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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Nina
Nina is at risk due to behavior concerns. These concerns are from a previous reported bite. Nina has demonstrated consistently a low threshold for arousal while in care and in foster. Nina became aroused while on walk and started jumping and mouthing which ended with a wound on handler's arm. While she was previously in foster she was returned due to her behavior concerns. Nina allows handling, is social with her handlers, and very affectionate. Medically, Nina is apparently healthy.
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Winter
Winter 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. Winter is now beginning to accept treats and she has responded positively to gabapentin.
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Whittakers
Whittakers 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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Springtime
Springtime 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 intelligent and playful and needs to expend energy constructively with interactive play sessions. In addition to playtime, this cat would also benefit from mental exercise from activities such as puzzle toys/games, lick mats, or clicker training. He does display social behaviors but appears conflicted in care, not consistently allowing interaction and escalating to swatting, hissing, and lunging when he is overstimulated. 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 and overstimulation and who have the time to invest in managing these behaviors on a consistent basis to avoid further scratch incidents.
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Callie
Callie is on the at-risk list due to medical concerns. Callie is a nervous but friendly cat who was surrendered due to a change in her owners living situation. Callie has had intermittent diarrhea, vomiting, and decreased appetite while in our care. It has been determined that Callie has infiltrative bowel disease, but the underlying cause is unknown at this time. Callie will need follow up diagnostics with an outside veterinarian to help determine the cause of her bowel disease, and will likely need medication long term to manage it. Callie has allowed all handling during their exams and did well in her previous foster home in terms of her behavior.
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Yosemite
Yosemite 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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Garfield Theodore
Garfield Theodore 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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Fluffy
Fluffy is on the at risk list due to medical concerns. Fluffy is a 10 year old cat with diabetes and obesity. He will need insulin administration twice daily and regular veterinary visits for diabetes follow-up. Behaviorally, Fluffy has been very interaction and loves petting.
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Ellie
Ellie is on the at-risk list due to behavior concerns in her previous home and in the care center. In Ellie's previous home, Ellie had an incident where she lunged at a small dog and pinned it to the ground, requiring intervention to get away from the small dog. Ellie was able to disengage from the situation when redirected with a treat after several attempts. Ellie also in the care center has been starting to kennel fighting leaving the kennel room, making it difficult to walk her safely at times. Ellie is in the care center and social and affectionate with staff. Medically, Ellie is apparently healthy.
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Daba
Daba 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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Cattleya
Cattleya is at-risk due to behavioral concerns. Cattleya arrived at the Care Center as a stray. Upon arrival Cattleya quickly warmed up to staff, allowing all handling for her medical exam and handling assessment. Unfortunately, Cattleya has been observed to be selective toward dogs and has shown potential for defensive aggression towards people. In one instance Cattleya attempted to lunge and snap at a staff member after initially presenting a social posture. With handlers Cattleya remains an easy walk, is treat receptive, and allows contact. Medically, Cattleya is noted to have Dental Disease and Otitis Chronic.
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Buddy
Buddy is on the at-risk list due to behavior concerns. In the prior home and in the care center, Buddy has displayed significant dog reactivity, including barking, lunging, growling, and fixation toward other dogs. During a fake dog assessment, Buddy approached with a tense body and briefly sniffed before escalating to growling, snarling, biting, holding, and shaking the fake dog. In his previous home, Buddy was described as a highly active dog who likes to spend time with people. Buddy did live with a cat and small mixed breed dog in his previous home, he was reportedly tolerant around both and friendly with the dog. Around staff, Buddy is friendly, affectionate and loves to play in the yard. Medically, Buddy has moderate dental disease.
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Sage

