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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Famous
Famous is on the at-risk list due to behavior concerns. Famous has shown high arousal and reactivity in the care center, including intense dog reactivity when leaving his kennel and on walks, uncontrollable zoomies, and repeatedly jumping onto staff. He has attempted to redirect during reactive moments, whipping around and nipping at handlers’ clothing. In sessions he displays dilated pupils, heavy panting, difficulty settling, and engages in mounting, jumping, and mouthing staff with moderate to hard pressure. Medically, Famous is being monitored for a scrotal hematoma currently but is otherwise healthy.
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Bun Bun
Bun Bun is on the at-risk list due to behavior concerns. Bun Bun has shown high arousal and difficulty with handling in the care center, frequently trying to push out of his kennel, jumping repeatedly on handlers, and struggling to settle during walks or training sessions. He has also been reactive to other dogs at a distance. When returning to his kennel, Bun Bun often balks, thrashes, or attempts to bolt back out, requiring coaxing or food lures to secure him safely. Medically, Bun Bun is apparently healthy.
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Bellarina
Bellarina is on the at risk list for medical concerns. Bellarina came in through an owner surrender as her owners were unable to afford vet care. On arrival at the shelter, Bellarina was diagnosed with diabetes. She has started insulin injections and is eating her diabetic diet with a very good appetite. Bellarina needs more care than we can provide at the shelter.
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Misty
Misty 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 Misty is apparently healthy.
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Choco
Choco 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 fear aggression such as lunging, hissing, and swatting. Choco's previous owner reports he is active and playful, affectionate and friendly in a home environment. 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. Choco has started treatment for a moderate URI, but is difficult to manage due to behavior.
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Xena
Xena is at risk for behavior reasons. Xena was initially highly fearful entering the shelter but is warming up towards staff. Despite her being more social, she has begun leash biting exiting her kennel. Xena has a bite to the other resident dog and has shown barrier frustration when other dogs pass her kennel. She should be the only pet in an adult only home. Medically, she has some dental disease but is an otherwise healthy dog.
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Princeton

Princeton is on the at-risk list due to behavior concerns in his previous home. Princeton has a documented bite history involving two incidents with his previous owner. Neither incident broke skin from the information provided look to be when Princeton was in a heigthen state of arousal. Princeton in care is social with staff, enjoys attention, and going out for walks. Princeton does display some arousal concerns - leash biting- which currently we can redirect him with treats. Medically, Princeton is apparently healthy.
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Flake
Flake is on the at-risk list due to behavior concerns. Flake has shown persistent defensive behaviors in kennel, repeatedly hard barking with a tense body, pinned ears, and whale eyes when approached. He retreats during leashing attempts and must be slowly coaxed with high value food to place his head into the loop, sometimes pawing at the leash once secured. Outside of the kennel, he remains cautious and low bodied, intermittently refusing treats. Medically, Flake is apparently healthy.
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Spike
Spike is at risk due to behavioral concerns. Spike came to our Care center as a stray. He has been observed to be highly anxious, vocalizing persistently and pacing. During his stay with us Spike vocalizes loudly when seeing another dog, he fixates with a tense body and forward posture. He is not easily redirected. Spike continuously pulls hard when walking in the care center and on the street. He leash bites when handlers attempt to leash and grabbed handler's hand and releases quickly, no broken skin. It has been reported he has kennel reactivity when exiting/ entering his kennel. Spike enjoys enrichment and tolerates handlers scratching him. Medically, Spike is apparently healthy.
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Bigs
Bigs is on the at-risk list due to behavior concerns. Bigs has displayed a high level defensiveness in the care center, including growling, baring teeth, hard barking, and lunging during leashing attempts. He often becomes tense at the kennel door, showing reactive behavior when some staff step closer to greet him. Bigs is aloof with staff during interactions, engaging minimally. Medically, Bigs is diagnosed with CIRDC.
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Little Red
Little Red is on the at-risk list due to behavior concerns. Little Red has shown a high level of fearfulness in the care center, repeatedly hard barking, growling, lunging, and baring teeth when approached. During leashing attempts, she dodges leashes, jumps toward handlers’ hands, making it difficult to handle her safely at times. Outside the kennel, she remains tense and low-bodied with a tucked tail, pacing and showing conflicted behavior, leaning in for touch while her skin rippling when touched. Medically, Little Red is receiving treatment for CIRDC.
