How to save a dog at a NYACC shelter
The Urgent Part 2 Facebook page is maintained by a small group of volunteers. They are not part of the agency that runs the shelters and have no say in the decision making process that determines the fate of the dogs. Their purpose is to save dogs at risk of euthanasia in any of the three shelters operated by New York Animal Care and Control, NYACC.
To see the at risk dogs go to
www.facebook.com/Urgentdeathrowdogs/photos_albums and look in the ‘Urgent Manhattan’, ‘Urgent Brooklyn-Staten Island’, ‘Super Urgent’, and ‘To be Destroyed albums. After you open the picture of a dog, click on ‘See More’ after the partial description of the dog. You will learn about the dog and see information you will need to decide how to proceed
The process to adopt or foster varies from dog to dog and how far along the process leading to euthanasia the dog is. The rest of this document is broken down into sections to help make the process of saving a dog as easy as possible.
One thing to keep in mind is to include the dog’s name and ID number (A9999999) in all emails or applications.
Some dogs in the urgent albums can be adopted by the general public. The rest can only be gotten out of the shelter by a rescue that has been approved by the NYACC. The department in NYACC that coordinates with the rescue groups is called ‘New Hope’ and the rescue groups are often referred to as ‘New Hope Partners’ or ‘New Hope rescues’.
The short list of the most active, approved rescues can be seen at:
www.facebook.com/notes/urgent-part-2-urgent-death-row-dogs/adoption-info-and-list-of-rescues/405703306122877 . The rescues with an asterisk are the ones most able to get dogs that are on the ‘To be Destroyed’ list. The short list also contains links for applications and contact information.
The long list contains all 221 rescues that have been approved and can be seen at:
www.nycacc.org/NHPartners.htm . This list contains no contact or location information so you will have to find them online.
Note: Some of the information available, and comments on the threads, indicate that you can call the shelter to begin the process to save a dog or get information about the individual dog. That information is out of date. Due to an ‘upgrade’ to the shelter phone system you cannot speak to a living human being nor leave a message for someone to get back to you.
Note: If you are just planning to adopt or foster in the future, apply to New Hope rescues now. We were approved to foster before we found a dog we wanted to save. When one showed up on the Urgent page all it took was one email to get it done (no drama and much less worry). The next day our wonderful foster dog was safe in our home. ?
I want to adopt a dog in the To Be Destroyed Album
To adopt an animal, you must have valid photo ID, be 18 years of age or older and bring proof of current address. The shelter requires that any dogs currently in your household come to the shelter with you to meet the dog you wish to adopt. If you are renting make sure to get permission in WRITING from your landlord, even if you have other dogs and a good relationship with him or her.
The ‘To be Destroyed’ album is put on the Urgent site around 5:00 PM each day. It contains all the dogs scheduled to be euthanized the following day.
When you open the dog’s picture there must be a capital letter ‘P’ immediately after the shelter location to indicate that the dog is available for public adoption– Manhattan P. If you see a behavior rating of ‘NH Only’ you cannot adopt directly from the shelter. Other behavior ratings such as ‘EXPNOCHILD’ (Experienced no children) exclude certain households from adopting that particular dog. A behavior rating of ‘AVERAGE’ is exceptionally good. It is very rare to see the only better rating of ‘BEGINNER’.
If you cannot do a public adoption you must apply to a rescue to adopt. See the I Want to Foster section for instructions to adopt a dog through a rescue. Even if the rescue is full they may arrange adoptions.
You must be sure that you can go to the shelter within 48 hours. The dog will be held for you, no-one else nor any rescue can save it. If you do not show up in time, the dog can be euthanized without anyone else having a chance to save it.
You can apply online to adopt by filling out a short application, selecting the dog you want to save, and paying a $50.00 deposit plus a $2.00 service fee. This option is only available until 6:00 AM. The person named on the application must be the person that goes to the shelter to get the dog. After you apply you will receive a receipt for your payment, take it with you when you go to the shelter. You can find the application here at the bottom of the page:
www.nycacc.org/PublicAtRisk.htmAfter 6:00 AM a slightly less reliable option is still available by sending an email to ADOPTION@NYCACC.ORG . Send with a subject of:"Do not Euthanize (dog name) ( ID # Annnnnnn). In the body of the email include your phone number and email address and declare that you will come to the shelter to adopt.
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I want to adopt a dog in one of the Urgent Albums
To adopt an animal, you must have valid photo ID, be 18 years of age or older and bring proof of current address. The shelter requires that any dogs currently in your household come to the shelter with you to meet the dog you wish to adopt. If you are renting make sure to get permission in WRITING from your landlord, even if you have other dogs and a good relationship with him or her.
You have to read the full write-up on the dog to see if it is available for adoption. Look for a behavior evaluation (SAFER test), It starts with ‘Behavior – xxxx followed by helper 9999999. If one has not been done you cannot adopt directly from the shelter. If you see a behavior rating of ‘NH Only’ you cannot adopt directly from the shelter. Other behavior ratings such as ‘EXPNOCHILD’ (Experienced no children) exclude certain households from adopting that particular dog. A behavior rating of ‘AVERAGE’ is exceptionally good. It is very rare to see the only better rating of ‘BEGINNER’.
If you can’t adopt directly from the shelter, see the I want to foster a dog section to adopt through a rescue.
If you can adopt directly from the shelter, send an email to ADOPTION@NYCACC.ORG. Include the dog’s name and ID#, the shelter the dog is in, and your phone number. Ask for confirmation that the dog is still available and state that you will go to the shelter to adopt. A temporary hold will be placed to insure the dog will still be there when you arrive.
I want to foster a dog in any of the Albums
Plan on submitting applications to several rescues. Some of the rescues already have as many dogs as they can handle and can’t take on any new fosters or adopters. Most rescues want fosters to live close enough to bring the dog to adoption events. If you live more than a few hours away it is more difficult to find a rescue that will work with you. If you see any rescues on the long list that are close to you, also apply to them. If the dog you are interested in is in the ‘To be Destroyed’ album concentrate on the rescues from the short list with an asterisk.
Some rescue applications are documents for you to download and email. For the other rescues, with online applications, submit the application then follow with an email to all of the contacts. The email will get them to notice the application as soon as possible. The final acceptance may take a couple of days to complete for things such as a vet check and home visit. The rescues have access to the New Hope department not available to the general public and are able to keep the dog safe until the process is completed.
Note: Notify your vet that you approve the release of information about you to the rescues.
