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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Bearstein

Bearstein is at risk for behavioral reasons. Bearstein has been observed to be dog and kennel reactive. He has been noted to push off the walls upon exiting the kennel, lunging towards passing kennels. On walks, it has been reported that Bearstein stares towards dogs with a stiff body and is unable to be redirected. With handlers, Bearstein allows petting and will lean into handler's legs with a soft body and wagging tail. Medically, Bearstein is apparently healthy.
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Biscotti
Biscotti is on the at-risk list due to behavior. Although Biscotti has made improvements throughout his stay, he presents challenging behaviors during his decompression period and appears easily overstimulated. He has displayed the potential for behavioral escalation. 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 to a new home.
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Matthew
Matthew is on the at risk list for medical reasons. Matthew has severe dental disease and was noted to have lost a pound over the two months she has been in shelter, despite a reportedly good appetite. Her bloodwork showed some abnormalities, but was not diagnostic for any particular disease. An underlying systemic disease is suspected and additional diagnostics including abdominal ultrasound are recommended. Behaviorally, Matthew is fearful and attempts to flee during medical handling.
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Octopus
Octopus 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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Chillin
Chillin 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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Splitzy
Splitzy 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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Boom Dee Yadda
Boom Dee Yadda is at risk due to behavioral concerns. In the Care Centers, Boom Dee Yadda was noted to become reactive toward other dogs and has been reported to growl and become aroused, and redirect his frustration onto staff leashes, biting the leash in the play yard. When on street walks, Boom Dee Yadda participates in decompression training and is social with staff, allowing them to pet him. Medically, Boom Dee Yadda CIRDC has resolved.
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Pear
Pear 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. Medically Pear is apparently healthy.
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Max
Max is at risk for behavior reasons. Max is dog reactive and was kept in a pop-up crate initially for space. When moved to the dog room, he began to deteriorate, jumping up and biting at the leash persistently making him a handling risk in care. We have been better able to manage him in a crate in an office which is not ideal living situation in the shelter. Medically, he is overweight.
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Nutmeg
Nutmeg is at risk due to behavioral concerns. Nutmeg was brought to the Care Centers following a bite incident in the home that resulted in a puncture wound to the victim’s finger. In the Care Centers, Nutmeg has demonstrated fearful behavior, including freezing and taking time to interact and become comfortable with staff. When staff approach slowly and allow him time to acclimate, he has displayed a looser body and solicited mild attention from handlers, including permitting brief petting. Medically, Nutmeg has otitis externa.
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Jujubee
Jujubee is at risk for behavior reasons. Jujubee has begun to deteriorate in care, leash biting, helicoptering, and causing herself to faint when exiting the building. She has shown resource guarding with certain items such as the wobble wag ball, escalating to snapping when in an aroused state engaged with the toy. Jujubee loves to relax in the yard, laying across the bench with a tennis ball. When walked on her harness she is pulling hard at the end of the leash. Medically, she is apparently healthy.
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Rocky
Rocky 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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Sirius
Sirius is on the At Risk list due to behavior. He is not thriving in the care center and continues to display challenging behavior during interactions. He is extremely intelligent and high energy, and needs to expend energy constructively with interactive play sessions 3-4X/day. In addition to playtime, this cat would also benefit from mental exercise from activities such as puzzle toys/games, lick mats, or clicker training. Without providing activity for his mind and body, the cat may react with rough play, potentially resulting in bite/scratch incidents. 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/her plenty of time and space to adjust, and who have experience with feline body language, overstimulation, rough play, and who have the time to invest in managing these behaviors on a consistent basis to avoid further bite/scratch incidents.
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Zero
Zero is on the at-risk list due to medical concerns. Zero has severe dental/periodontal disease requiring a dental procedure, persistent low body condition/weight loss, and recent URI requiring treatment. His scheduled dental procedure was canceled due to his URI. He is also fearful and has limited tolerance for handling and oral examination, making ongoing medical assessment and treatment more challenging in the shelter environment. Placement is recommended for continued recovery, management of his medical needs, and eventual dental care. Behaviorally, he is not thriving in the care center and displays 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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Orlando
Orlando is on the at-risk list for behavior concerns. Orlando continues to display challenging behavior during interactions. He is extremely intelligent and high energy, and needs to expend energy constructively with interactive play sessions 3-4X/day. In addition to playtime, this cat would also benefit from mental exercise from activities such as puzzle toys/games, lick mats, or clicker training. Without providing activity for his/her mind and body, the cat may react with rough play, potentially resulting in bite/scratch incidents. 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 feline body language, overstimulation, rough play, and who have the time to invest in managing these behaviors on a consistent basis to avoid bite/scratch incidents.
