New Yorkers for Companion Animals (NYCA)

EXTREMELY URGENT

As our national economy has taken a dramatic downturn in recent months, many thousands more pets are being given up to shelters due to financial and other hardships on owners. Common now among reasons for pet relinquishment is, "cannot afford." Other cats and dogs wind up in shelters when their owners become ill, are forced to move or lose their jobs.

The increase in animal intakes in shelters places burdens on the shelters, who then turn to rescue groups for help.

As a small rescue group working with Animal Control in New York City, we are besieged with constant pleas to save these dogs or those cats.

Unfortunately, rescue groups are also feeling the economic pinch and volunteer downturns.

It has become much harder to find willing volunteers to temporarily foster animals until the pets can be permanently placed. It is much more difficult finding adoptive homes. And it has become far more challenging to raise the necessary monies to support vetting and other care of rescued animals.

The lack of available fosters means rescue groups are forced to board many rescued animals when financially possible. Unfortunately, boarding, particularly over long periods of time becomes financially prohibitive.

Currently, NYCA has 7 wonderful dogs in boarding. Not only is the boarding of animals financially draining, but it is not the best thing for the dogs. Long term cage confinement can cause high stress in many animals resulting in possible later behavioral and adjustment issues.

But, even more than the financial stresses on the organization or possible emotional damages on the animals, there is the very real fact, that once filled in foster homes and boarding spaces, the rescue organization can no longer rescue NEW animals.

When rescue organizations are filled to capacity and cannot take in new animals, that translates into more animals going into city pounds and ultimately dying. City shelters are currently forced to "euthanize" an ever increasing number of loving and healthy cats and dogs simply because homes and rescue cannot be found for them in time.

A rescue organization that cannot "move" its animals either into foster or adoptive homes, cannot continue rescue.

Animal Control shelters who cannot move their animals into adoptive homes or rescue organizations are forced to kill otherwise highly adoptable pets on a daily basis.

Both of the above scenarios are happening RIGHT NOW, every day in New York City.

Shelters and rescues desperately need HELP -- especially help in the forms of responsible adopters and willing volunteer FOSTERS.

Even if you have one pet already, PLEASE consider taking in another on a short term basis until a permanent home can be found for the cat or dog.

In many cases, volunteer fosters can even choose a particular animal to foster.

Challenging times call for those able and willing to step forth to lend a helping hand.

Please call us immediately, if you are able to foster or adopt a needy and loving cat or dog or even just seeking further information:

(212) 427-8273.

Thank You in advance,

New Yorkers for Companion Animals.

Please read these articles:

Still vaccinating Your Pet Every Year? (from MSNBC)

"The Right Dog, Cat (or Whatever) for You."

Spring 2005 NYCA News

SAVING LIVES: THE DIRE NEED FOR FOSTER PEOPLE

IMPORTANT: THINKING OF BUYING A PET FROM A BREEDER?

Looking to volunteer in a shelter? Please help!

UPDATE! Article in the NY Observer about the new CACC

Letter to a Dog

Greetings and Gratitude: 2003

Top Reasons Animals Die in New York City (and their solutions)

Companion Cats and Dogs: A Consumer Issue

Adopt A Cat Month?

A Flood of Homeless Kittens

Cat Lady

New Yorkers for Companion Animals

Welcome to the homepage of New Yorkers for Companion Animals. We are a non-profit, all volunteer animal rescue group in New York City. We are active in animal rescue and placement. We are also active in current animal issues in and around the New York City area.

Please call for additional information and details. Due to space constraints, we cannot show every animal we have for adoption in the store. Some are adopted from foster homes. For further information or if interested in a specific pet, call, (212) 427-8273.

About NYCA Pets for adoption Success Stories About our adoptions Frequently asked questions How you can help Newsletter

About New Yorkers for Companion Animals

Since its not-for-profit incorporation in 1994, New Yorkers for Companion Animals has successfully rescued and placed more than 5,000 abandoned or homeless cats and dogs. Many of these animals were former strays, breeding and dying in the streets or brought into the CACC, (Center for Animal Care and Control) New York City's municipal animal pound system. The other animals NYCA rescues and places are abandoned pets dropped off at CACC for reasons such as "moving," "allergies," or "no time for."

The CACC receives more than 60,000 pets every year. Of these, more than 40,000 the animal shelter is forced to "euthanize" (destroy).

New Yorkers for Companion Animals does not have a formal shelter, nor does it have a salaried working staff. It receives no governmental funding. It is entirely dependent on the sacrifices and caring of a handful of reliable and responsible volunteers and foster people. It is also entirely dependent on the generous financial donations of caring and compassionate people.

Most cats rescued by NYCA are vetted, neutered and receive in-home care provided by foster volunteers until the animal(s) can be responsibly placed in permanent adoptive homes. Most dogs rescued by NYCA are totally vetted, neutered and boarded in kennel facilities until an adoptive home can be found.

Because the boarding of animals is very expensive, NYCA is not able to rescue as many dogs as cats. It is extremely difficult to find caring and responsible people to willingly foster dogs in-home.

