Scary Shelter Facts: New York Animal Shelters Need Help

Best of Adopting a Dog < Scary Shelter Facts: New York Animal Shelters Need Help

Posted by Daniela Lopez on October 16th, 2023

Courtesy Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC)
Most of us associate October with Halloween, but it’s also Adopt a Shelter Dog Month. Though the two events might not seem like they have much in common, the truth is they do: both give us plenty of things to be scared about. Instead of ghouls and ghosts, Adopt a Shelter Dog Month reminds us just how many dogs out there need homes — and how far too many never find them. 

The situation is particularly dire in New York City. That’s why we’re headed to the big apple this month to raise awareness about some of the scary stats below. 

Over 6,000 dogs have entered New York County shelters in 2023 alone. 

The county that includes Manhattan ranks first out of all New York counties in terms of the volume of dogs shelters have taken in this year, according to Shelter Animals Count. Kings County (which includes Brooklyn) and Queens County (which includes Queens) account for a total of 528 additional dogs taken into shelters. 

5,121 dogs who entered shelters in New York State didn’t make it out. 

Sadly, this year alone, thousands of dogs have already failed to make it out of New York shelters alive. Over 1,000 of those dogs were in New York County. Every one of those dogs underscores the importance of adoption, spaying and neutering, and advocating for shelter animals. You can make a difference, one adoption at a time — one life saved at a time.

Across New York City, 1,662 dogs were relinquished to shelters by their families. 

Across Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan, not only were 1,662 dogs relinquished from their homes, but over 2,000 stray dogs were taken into shelters. While pets are relinquished for various reasons, one of the primary factors includes changes in their people’s life circumstances, such as moving to a new place that doesn’t allow pets, financial constraints, and unforeseen health issues. Increasing awareness about these challenges and promoting responsible pet parenthood can help reduce the number of animals being given up.

North York has a relatively high “save rate” compared to the rest of the country.

The good news is that New York’s total “save rate” of pets that enter their shelters is 87.6%. Yet, only 72 out of 129 shelters in the state are confirmed as “no-kill,” meaning they save at least 90% of animals who enter their shelters. 

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