Sage is on the at-risk list due to behavior concerns. Due to concerning dog behavior Sage displayed in playgroup with a novel dog, she was tested with a fake dog. Sage when greeting the fake dog escalated when the fake dog was moved, biting onto the stomach area, readjusting his grip multiple times, and then holding and shaking. Sage continued to bite, hold, shake, and readjust onto the fake dog while moving around the yard, requiring an air can to disengage as she could not be refocused which may create a serious safety risk around other dogs in the future. Sage in the care center is very affectionate with staff, and loves to pet in there laps. Medically, Sage is apparently healthy.
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Hamlet
Hamlet is at risk for behavior reasons. Hamlet is deteriorating in care. He was brought into care center as stray in February. Lately, Hamlet is becoming easily over aroused during socialization sessions, jumping up and mouthing handlers with mild pressure. He can be difficult to interrupt in these moments. Medically, he has some dental disease.
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Thor
Thor is at risk due to behavioral concerns. Thor arrived at the Care Center with a limited history. His finder states that he is highly dog reactive and resource guards intensely. Additionally, his finder reported that when he was attempting to place Thor in the car, he bit them, no broken skin. Earlier in his stay, Thor was observed to be startled when leashing and drop his body when handlers clipped their leash. With time, Thor has shown some improvements with handling; he has allowed easier leashing and is not startled when handlers clip there leash. He does however still shy away when handlers attempt to pet his neck area making it difficult to place a collar on him. Recently, Thor has been noted to allow petting of his torso with a soft body and walks with a loose leash. Medically, Thor is noted to have CIRDC, alopecia, a hernia (umbilical), and pyoderma.
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Mr. Wiggles
Mr Wiggles is at risk due to behavioral reasons. He has been observed to be rope reactive and dog reactive while in care. During his assessment Mr Wiggles was observed to jump up and bite the leash. This behavior has continued to be observed throughout his stay. Mr Wiggles has also been observed to charge at other dogs while on leash. This behavior is difficult to redirect. While in the kennel room, it is reported that he is jumping off the walls in an attempt to get closer to the other dogs. While on street walks, Mr Wiggles is noted to have a soft body and wagging tail. Medically, Mr Wiggles is apparently healthy.
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Gandalf

Reservation in progress
Gandalf 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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Hughie
Hughie is on the at-risk list due to behavior concerns. In the care center, Hughie displays high amount stress, including slamming himself into the kennel door, persistent licking of the kennel door, chewing on the metal frame of his bed, and reluctance to return to kennel, he is noted to kennel fight. Hughie is social with staff, and loves going on walks but is struggling to acclimate in the care center. Medically, Hughie is apparently healthy.
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Champion
Champion is on the at-risk list due to behavior concerns. In the care center, Champion is intensely fearful in the care center, including retreating from the leash, seeking exits, and attempting to create distance from handlers. He has also been reported to snap toward a handler’s hand during leash clipping when being returned. Champion will ignore unfamiliar staff and likes to be pet and seeks comfort at times, but is struggling to acclimate in the care center. Medically, Champion has CIRDC.
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Doe
Doe 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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Celina
Celina is on the At Risk list due to behavior. She is not thriving in the care center and is deteriorating in the Adoptions room. She is now displaying signs of petting-induced aggression. 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.
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Ground Ginger
Ground Ginger 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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Lizzy

Lizzy is at risk due to behavioral concerns. Lizzy was returned to the Care Center due to her previous adopter no longer being able to care for her. Her previous adopter reported that Lizzy is playful, social, and affectionate. Unfortunately, Lizzy is showing signs of deterioration. At times has been observed to be pacing the perimeter of her kennel, spinning, barking, and vocalizing. When outside of the kennel environment Lizzy remains an easy walk, is soft bodied during contact, and is treat receptive. Medically, Lizzy is noted be overweight and has otitis chronic.
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Couch Surfer
Couch Surfer is at risk due to behavioral concerns. Couch Surfer arrived as a stray. Upon arrival he was exuberantly social with staff; this was also noted during his handling assessment. Unfortunately, Couch Surfer has shown increased barrier frustration making it difficult to handle him safely. When being returned to kennel Couch Surfer has been observed to attempt to bite the kennel lock when handlers are securing his kennel. In one instance he caught the hand of a staff member leaving a small wound in their finger. When outside of the shelter environment Couch Surfer remains social with staff, often soliciting contact and is treat receptive. Medically, Couch Surfer is apparently healthy.
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Nectar
Nectar is at risk due to behavioral reasons. Nectar has been observed to be highly fearful while in care. Noted to remain at the back of the kennel and dodge the leash when handlers attempt to leash him. Recently Nectar has begun lip curling when handlers go to leash him. With select handlers, Nectar is receptive to coaxing and high value treats such as slices of cheese. Medically, Nectar has CIRDC.
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