Caught in a scandal that no amount of taxpayer funding can bury, the $75 million city-funded animal shelter in Queens remains a humanitarian crisis, nearly a year after being revealed for its horrifying neglect. Disturbingly, dogs are still cramped in filthy cages, living amidst their own waste, while city officials turn a blind eye.
Individual kennels are required to be cleaned after each brief walk, yet during a recent inspection, not a single one had been tended to. Dogs were returned to their squalid living conditions, surrounded by piles of excrement. This is unacceptable, and it reveals a shocking failure in leadership and care.
The Animal Care Centers (ACC) in New York claimed over the summer that they were working to fill staffing gaps. However, nearly a year later, they are still critically short of personnel. A staggering number of positions—veterinary technicians, animal transporters, custodians—remain unfilled, directly impacting the conditions of the animals. Many dogs endure waits of over 12 hours for their first walk of the day, a situation that is downright inexcusable.
The shelter is operating at double its intended capacity, with staff citing “extreme dog overpopulation” as a national issue. While it’s true that overcrowding creates operational challenges, these conditions do not absolve the ACC of responsibility. Their inability to manage this crisis raises serious questions regarding their competence.
Diseases like kennel cough are rampant, causing unnecessary suffering among the dogs. Staff have noted a troubling trend; dogs “deteriorate” under the stress of confinement. When animals are driven to madness in those cages, their fate can be tragic—a reality that a whistleblower revealed in chilling detail.
Last April alone, more than a dozen animals lost their lives in the shelter’s care, and hundreds more were euthanized. Excuses for these failures—like a nationwide decline in adoptions—do not cut it. Nathan Winograd from the No Kill Advocacy Center highlights the absurdity of ACC’s adoption policies, which have become more restrictive post-pandemic. This bureaucracy only stiffens the flow of potential adoptions, while officials shirk accountability.
A recent incident involved a dog, San Andreas, who collapsed after allegedly being choked by a volunteer, showcasing a systemic lack of oversight. Witnesses described inadequate responses from shelter staff, further eroding trust in the shelter’s ability to provide a safe environment for these animals.
Reports of staff mistreatment toward animals are horrifying. Yelling at dogs and mishandling leashes are not isolated occurrences. With management ignoring basic hygiene protocols, the conditions remain dire.
City Councilman Bob Holden previously called for urgent intervention to relieve overcrowding, but the ACC’s response has been tepid. The reduction in animal numbers is minimal, leading us to question whether city officials are truly committed to reform.
It’s time for decisive action and unwavering accountability. The plight of these animals cannot continue while bureaucrats watch and wait. We must demand better for our cities and their most vulnerable inhabitants. No more excuses, only accountability.
