NYC animal shelters accepting pet surrenders again, speeding up new Bronx facility

New York City animal shelters are accepting pet surrenders by owners again after overcrowding forced the shelter system to suspend them this summer, according to the nonprofit that runs the shelters.

And City Hall officials say they expect a long-awaited animal shelter to open in the Bronx months ahead of schedule, easing the burden on other packed-to-the brim facilities.

Risa Weinstock, CEO of Animal Care Centers of NYC, a nonprofit contracted by the city, said the organization experienced a spike in adoptions and volunteers last month once the cramped conditions at its shelters made headlines.

Although ACC never stopped taking animals in emergency situations, the group said it again has room to accept pets from people who can no longer take care of them.

“ New Yorkers really stepped up and they heard that message and they adopted and they fostered and they spread the word, and they helped their friends and neighbors who had pets that they couldn't keep anymore,” Weinstock said. “It was really such a community city effort.”

According to ACC, the overcrowding was caused by an increase in intake as well as lower adoption numbers and animals staying in shelters for longer. The group reached more than 1,000 animals in its care in July, well over its capacity to hold about 650 cats and dogs at its Queens and Manhattan locations. Officials said they had animals doubled up in crates, and many scattered throughout hallways and offices.

Weinstock said the Bronx shelter, which is now expected to open in January instead of mid-to-late 2026, spring, will help relieve further overcrowding. The location will have space for about 200 animals and include a veterinary clinic, boosting ACC’s shelter capacity by a third.

According to First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro's office, the city is allocating another $3 million to expedite the Bronx shelter's opening, with that money largely covering construction costs and staffing. Mastro's office said it didn't have a total cost estimate for the project, but the city has previously described it as a $92 million facility.

A Brooklyn shelter that’s currently being renovated is also set to open next year, according to the ACC.

“ We are really excited for these new shelters and bigger, more modern shelters,” Weinstock said. “It will certainly address symptoms [of overcrowding] and it will help us get closer to addressing root causes because we'll be right there in the communities where animals are coming in. We very much expect as soon as these shelters are open and running they'll get filled up pretty quickly.”

ACC’s Queens shelter was reportedly filled beyond capacity shortly after opening last summer. This year, after the New York Post reported the shelter remained cramped and unsanitary, Mayor Eric Adams announced a $1 million investment to hire 14 new staff members at the shelters to improve conditions.

Weinstock and other animal rescuers said the city’s affordability crisis is the most common reason owners have cited for giving up their pets. The increasing cost of veterinary care has exacerbated the problem, along with a decrease in spay-and-neutering since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the organizations ASPCA and Animal Haven.

“ Animal welfare is directly related to human welfare,” Jenna Bonarrigo,  animal pathways director at the nonprofit Muddy Paws Rescue in Manhattan, said. “When New Yorkers are struggling so much just to make ends meet, having a pet really adds on to financial strain.”

Bonarrigo echoed the sentiment that while ACC’s Bronx shelter will provide relief once it opens, more financial support would help New Yorkers keep their pets instead of giving them up to shelters.

Mastro was among those who adopted animals from ACC last month, taking home a fluffy white poodle mix named Kato. Mastro said the forthcoming shelter will streamline care for animals in the Bronx.

“ Many of the animals in the shelter system come from the Bronx, and so this will be in closer proximity to those animals,” he said. “And [it will] allow those families who have dogs in the Bronx  to get the veterinary care that they need to be able to keep their families together with these wonderful pets.”