The ACC may have a new name, but that new name is hiding a very dirty secret. Disease is running rampant in the “Animal care (& CONTROL) Centers”. There is a horrible strain of influenza invading the shelter as we speak. Our animals are entering the shelter healthy and then dying of “pneumonia” within days. It hits fast and hard. Within a few days, healthy animals are dying in their cages. Yes, DYING in cages while being ignored by medical staff. Rescues are going under, trying to cover the medical bills for animals they pulled. Bills that include 24 hour emergency care, oxygen, tracheal washes, and transfusions.
For the past few weeks, we have been getting multiple reports, and for the past week, we are hearing the same story EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. Rescues are screaming, fosters are screaming, adopters are screaming… the only ones remaining silent, are those that can DO something about it. By pretending it isn’t a serious issue, the “NYC Animal care (& CONTROL) Centers” can continue their charade that the quality of care is improving and “live release rates” are at a historic high. Granted, many animals are walking out the front door, but how many end up fighting for their lives once they take their first “freedom picture”? How many die before ever truly feeling they are “safe”?
How does a healthy animal get so sick, in such a short amount of time? The “NYC Animal care (& CONTROL) Center” is failing these animals by refusing to admit that disease and germ control NEEDS to be a top priority. They are not spending time and money on disease prevention. They are not switching their ineffective doxy protocol for proven more effective meds like baytril and clavomox. They are not watching for (or caring about) major signs of distress in sick animals. They are so concerned with their new image, they are forgetting the very thing that their image is supposed to represent. CARE.
Just this week alone, 3 rescues that save our death row animals, have stopped pulling (update 6/21/15 – at least 4 rescues have suspended their pulls. The newest took an average of 15 dogs/cats a week.) Are they afraid of disease? No. Their issue is that they are thousands of dollars in debt trying to save the lives of the animals they “saved.” This will have tragic consequences. Less animals will get pulled. More animals will sit in the cesspool of disease, for longer periods of time. More animals will be added to the list and more animals WILL die.
What’s even more frightening than the rescues being forced to go bankrupt, is that “NYC Animal care (& CONTROL) Centers” are adopting these SICK animals to the unsuspecting public. They are sending animals that need immediate vet care, home with adopters not equipped or aware that they have a new pet that could have a life threatening condition. “Here’s 2 weeks of Doxy that will do NOTHING. Happy Life!” They might as well send the adopter home with a body bag, because that is what will start happening more and more.
Urgent does not want to scare adopters and we certainly do not want our rescues to go under. Just today, we contributed to a $5000 bill for dogs that developed this super bug, and are fighting for their lives. We obviously can’t do this for all and we can’t expect the general public to donate for all this care (that could be prevented.) What we can expect… no we DEMAND, is that the “NYC Animal care (& CONTROL) Centers” immediately begin treating the sick animals with PROVEN medications, BEFORE they become so sick that they need emergency hospitalization. We DEMAND that Baytril and Clavamox become the drugs of choice when treating “kennel cough.” We DEMAND that they institute new policies to combat the spread of disease and that they train the staff to follow them. We DEMAND that they start assisting the rescues with medical bills for illnesses contracted AT the shelter. Finally, we DEMAND that the “NYC Animal care (& CONTROL) Centers” STOP adopting deathly ill animals to unsuspecting members of the public, without any sort of medical support. Our pets deserve to live long enough for the chance to be adopted. Those who are adopted or fostered, deserve the chance to live long enough to enjoy their freedom.
They “NYC Animal care (& CONTROL) Centers” board meeting is June 24th. Will you be there?
For key government contacts, that are involved with overseeing the NYC ACC, please go to the bottom of this link:
https://urgentpodr.org/about-nyc-acc/