NYC pets go from shelter to homes

Elvira is a gorgeous kitty with her giant eyes, white whiskers, and perfectly pink nose. She arrived at Animal Care Centers of NYC (NYCACC) as a stray — her past a mystery. She also had medical complications that would make her care tough for most potential adopters. But still, there must be someone out there for her, right?

Shelter staff found out at a special adoption event in Brooklyn. The event was a team effort to give 49 cats and 10 dogs from the shelter the boost they needed, matching each one with a new home over the course of two days. There were kittens and cats, big dogs and small dogs, all ready for someone to choose them.

[Reasons for Pet Adoption]

Each of the animals had ended up at NYCACC, a Best Friends Network Partner, for one reason or another, and with the number of pets coming into shelters on the rise, Best Friends looks at how to assist shelters in saving more lives. The work is part of our goal for all shelters to reach no-kill in 2025.

So Best Friends sponsored the adoption event in Brooklyn over the weekend of March 9-10 for the animals at NYCACC. That meant covering adoption fees, advertising the event, and renting space. “We are always so thankful when Best Friends lends us a helping hand. Being able to offer fee-waived adoptions at a great pop-up space was just the event we needed to jump-start our spring placement push,” says Jessica Vacarro, director of placement at Animal Care Centers of NYC.

The two-day adoption event began with people lined up outside the space, eager to meet pets and possibly bring one home.

It was a flurry of matchmaking, with ACC staff and volunteers kept busy talking to potential adopters and connecting them with pets who would be a good fit.

 

 

 

 

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Elvira caught so many people’s attention, but her medical needs were more than the average person could take on. Then, at the end of the day Saturday, a veterinarian at a nearby animal hospital came in and fell in love with the sweet kitty. It was just the right match, and soon Elvira was on her way to her new home.

By the event’s end, nearly 60 pets had been adopted, with a few others going into foster homes and a few others to Best Friends.

Today all the dogs and cats adopted at the event are settling into their new homes, getting to know their new families. The event was such a success that there are plans to have several more this year. That’s more opportunities for pets like Elvira and friends to go from homeless to home.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill by 2025. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.