So you found a stray cat (or dog)

More and more New Yorkers are finding stray cats, kittens and dogs outside and posting on Next Door or contacting local rescues for help. We are currently in an animal welfare crisis that has been decades in the making, caused by a historic divestment in city services for pets and people who care about them.

The situation is dire and unfortunately your options for help are a local rescue who may be one person and an instagram account who is deeply in debt, or an Animal Care Center, the City’s catastrophically underfunded shelter system. Either of these may not be able to help you because they are full, can’t find fosters, can’t take on any more financial burdens, don’t have access to affordable spay/neuter or other veterinary services.

To learn more about the problem and proposed solutions, view this presentation.

Don’t have time for slides? Here’s a short 1-page summary with a couple of important visuals:

The current situation is bad. We’re experiencing unprecedented pet abandonment and urgently need city resources to address the problem. The good news is that NYC City Council is paying attention. At a Hearing on Animal Rescue last fall, Council Members expressed support for the individuals, small private rescuers and non-profits that are overburdened and stretched thin. They acknowledged that municipal funding is needed to address this municipal problem.

But the budgetary process is slow and some of our best options to fully fund a long-term spay/neuter program will be years in the making. City Council Members need to continue hearing from their constituents about this problem. Please email your Council Member and let them know about your experience trying to help a stray animal and ask them why there are no public programs to address this public problem.