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

Clear filters
Page 1 of 1 (23 total records)

Snow
Snow 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, Snow has stage 2 dental disease.
View more..

June
June 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. Medically, June is apparently healthy.
View more..

Roebling

Roebling is on the at-risk list for medical reasons. He presented to ACC having litter box accidents. He has feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) and as a consequence had a perineal urethrostomy performed. He has had a history of persistent hematuria and straining to urinate and is prone to urinary tract infections. He will require follow up care to ensure the urinary infections resolve. Roebling allows some handling but has limited patience for medical handling and has required sedation.
View more..

Tiger
Tiger 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 stranger. Medically, Tiger is apparently healthy.
View more..

Hazel
Hazel 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. Her previous owner reports that she was very active, playful, and preferred contact on her own terms. 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 him plenty of time and space to adjust, and who have experience with helping a fearful cat adjust to stranger. Medically Hazel is apparently healthy.
View more..

Merle
Merle 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.
View more..

Lisa
Lisa is at risk due to behavioral reasons. During her time at the Care Centers, Lisa has exhibited signs of over-stimulation, including jumping on staff, mouthing them, and grabbing their leashes. Recently, she has been participating in cue training and has shown some improvement, thanks to her strong food motivation. However, she still requires ongoing rewards throughout her walks to effectively manage her behavior. Medically, Lisa is apparently healthy.
View more..

Nimbus
Nimbus has been placed on the At Risk list for medical reasons. He is a geriatric dog with deep ulcers to his left eye that are painful and debilitating. He needs care and attention that we cannot provide.
View more..

Blitz

Blitz is in need of emergency placement due to behavior concerns. Blitz was admitted to the Care Centers because of reports of reactivity and a history of a bite, though no specific details were provided about his behaviors or the severity of the possible bite. During his assessment at the Care Centers, Blitz showed signs of resource guarding over toys, while also vocalizing and whining. Despite this, he interacts well with staff, accepting treats and actively participating in training sessions. Medically, Blitz is currently healthy.
View more..

Sashita
This pet needs emergency placement. Please click here to go to our emergency placement page for more information. Sashita needs at risk placement for medical reasons. She is an adult cat with a respiratory infection. She has a poor appetite and is losing weight in shelter. She needs a quiet environment to recover. I would appreciate slow introductions to new people and places to help me feel safe. I'm sensitive and shy. I'll need extra help from you. I am looking for a home with a patient person. I am finding the shelter a little overwhelming, but when it's just you and me and some peace and quiet you'll see what a love bug I am. Cheek and chin scratches make me so happy! I love getting pets and - you guessed it - snuggles! Sashita tolerates attention and petting but appears to be moderately fearful or stressed in the shelter. She will likely need time to warm up to her new home. We recommend that she go to a home with some cat experience preferred or at least be well counseled in fearful cat behavior. Due to the behavior shown, she may not be a great fit for young children. Any home with older children prepared to adopt this cat should conduct a thorough interaction and endeavor to monitor this cat around their children to prevent these behaviors from being reinforced. A volunteer writes: To me, Sashita is a shy, gentle, girl that needs a quiet home to decompress in and live her best life. As I reached my hand in to her kennel she stayed in her relaxed position and accepted the head pets I had to offer. I think she enjoyed them because at one point she closed her eyes. I can tell that she has love to give but she is a bit nervous and is waiting for the right home to be patient with her while she comes out of her shell. She was a sweet girl sniffing my head and then allow head pets.
View more..

Thor Odinson
Thor Odinson is at-risk for medical concerns. Thor Odinson has severe neurologic signs and his quality of life is poor if left as is (undiagnosed and untreated); he needs to see a neurologist for advanced imaging with placement. Behaviorally, when engaging with staff Thor is loose, soft on approach, and wiggly. He will seek attention when he stops spinning briefly but then will resume the spinning once the contact pauses. Thor's spinning behavior can be interrupted for a few short minutes before he returns to the repeated behavior. He is nervous about going up and down the stairs but with encouragement and treats he will follow his handler. On one occasion, Thor did become overwhelmed when interacting with several staff and snapped at one of their hands when petted. Thor also recently guarded a piece of cheese that a handler was attempting to help him find.
View more..

Claude
Claude is at risk due to behavioral concerns. Claude initially presented as fearful and uncomfortable with handling. But as his length of stay progressed, he warmed up and became more social with staff and caretakers. Although Claude has become more social and attention-seeking, he is now displaying a low threshold for arousal that manifests as leash biting. While not consistent with the leash biting, Claude can be somewhat difficult to refocus with treats or toys once over his threshold. Medically, Claude is healthy.
View more..

