NYC shelter dogs need fosters
The gist
Animal Care Centers of NYC stopped accepting dog and cat surrenders with over 1,000 animals in its shelters.
The nonprofit runs the city's open-admissions shelter system, so foster and adoption demand decides how many pets stay safe.
How it unfolded
- Jul 19, 2025ACC stopped accepting new dog and cat surrenders, with more than 1,000 animals across its city shelters.
- Jul 20, 2025ACC suspended intake citing "critical capacity issues"; over 800 pets were listed as available for adoption on its website.
- Dec 30, 2025A roof collapse at Associated Humane Societies of Newark displaced 30 dogs and left them needing emergency foster homes; no animals or staff were injured.
Key terms
- open-admissions
- A shelter policy of accepting every animal brought in, regardless of space or condition.
- surrenders
- Animals given up by their owners to a shelter rather than being found stray.
- foster
- Temporary care of a pet in a private home until it is adopted permanently.
Source: Wikipedia