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Lunamae
Lunamae 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. Her owner describes her as a lazy couch potato who prefers contact on her own terms. 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. Medically Lunamae was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection.
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Duke Of York
Duke of York 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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Peggle
Peggle is at risk due to behavioral reasons. During his stay in the care center Peggle has been obsvered to be highly dog reactive. During one instance when being removed from kennel Peggle redirected onto the handler and bit them on the hand. This bite was a bite and hold that left a puncture wound and bruising. Peggle continues to show reactive behaviors such as becoming tense, staring and pulling towards other dogs. Medically, Peggle is slightly underweight but otherwise healthy.
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Christmas
Christmas is at risk due to behavioral reasons. Currently in care Christmas has been observed to become mouthy with handlers hands when they attempt to clip his leash. During his previous stay in 2023, Christmas displayed this behavior and escalated to snapping and lunging towards handlers while on leash. Christmas also has a multiple bite history in his previous home. One bite was for resource guarding over his food bowl and one from touch sensitivity when his neck was being touched by owner. In care, Christmas is reportedly to be an easy walker outside and displaying neutral body language towards dogs and and people. Medically, Christmas is overweight.
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Nina
Nina is at risk due to behavioral reasons. She was recently in foster and returned to the care center due to her behavior. Nina became over aroused while on a walk and began jumping up, mouthing, and tugging on her handlers sleeve. This resulted in a wound on their arm that bled. During her stay in the care center Nina continues to have a low threshold for arousal. She has been seen becoming hyperaroused and not easily redirected. Meddically, Nina is currently healthy.
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Chowder
Chowder is at risk due to behavioral reasons. He has been observed to snap, hard bark, snarl, and bare teeth when staff interact or attempt to leash him. With select handlers Chowder is able to be coaxed out of kennel and is receptive to treats. However when handler attempted to place a collar on him he escalated to snapping and bit them on the arm. This bite did not break skin. Medically Chowder has chronic pyoderma, dental disease, and has developed pneumonia due to CIRDC infection. Chowder is receiving injectable medication for treatment due to low appetite.
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Expresso Beans
Expresso Beans 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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Bubbles
Bubbles is on the at-risk list due to behavior concerns. She has been intensely fearful in the care center, becoming conflicted and tense during interactions, with a tucked tail, lip licking, whale eye, and muzzle puckering when attempted to be touched. During handling, she stiffens, head-whips, and shows increased tension with more exuberant contact. She remains highly stressed in the care center following with a tucked tail and whale eyes, and huffing with tense posture when startled by knocks. When a toy is introduced, she escalates to growling, snapping, and biting toward the dummy hand before it makes contact. Medically, she is apparently healthy.
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Baby
Baby is on the at risk list for medical reasons. Baby has been constipated since entering the shelter and is not improving with medical management. He has received multiple enemas. He has also been treated for a URI. Behaviorally, Baby is very sweet and allows medical handling.
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Oats

Oats is at risk due to behavioral reasons. During his stay in the care center he has been obsvered to have a low threshold for arousal. Noted to head whip back and forth with an open mouth upon contact and will jump up to bite the leash. Oats has also been noted to be dog reactive. Observed to pull hard towards other dogs with a tense body, and rear up on his hind legs. While out with handlers he is obsvered to be social and receptive to treats. Medically Oats is apparently healthy.
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Titan
Titan is at risk for behavior reasons. Titan is a long stay at the care center. He remains soft and social with staff, volunteers, and everyone he meets. His frustration is high, and he has become highly kennel reactive, scratching a staff member with his nails. He initially did well on gate greets with other dogs but now displays barrier frustration and on-leash reactivity. Medically, he is a healthy dog.
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Remy
Remy 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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Zizi
Zizi 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, he appears healthy.
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Buster
Buster is on the at-risk list due to behavior concerns. Buster has shown increasing arousal and frustration in the care center, including leash biting when coming out of or returning to his kennel, pawing at the door, scaling kennel walls, and vocalizing. Recently Buster bit and released a staff member on their bicep which did break skin when being returned to his kennel. Buster will leash bite intermittently with staff, and is struggling to acclimate despite best efforts to keep him comfortable. Medically, Buster has Dermatitis and dental disease.
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