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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Sandy
Sandy is on emergency placement for behavioral reasons. She is often fearful and has had difficulty acclimating to the shelter environment. Medically, she is overweight. Sandy is at risk due to behavioral reasons. Sandy has been observed to be fearful while in care, noted to have a tense body and tucked tail. When a handler initiated contact, Sandy became tense. She has also been observed to hard bark and growl at handlers that approach. During her previous stay in care Sandy was also observed to be fearful, noted to escalate to growling at handlers. Medically, Sandy has a mass and is obese.
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Oreo
Oreo is on the At Risk list due to behavior. Although he had been making great progress with the behavior team - he is not thriving in the care center and is deteriorating in the Adoptions room. he is now displaying signs of frustration, over stimulation, and shows signs of escalation when care staff clean his cage. 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, show him the love and kindness that won him over in initially in shelter, butter him up with treats, and who have experience with helping a fearful cat adjust to strangers.
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Boop
Boop is on the at-risk list due to behavior.She 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. 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 an under socialized and fearful cat adjust to strangers and new environments.
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Autumn
Autumn is on the at-risk list due to behavior. She has a severe bite/scratch history and may display signs of confliction, overstimulation, or pet-induced aggression in the shelter environment. When she is welcoming of attention, she allows petting and handling and enjoys puree treats as a reward. Despite her positive interactions at times, 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 or sensitive cat adjust to strangers.
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Misu
Misu is on the at-risk list for medical reasons. She is fearful in shelter, has a poor appetite and is struggling to recover from an upper respiratory infection. She needs a quiet home with room to move and thrive.
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Foreign
Foreign is on the at-risk list due to behavior concerns. In the care center, she hard barks and lunges at passing dogs from the kennel, shows leash biting during handling, and has redirected toward handlers when returning to the kennel. Foreign is very engaged in training and solicit attention, but her arousal rises quickly during some interactions. Medically, Foreign is apparently healthy.
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Orion
Orion is at risk due to behavioral concerns. Orion was returned to the shelter by his previous adopter due to separation anxiety. Upon return Orion was noted to be fearful and tense bodied, but allowed handling. Despite efforts to keep Orion comfortable, he has been showing signs of deterioration in kennel as well as increased reactivity to dogs. Orion has been observed to be persistently heavily panting while in kennel, as well as finger painting his kennel with feces. Recently, Orion has been noted to be highly reactive to dogs, lunging, hard barking, with tense body. With select staff Orion is treat receptive and allows gentle petting. Medically, Orion is noted to have unspecified dermatitis but is otherwise apparently healthy.
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Thumper Tail
Thumper Tail 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 and other methods 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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Jack
Jack 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 and other methods 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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Big Kahuna
Big Kahuna is at risk due to behavioral concerns. Big Kahuna arrived at the Care Center as a stray with no known history. Upon arrival Big Kahuna was noted to be anxious, but allowed handling and was social with staff. Big Kahuna has been showing signs of deterioration. He has been observed to be licking his kennel bars, and consistently high-pitch vocalizing in kennel. Additionally, Big Kahuna is noted to be reactive to dogs both in neighboring kennels and when on walks. With staff Big Kahuna remains social, allows all contact, and is treat receptive. Medically, Big Kahuna is apparently healthy.
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Cupid
Cupid is on the at-risk list for medical reasons. He has pneumonia causing coughing, lethargy, and inappetence. Currently Cupid is on antibiotics, fluids, and B vitamins. He needs care and attention that we cannot provide.
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Walter
Walter is on the at-risk list due to behavior concerns. In the care center, Walter had shown some fearfulness and barrier frustration in kennel, including barking, lunging, and growling at handlers and staff. Walter has improved in the care center over time, but still remains fearful around new staff or people that want to interact. Walter is highly social and is very vocal with staff and volunteers in the care center. Medically, Walter is apparently healthy.
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Sunny Dance
Sunny Dance is at risk due to behavioral reasons. Since arriving at the care centers Sunny Dance has been observed to display high levels of fearful behavior. She has been observed to growl at staff when attempting to leash her for walks and has escalated to baring teeth in kennel. She has also been observed to dodge the leash. With select handlers Sunny has been observed to have a wiggly body. Medically, Sunny has dental disease, hematuria, and a urinary tract infection.
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Waldo
Waldo is on the at-risk list due to behavior concerns. In the care center, Waldo shows a significant amount of fear including baring teeth, lunging, snarling at the kennel front, and lunging toward other dogs when they pass. He also shows stress signals during handling such as whale eye, tucked tail, flinching, and avoidance of staff during some interactions. Waldo can be leashed and walked, accepts treats, and is able to explore and engage in walks when given his space. Medically, Waldo has moderate dental disease and CIRDC.
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Cappuccino
Cappuccino is on the at-risk list due to behavior concerns. In the care center, Cappuccino shows arousal concerns during handling including leash biting, jumping on handlers, reported lunging. He also shows dog reactivity on leash, barking and lunging at dogs even at a distance and becoming fixated when passing them. Cappuccino readily engages with toys and enrichment and is able to refocus onto treats or activities when given appropriate outlets but is struggling to acclimate in the care center. Medically, Cappuccino is apparently healthy.