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Balenciaga
Balenciaga is on the at-risk list for behavioral concerns. In the care centers, Balenciaga has displayed intense fearful behavior, including trembling, growling, avoiding staff, and attempting to bite during leashing. While she has begun to warm up and seek attention from familiar staff, she remains fearful and can become highly aroused in some situations, causing her to now leash bite at times, or vocalize and paw at her leash. Her previous owner reported that Balenciaga will hard bark and lunge at unfamiliar people. She has shown some interest in staff if allowed to approach on her own time. Medically, Balenciaga has a corneal ulceration.
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Harley
Harley is on the At Risk list due to behavior. While she is social in shelter, she has a history of PICA (consuming plastic), is extremely intelligent and high energy, and needs to expend energy constructively with interactive play sessions 3-4X/day. In addition to playtime, this cat would also benefit from mental exercise from activities such as puzzle toys/games, lick mats, or clicker training. 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 feline body language.
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Juno
Juno is on the at risk list for medical reasons. He is a friendly senior cat who was diagnosed with diabetes at the shelter. Juno will require long-term medical management for this disease. Juno has allowed for all medical handling and solicits attention during his exams.
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Goku
Goku is at risk due to behavioral concerns. His owners report Goku has destructive tendencies in the home and will guard resources around other dogs. Goku has also been observed in care to accept treats with hard pressure and has allowed minimal handling in care, often whale eyeing and becoming tense when attempting to handle him. Goku is otherwise well behaved on leash and enjoys yard time during which he engages with familiar handlers. Medically Goku has a pyoderma.
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Nym
Nym 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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Breadstick

Breadstick is at risk due to behavioral concerns. In his previous home, Breadstick was reported to hard bark, growl, and lunge if his boundaries were pushed. With this noted behavior Breadstick does have a bite history to a child, the incident resulting in breaking skin. His previous owner also reported that he becomes anxious when left alone, crying and chewing on items. In the Care Centers, Breadstick has been extremely social with staff, readily engaging in play and rolling around for attention. He has also shown interest in interacting with other dogs and attempted to engage in play during Playgroup. Medically, Breadstick has been treated for an ear infection and has shown lameness in left front leg which resolved with rest. At this time Breadstick is healthy.
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Leopard
Leopard is on the at-risk list due to behavior concerns. In the care center, Leopard has shown significant kennel stress, including repeatedly throwing herself against the kennel door, lunging at the door when staff pass, barking, heavy panting, and difficulty settling while kenneled. Leopard when first entering the care center was initially highly fearful and displayed some amount of defensive aggression, but has improved and outside of her kennel, Leopard is generally loose and social with handlers, leaning into attention, playing with toys, and engaging well in training. Medically, Leopard is apparently healthy.
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Benz
Benz is on the at-risk list due to medical reasons. He has developed CIRDC with possible pneumonia. Due to his level of stress, fear and anxiety in the shelter, his medical care is difficult. He needs to recover in a low stress environment where his anxieties can be alleviated.
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Bambi
Bambi is at risk due to behavioral concerns. Since arriving at the care centers he has been observed to pull very hard on leash and has shown lack of impulse control during interactions. He has shown a low threshold for arousal and has escalated to leash biting, jumping on and mouthing handlers. Additionally Bambi has shown signs of deterioration in kennel shortly after arriving and will intensely bite his crate bars or kennel walls. Bambi has otherwise shown social behavior toward handlers when interacted with. Medically, Bambi is apparently healthy.
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Beau
Beau is on the at-risk list due to behavior. Although he is displaying social behaviors in the shelter, Beau does have a multiple bite and scratch history in his previous home. It would be 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 managing cats who rough play and may be prone to overstimulation.
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