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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Onix
Onix is at risk due to behavioral concerns. During his multiple stays in care, Onix has shown arousal concerns, handling sensitivity, and kennel stress. When touched, Onix has a head whipped with a tense body, and would pant heavily. During his previous assessment, Onix began to become aroused and jump onto the handler, mouthing their clothing, and an interrupter was used to get him to stop. During a walk, he became aroused after a moped sped by and bit a handler on their hand, leaving red teeth marks around the base of their thumb; the bite did not break skin or draw blood. In his kennel, Onix wails for an extended period of time during his multiple stays. He readily accepts treats, is easy to remove from the kennel, and readily engages with relaxation games. Medically, Onix is overweight.
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Poe
Poe is on the at-risk list due to behavior. He is an under socialized adult cat and 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 and under socialized adult cat adjust to strangers.
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Joe
Joe 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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Mocha
Mocha is at risk due to behavioral concerns in the care center. Mocha is struggling to acclimate to the care center environment, digging at her door, screeching and biting at her water bowl despite best efforts to keep her comfortable. Mocha is social and loves to play with staff but is struggling to acclimate in the care center. Medically, Mocha is apparently healthy.
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Nagini
Nagini 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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Everglades
Everglades 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. Everglades 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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Twilight Sparkle

Twilight Sparkle 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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Eleven
Eleven 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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Harlow
Harlow 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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Ice T

Iced T is on the at-risk list due to behavior concerns. In the prior home, Iced T was reported to become over aroused with his finders and accidentally bit a person's hand, resulting in a bite-and-release that broke skin. In the care center, Iced T has also been reported to snap during a medical examination when being handled. Iced T in the care center is exuberant but is social with staff and loves to go on walks. Medically, Iced T is apparently healthy.
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Smoke
Smoke is on the at-risk list due to behavior concerns. In the care center, Smoke has displayed fearful behavior toward unfamiliar people during an adoption interaction, including hard barking, backing away, increasing distance from the unfamiliar person, and remaining difficult to refocus away due to his intense reaction. Smoke's discomfort was significant enough that the interaction was discontinued. Smoke is able to be handled by familiar staff slowly, loves to participate in enrichment sessions. Medically, Smoke is apparently healthy.
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Bruno
Bruno is on the at-risk list due to behavior concerns. In the care center, Bruno displays fearful and defensive behavior during kennel handling, including growling, hard barking, lunging, baring teeth,, retreating from handlers, and is overall very aloof towards unfamiliar people. . Bruno is able to engage with food and enrichment, responds to treats during handling, and has been able to be safely leashed, walked, and returned to kennel by familiar staff members, but will become defensive during interactions with unfamiliar staff when they pass his kennel. Medically, Bruno has CIRDC.
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Shylo
Shylo is at risk due to behavioral concerns. Initially, Shylo was fearful, refusing to exit his kennel and displaying persistent barking. Over time, he became more comfortable in the Care Centers. Shylo was noted to exhibit signs of arousal, including mounting, biting kennel bars and locks, leash biting, and barking at dogs housed above him. He gradually warmed up to staff through the use of treats. According to his owner, Shylo is shy at first but becomes social with strangers once he is comfortable. Medically, Shylo is apparently healthy.
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Carmelo
Carmelo is on the at-risk list due to behavior concerns. In the care center, Carmelo displayed fearful and defensive behavior toward handlers, including hard barking, growling, baring teeth, whale eye, lip licking, snapping, and lunging during handling attempts when first entering care. He can be conflicted in social interactions, at times approaching for food or brief engagement while still displaying signs of discomfort and tension. Carmelo is able to be leashed and walked, shows interest in toys and food, and loves to play with toys when they are thrown to him. Medically, Carmelo is overweight and has mild dental disease.
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Tonic
Tonic is currently at risk due to behavioral concerns observed in the care center environment. While he can be leashed and handled with patience, he has exhibited fear based behaviors since intake. These include barking at handlers, retreating when approached, maintaining a tense body posture, showing whale eye, growling, and avoiding interaction. Medically, Tonic has recently recovered from CIDRC.
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Meloni
Meloni is at risk due to behavioral concerns. Meloni was returned to the shelter due to anxiety-related behaviors, including destructiveness and house-soiling when left alone. Her owner also reported that she would hard bark at other dogs. In the Care Centers, Meloni has displayed fearful behavior, particularly during walks. She has been observed with a tucked tail, pinned ears, a tense body posture, and heightened vigilance. On one occasion, she sought refuge by hiding under a desk. With staff, she has warmed up slowly, accepting gentle pets, and treats. According to her owner, Meloni enjoys playing fetch with her family and likes stuffed toys. Medically, Meloni is currently healthy.
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Louise
Louise 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 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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Flamenco
Flamenco 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 and appears likely to be under socialized. 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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Atlas Axel
Atlas Axel is at risk due to behavioral concerns. Atlas Axel has not acclimated well to the shelter environment despite the best efforts to help him acclimate and keep him comfortable. While in the kennel, he has escalated to charging handlers, snapping at leads, and lunging during attempts to remove him from the kennel. Upon returning to the kennel, he intermittently becomes reluctant. Once out, he remains aloof but readily explores different scents during his walks. Recently, he has begun to play with toys (balls and plush toys) but has also shown guarding behaviors. He became tense, started to hover, and then growled when a handler walked around him while he was engaged with the toys. Medically, Atlas Axel is being treated for CIRDC.
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Maximus
Maximus is on the at-risk list due to behavior concerns. In the care center, Maximus has been reported to engage in leash biting and displays handling sensitivities, including head whipping when touched or handled. During medical restraint, Maximus was reported to growl and attempt to bite, resulting in a medical color designation of Red. Maximus is generally social, friendly, and displays a loose body posture outside of handling and restraint situations. Medically, Maximus has brachycephalic syndrome, recently recovered from CIDRC, treated for ear infection, and we confirmed via xrays the Maximus has a CCL tear. Further follow up is recommended to consider TTA or TPLO surgery after weight loss.
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Tiger Blue
Tiger Blue 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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Chickie
Chickie is at risk due to behavioral concerns. When Chickie first arrived, she was fearful, growling, refusing to be leashed, retreating from staff, and allowing only limited handling. Over time, Chickie warmed up to staff; however, she continues to display tension during handling and exhibited resource-guarding behavior during her assessment. When outside, Chickie appears more relaxed, accepts some petting, and readily takes treats. Medically, Chickie is noted to have fracture teeth but it otherwise healty.
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Roxy
Roxy is at risk due to behavioral reasons. While in care, Roxy has been observed to be highly dog reactive. Noted to lunge and bark towards other dogs. During one instance when a handler pulls her away, Roxy spins towards the handler and snaps at them. Recently Roxy has been observed to have a low threshold for arousal. Noted to mouth handlers persistently throughout her assessment with moderate to hard pressure. This behavior was not able to be redirected easily. During walks with handlers, Roxy is observed to have a soft body and is receptive to treats. Medically, Roxy is apparently healthy.
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Leia
Leia is on the At-Risk list due to behavior. She is not thriving in the care center and continues to display challenging behavior during interactions. Along with overstimulation, she is now displaying signs of frustration and deterioration, swatting and hissing upon approach and being minimally open to interaction. 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 and who have experience with helping a fearful cat adjust to strangers, feline body language, overstimulation and decompression periods.
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Leo
Leo is on the At Risk list due to behavior. While social in the care center, he displays signs of overstimulation during interactions and has a bite/scratch history. 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 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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