher-value treats, making it difficult. Once out of his kennel, Larry has shown attention-seeking behaviors from select staff over a period of time in quieter, calming settings. Medically, Larry the Lobster has dermatitis with secondary pyoderma.
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Lilly
Lilly is on the at risk list for medical reasons. Lilly is a obese diabetic cat with dental disease. We have been monitoring Lilly in shelter and she has been started on a treatment plan. Lilly will need daily maintenance of her medical conditon and further follow up outside vet care. Lilly has allowed for all handling and solicits attention during her exams.
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Charly
Charly is at risk due to behavior concerns at the care center. Charlyis noted to display fearful behavior at the care center due to sensitivity to loud noises and is noted to become reluctance to walk. Staff report kennel stress related behaviors such as frequent vocalization, jumping in her kennel, fecal smearing, and tossing her water bowl. In a more calmer setting Charly is noted to allow petting from familiar handlers displaying a loose body. Medically Charley is Apparently Healthy.
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Caprese
Caprese is at risk due to behavioral concerns in care. Caprese has been observed to have arousal issues resulting in him fixating on objects, biting his leash, jumping up, and barking at the neighboring dogs. Recently, Caprese had an incident where he bit and held a basket outside of the care center, being unable to be redirected easily. Another incident occurred where Caprese bit and held a hose on a walk, and he was unable to be redirected. Caprese is noted by staff and volunteers to be sweet, social, and enjoys pets. Medically, Caprese is apparently healthy
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Bionica
Bionica is on the at-risk list due to behavior. He is not thriving in the care center and continues to display distance-increasing behavior when approached for interactions. He has not warmed up despite staff using treats to build a positive association. Due to his stress levels, it is in his best interest to move out of the kennel environment and into a stable home as quickly as possible. He would do best in a home with adopters who are willing to give him plenty of time and space to adjust, and who have experience with helping a fearful cat adjust to strangers.
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Moka
Moka is at risk due to behavioral concerns. Moka was brought to the Care Centers following an altercation with the resident dog, which left multiple punctures on her face. In the Care Centers, Moka has displayed a high level of fear toward unfamiliar people. When approached by new staff, she was observed thrashing, low growling, and tucking her tail. Moka warmed up to select staff members, displaying a wiggly body and licking them, but continued to hard bark and back away when approached by unfamiliar staff. Medically, Moka has wounds and otitis externa.
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Lucas
Lucas is at risk due to behavior concerns. His previous owner described him as a friendly, outgoing dog who is tolerant of children but will lunge at strangers when approached on walks. During his stay at the care centers, Lucas has been tolerant of handling and will warm up with a slow approach. Lucas was returned after biting the adopter's partner on the face when they bent down to pet Lucas. The bite did not break the skin. Details about the incident are conflicting as the adopter later stated that the bite did not break skin. Medically, he is apparently healthy.
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Cub Scout
Cub Scout is at risk for behavior reasons. Cub Scout is deteriorating in care. He has become more hypervigilant on walks, escalating to barking or lunging at unfamiliar people. When being removed from kennel he will jump up and bite at the leash, then kennel fight with neighboring dogs. Cub Scout remains sweet and social while in the yard with familiar staff and volunteers, leaning into their laps, or lounging on the floor. He has done well greeting other dogs and was found along another male mixed breed. Medically, he is apparently healthy.
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