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Max
Max is at risk due to behavioral concerns. Max arrived at the Care Center as an owner surrender. Max's previous owner noted that Max may have bitten a family member's dog but is unable to confirm what actually occurred. Max's previous owner also reported that Max was too energetic and would not get along with the resident children. Upon arrival Max was noted to be fearful, but allowed handling. With time and a slow approach, Max has warmed up to staff. Max has been reported to be become wiggly bodied while being pet, solicit contact, and is treat receptive. Medically, Max is noted to be underweight and being treated for CIRDC.
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Peppy
Peppy is at risk due to behavioral reasons. During his stay in the care center Peppy has been observed to be highly fearful. Noted to hide under his bed when handlers attempt to leash him and escalate to barking and growling. When outside of kennel environment, Peppy is observed to be social with handlers, solicit contact, and is treat receptive. Medically, Peppy is underweight, has a wound on his left ear, and has CIRDC.
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Skipper
Skipper is at risk due to behavioral concerns. Skipper arrived at the Care Center as a stray with limited history. Upon arrival, Skipper was noted to be fearful, but was treat receptive during his medical exam and has warmed up to staff. Skipper has not acclimated to the shelter environment well and is showing a decreasing threshold for arousal; as a result Skipper is becoming difficult to handle safely. He has begun consistently leash biting when handlers attempt to remove him from kennel and can only be distracted with high value treats. Skipper has also been noted to be reactive to dogs in kennels and crates. During a recent handling assessment and interactions with staff, Skipper remains highly social, solicits contact, and is treat receptive. Medically, Skipper is apparently healthy.
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Popcorn Shrimp
Popcorn Shrimp is on the At Risk list due to behavior. He is not thriving in the care center and is deteriorating in the Adoptions room. He is now displaying signs of defensive aggression. 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 and who have experience with helping a fearful cat adjust to strangers.
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Stars
Stars is on the at-risk list due to ongoing behavioral concerns. She was relocated from the adoptions room to a more secluded room after displaying distance-increasing behaviors. When staff approach her kennel, she has been observed to be hissing, swatting, and lunging. During routine cleaning of nearby kennels, Stars becomes visibly agitated and vocalizes while swatting toward staff. Staff have also noted that nearby cats show signs of increased stress due to her behavior. Medically, Stars appears healthy at this time.
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Hunter
Hunter is at risk due to behavioral concerns. While Hunter has been easy to remove from the kennel and has shown some sociable interactions with handlers/staff, he has displayed a concerning degree of resource guarding during the toy portion of his handling assessment and during his playgroup interaction. Hunter escalated to growling and biting the assess-a- hand twice before holding on to bite up the rod. During playgroup, Hunter was stiff-bodied, hard barking, and would fixate on the other dog. He was then introduced to a fake dog to gain more insight into his behaviors. Hunter repeatedly would pin and hover over the fake dog, body stiff and forward. Medically, Hunter is apparently healthy.
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Shady
Shady is on the at risk list for medical reasons. Shady presented with suspected allergies and severe chronic changes to both ears which will likely require surgery. Shady would benefit being taken to a full service vet clinic for evaluation and determination of best treatment of these conditions. Behaviorally, Shady has allowed for all medical handling.
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Nova
Nova is at risk due to behavioral concerns. Nova arrived at the Care Center as an owner surrender due to financial instability. Upon intake Nova was noted to be highly social with staff. Unfortunately, Nova has not acclimated to the shelter environment well and has been showing a decreasing threshold for arousal. Nova has been observed to be persistently leash bite when being removed from kennel. Additionally, Nova has been reported to snap toward handlers' legs and clothing when being removed from kennel; in one instance Nova caught the finger of a handler (no broken skin). When outside of the kennel environment, Nova is social with handlers, allows petting, understands sit, and is treat receptive. Medically, Nova is noted to have Anemia and Dental Disease.
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Mr.Cooper
Mr. Cooper is currently at risk due to behavior concerns. Mr. Cooper was found by a member of the public who housed him overnighted before bringing him to the care center. He is reported to have been respectful of the children in the home during that time. At the care center, Mr. Cooper has been aloof with handlers, showed teeth when microchip scanning was attempted. and when showed teeth when approached in kennel with food present. He has shown hesitancy to be leashed, but responds well to treats, and has been observed to be walking with loose leash when with staff. Medically, he is underweight.
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Mystic
Mystic has been placed on the at-risk list due to ongoing behavioral concerns. He remains in his den throughout the day when staff are present and has displayed defensive behaviors when approached. When staff lift the den cover to check on him, he responds with hissing, lunging, and swatting. When a scratcher tool is presented, he growls and avoids interaction. Given these behaviors, it is in Mystic’s best interest to transition out of the kennel environment and into a stable home as soon as possible, as he does not appear to be thriving in the shelter setting. Medically, he appears healthy at this time.
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