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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Hockey
Hockey is at risk due to behavioral reasons. In his previous home, Hockey bit a family member during an attempt to place a leash on him. His teeth made contact with the person’s hand, resulting in broken skin. While in care, Hockey has been observed displaying reactivity toward other dogs and has occasionally kennel fights. He has also been reported to exhibit resource-guarding behaviors around food and toys. Hockey actively engages in training and is highly motivated by treats, which can be a valuable tool in supporting his continued learning and behavior development. Medically, Hockey is healthy.
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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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Slips
Slips 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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Squirrel
Squirrel 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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Colby
Colby is at risk due to behavioral concerns. While in the shelter, Colby has displayed dog reactivity and, on one occasion in the past, attempted to redirect toward a handler during kennel fighting behavior. On another occasion, he was reported to vocalize loudly and become highly aroused, jumping toward the handler’s face. While outside on walks, Colby was observed to balk and briefly thrash on the street. He has shown improvement in the play yard, where he is treat-motivated, receptive to handling, and allows petting while maintaining a neutral body posture. Medically, Colby is apparently healthy.
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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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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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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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Ella
Ella 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 his 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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Shadowpaw
Shadowpaw is at risk due to ongoing, distance increasing behaviors displayed in care. He is an under socialized cat who may not have had many interactions with humans from an early age. He is currently quick to lunge, hiss, and swat with nails extended during interactions. These behaviors have made cleaning tasks more difficult for staff to complete as he is much quicker to escalate. Due to these behaviors, Shadowpaw had to be moved into a lower traffic room. Staff have reported that in this room, he still continues to escalate. He would benefit from being placed into a stable home where he can be given the appropriate space to decompress. Medically, he has stage III dental disease.
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Snow White
Snow White is on the at-risk list due to behavior concerns. She is not thriving in the care center and continues to display challenging, distance increasing behaviors. During cleaning hours, she is quick to lunge, hiss, and swat out at staff. These behaviors make successful interactions difficult. Upon arriving at the care center, she tolerated minimal pets and currently does not tolerate any form of handling. It is in her best interest to move out of the kennel environment and into a stable home as quickly as possible. Snow White would benefit from a low traffic home with an experienced adopter. Medically, she is overweight and has mild dental disease.
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Riccola
Riccola 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. She 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 her mind and body, the cat may react with rough play, potentially resulting in bite/scratch incidents. 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, 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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Finn
Finn is on the at-risk list for medical concerns. Finn has been diagnosed with diabetes and will need follow up veterinary care and insulin administration twice daily. When Finn came into our care he had a wound of his leg we treated. Due to unknown origins Finn is currently on a six month observation hold. Behaviorally, he has allowed medical handling but is not thriving in the care center and has started to deteriorate in the adoptions room. He is now displaying signs of boredom and frustration, such as repetitive scratching at the corner of his kennel and pacing. 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.
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Eloise
Eloise is on the at-risk list for medical concerns. He has very painful gum disease, and he gets agitated if you go near his mouth. He is eating some canned food, but he is underweight and unthrifty. He may need full-mouth, teeth extractions and anti-inflammatory medications. He needs care and attention that we cannot provide.
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Freybug
Freybug is at risk due to behavior concerns. Freybug is a social dog who enjoys affection and treats. Unfortunately, he is having difficulty adjusting to the shelter environment. He has been observed repeatedly jumping, chewing on his kennel walls, and hypersalivating while in his kennel, despite receiving daily enrichment and socialization. Medically, Freybug has dental disease and a wound.
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Cowboy
Cowboy is on the at-risk list due to medical concerns. Cowboy has had a URI since arriving at the shelter and despite treatment, he is not improving. He has high FAS in shelter and allows minimal to no handling. He has maintained a good appetite and is much more likely to recover in a calm and quiet environment.
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Nala
Nala is on the at-risk list due to medical concerns. Nala is a sweet old cat with a chronic wound (owner's report they've been struggling with it for 4 years). She also has severe dental disease. Nala will need veterinary follow up to ensure her wound is healing appropriately as well as a dental procedure. Behaviorally, she has been soliciting attention and allows handling. However, depending on her healing process and how the stress-induced likely compulsive behavior (that resulted in her wound) does or does not continue to manifest - Nala will require continued behavioral and veterinary intervention to manage her condition to maintain a suitable quality of life.
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Big Bubba
Big Bubba is at risk due to behavioral concerns. Big Bubba has been social with handlers in care after warming up, enjoys splashing in the pool, and playing with toys. Despite this, he has been displaying high levels of kennel stress, despite best efforts to keep him comfortable. He screeches and barks at other dogs when they pass his kennel, persistently jumping to the top of his kennel, causing him to hit his head, and crashing into his water bowl. Attempts to reduce visual stressors by covering his kennel have been attempted, but he tears them down. Medically, Big Bubba has alopecia.
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Polaris

Polaris is at risk due to behavioral reasons. While in care, Polaris has been observed to be fearful and have handling sensitivity. Noted to display a tense body, show whale eye, and escalate to baring teeth and snapping at handlers. During her most recent assessment, Polaris snapped and almost made contact when handlers pet them. While in care, Polaris has been observed to walk well on leash. Noted to stay near the handler and not react to dogs or people. Medically, Polaris has diarrhea.
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Jack R.
Jack R. is At Risk due to behavioral concerns. While in the Care Centers, Jack was observed becoming tense and pulling toward other dogs. On one occasion, he was seen pushing off the room walls in an attempt to engage in kennel fighting behavior. Jack has also been reported to display signs of fear while outside and will sometimes immediately pull back toward the shelter after relieving himself. Staff currently use treat trails to help manage him during walks. He was seen licking his kennel walls and spinning outside but he hasnt engage in those behaviors often. In the pens, Jack is playful with staff and enjoys engaging in zoomies. Medically, Jack R is apparently healthy.
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Foxy
Foxy is at risk due to behavioral reasons. While in foster Foxy was observed to bark and lunge towards other dogs. Recently her previous adopter stated that Foxy would growl, hard bark, and lunge towards strangers as well as other stimuli, such as strollers. It was stated that Foxy will bark, growl, whine, and pull hard towards them. While in care, Foxy has shown dog reactivity with difficulty being redirected. In other instances, Foxy remains engaged with the handler while on walks. When interacting with handlers, Foxy is exuberant and will lean into contact. Medically, Foxy is apparently healthy.
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Chickpea
Chickpea 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. She 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 her mind and body, the cat may react with rough play, potentially resulting in bite/scratch incidents. 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, 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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Shadow
Shadow is at risk due to behavioral concerns. Shadow has not been acclimating well to the shelter environment after being returned by a previous adopter due to destructive tendencies (chewed through a door), snapping at the adopter's niece when too excited (left a bruise), and when restrained. In calmer settings, Shadow is highly social with handlers, readily playing with toys, having zoomies in the behavior office, seeking attention, and can be vocal. But taking him on walks can be difficult. Shadow plants himself, pancakes, pulls back, and begins wailing once removed from his kennel. Handlers have to take a specific route in order for Shadow to willingly leave the kennel room and/or be returned to the kennel, which can be difficult at times due to daily operations. Medically, Shadow is apparently healthy.
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Blaze
Blaze is at risk for behavior reasons. Blaze is a young dog with high energy. He is deteriorating in care, becoming increasingly mouthy with pressure during socialization. Blaze has resource guarding with food and toys. He is food motivated and responds well with treats, loves to play. Medically, he is apparently healthy.
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