Butch
Butch is at risk due to behavior concerns. Butch was brought in as a stray, so we don’t know about his previous behaviors at home. In the Care Centers, he is very fearful. Although he lets staff walk him, he hasn’t become comfortable with being touched and will scurry away, seeking an exit. Butch shows a tense posture and tucks his tail, and he startles at loud noises. He has been observed to hard bark, growl, and snap while in a crate, though he has shown slight improvement in a kennel. We believe it will greatly benefit him to be in a low-stress environment were he is able to flourish at his own pace. He does accept treats when offered. Medically, Butch is underweight.
View more..

Simba
Simba is at risk due to behavior reasons. He is reported by his previous owner to hard bark and growl at strangers. This behavior has been observed at the care center as well. He is difficult to remove from kennel due to barking at handlers and mouthing the leash. He is anxious outside, darting back and forth on leash and pulling to return to kennel. Medically, he is apparently healthy.
View more..

Cheddar

Cheddar is at risk due to behavior concerns. Cheddar initially displayed fearfulness and defensive behaviors, including growling and hard barking at staff. Over time, she became more social with staff through the use of treats and toys. However, she has increasingly struggled with walking, as she refuses to venture far from the building. Recently, she has been observed engaging in kennel fights when leaving the room and lunging at other dogs outside. Medically, Cheddar is currently healthy.
View more..

George
George is at risk due to behavior concerns. George was reported by his owner to hard bark at people and will hard bark and growl at unfamiliar dogs. In the Care Centers, George is anxious, displaying displacement behaviors, repeatedly shaking off, and panting. Recently, he hard barked at passing dogs while in the pens and mounted the handler out of frustration. Medically, George has malocclusion so his upper and lower jaw don't align properly. This does not hinder him from normal activity.
View more..

Cotton

Reserved
Cotton is a senior dog with a suspected abdominal mass and anemia. While Cotton likely has a terminal illness, he is still enjoying life. He loves attention from staff, going for walks, and having meals and treats. Cotton would love to find a home where he can spend his days being spoiled.
View more..

Doritos
Doritos is at risk due to behavior concerns. At the Care Centers, Doritos has exhibited signs of anxiety, including panting, pacing, and whining. As her anxiety escalates, she redirects her frustration by muzzle-punching staff near their faces. Over time, she became difficult to walk, resorting to muzzle-punching staff in the legs. She has also been observed lunging at dogs and snapping at staff during walks. In the kennel, Doritos lunges and hard barks when staff or other dogs pass by. Despite these behaviors, she has been seen taking treats from staff. Medically, Doritos is apparently healthy.
View more..

Pops
Pops is at risk due to behavior concerns. When Pop first arrived, he was housed in a crate but repeatedly broke out and even snapped at a staff member attempting to put him back inside. He was then moved to a kennel, where he showed some improvement. However, Pop tends to become overly stimulated, biting at staff leashes and mouthing them. On one occasion, he grabbed a staff member's arm and abdomen. He has also shown reactivity toward other dogs and has been engaged in counter-conditioning training to address this. Pop is highly treat-motivated, which has been beneficial in his training. Medically, Pops has dermatitis.
View more..

Dominos
Dominos is an overweight senior cat who has developed an upper respiratory infection and is now not eating. We are concerned about his potential to develop fatty liver disease with all that is going on with him. He does not tolerate handling well and would do better in a more quiet setting with individualized care.
View more..

Icey
Icey is on the at-risk list due to behavior concerns. Icey in care has been deteriorating in care and has escalated to snapping/lunging and baring teeth at staff through the kennel door when initially approached. Icey has also shown a high amount of stress out of kennel, pulling very hard, maintaining a heavy pant and wide strained expression when out for walks. Medically, Icey is diagnosed with mild dental disease.
View more..

Chiquita
Chiquita is at risk due to behavior concerns. Chiquita is highly fearful in the Care Centers, often thrashing, biting, and alligator rolling when staff attempt to leash her, making her difficult to manage. Her owner mentioned that she has bitten other dogs in the past, though the bites were not severe. Despite this, her owner describes Chiquita as a social, affectionate, active, playful, and vocal dog. Medically, Chiquita is apparently healthy.
View more..

Jakar
Jakar is on the at risk list due to behavior concerns. Jakar is highly stressed in the kennel environment and has been deteriorating in care. Jakar spins in his kennel, covering his kennel in feces due to his persistent spinning and unable to settle on his own while also panting heavily at the kennel door. Outside of the kennel, Jakar is unable to settle on his own, and begins to pant heavily and pulling very hard on walks. Medically, Jakar is Clinically healthy.
View more..