Because NYCA is a "no-kill" organization, each day, NYCA receives many desperate calls and emails from members of the public pleading for help in placing animals. Usually a caretaker has fallen ill, become allergic, died, been evicted or is in the process of "moving" to a no-pet situation. However, due to our severely limited foster space and tendency to be filled to capacity, we are usually forced to offer only advice. In the overwhelming majority of cases, we cannot take the animal(s) in.

We want to be able to help as many animals as we can. However, in order to do that we need greater foster and volunteer help and/or greater funding in order to better afford the boarding of animals until they can be permanently placed.

The availability of both financial and volunteer support has become far more scarce and limited in Post 9-11 New York City due to the economic fallout and loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs in New York City. The CACC has also been cut millions of dollars in financial funding from the city due to the economic crisis.

Almost all shelters and organizations (with the exceptions of the well-funded North Shore Animal League and the ASPCA) are thus able to rescue and place fewer animals. The reality is that there are not enough shelters and rescue groups in New York City to save the more than 60,000 animals who each year, for whatever reason, lose their homes or never had a home to begin with. Nor, is there enough funding or other resources to enable the boarding or other temporary housing situation until permanent placement of pets can occur. The result of all this is death for more than 75% of animals coming into our city pound system or otherwise given up -- a very high proportion of these, adoptable pets.

NYCA and all other responsible shelters and rescue organizations desperately need more financial help and greater involvement and support from the public in order to save and responsibly place more pets. If you can help in any way, please call (212) 427-8273 or mail financial contributions to:

NYCA
PO Box 286124
New York, NY 10128-0002

Thank you

New Yorkers for Companion Animals

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Pets for adoption

We have an on-line list of pets currently available through NYCA. Pictures of many of the pets are also included on this page. This list is updated weekly, however pets just rescued may not be shown. Therefore it is advisable to call us if you are seeking a breed or type of cat or dog not pictured. We presently have purebred dogs and cats especially Siamese and declawed cats available. WE HAVE AN URGENT NEED for dog and cat fosterers. Especially those who can foster MOMS and LITTERS. We are totally desperate for anyone with an ounce of compassion and a little room.

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About our adoptions

Please call for additional information and details. Pets are adopted from foster homes or boarding facilities. For further information or if interested in a specific pet, call, (212) 427-8273 or email NYFCA@aol.com. Please understand that we are just a few people who volunteer our time, energy, and personal income to help the animals.

All cats are tested negative for FeLV (feline leukemia virus). All dogs and cats are fully vaccinated.

All animals for adoption are neutered or spayed.

The dogs and cats are not for sale, but we do request a contribution of $125.00 for all longhaired, purebreed and declawed cats, $100.00 for all other cats and kittens, $150.00 for all dogs. The fee includes vet exam, testing, shots, microchipping and neutering. (Exception: Some kittens under 4 months old are not neutered.) Please note these changes in January 2004 due to increased expenses for veterinary, food and supplies. This amount is far less than what you would have spent if you took the animal to the veterinarian yourself.

If you decide, for any reason, to return the animal to NYCA within 30 days of adoption, we will refund one half of the adoption fee. After thirty days, the fee is non-refundable.

Because our responsibility is to the animals, we must ask you some questions about the home and you are free to ask questions about the animals. We have the right to refuse an adoption.

Adopting a pet is a commitment. We ask you to sign an adoption form. Please read the story HOW COULD YOU.

We can deliver the cat or dog to the home. If there is already a cat or dog in the home we will help you with the introductions.

We try to place cats that enjoy the company of other cats in a home where there is feline companionship. Remember that most of our cats are in foster homes with other cats and we believe that they get lonely and bored without the company of their own kind, just like people do. Kittens must be adopted out with another kitten or to a home with another young cat. But we also have cats who would be happy to be the only cat in your life.

We will always take the animal back or work with you to place it in another good home if, (after a period of adjustment), the adoption doesn't work out. We require that you call us rather than give the animal away to someone or take it to the CACC (formerly the ASPCA) .

Whenever you adopt a cat, kitten or dog we will always be happy to answer all your questions and give you advice.

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Frequently asked questions

Check here for frequently asked questions about NYCA.

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How you can help

Please read this article: Leased for Life

Spay or neuter your pet!

Adopt a shelter pet instead of buying a pet. The New York City CACC has animals of all breeds available for adoption. If you would like to adopt a pet from us, check out our pets for adoption above.

Adopt two cats! Check out the reasons why here.

If you can't adopt why not foster. We will provide you with the essentials to care for a pet while we work to find it a home. We will also provide medical care and food if necessary.

Donate your time or make a contribution. We are a non-profit group and can always use reliable volunteers to help with adoptions or with one of our current issues that we are working on. Please contact Patty Adjamine at (212) 427-8273, or by email to NYFCA@aol.com. Send contributions to:

NYCA
PO Box 286124
New York, NY 10128-0002

or you can now donate to NYCA through PayPal.

Contact your representatives, city officials and the media and let them know you care about the plight of New York City's homeless pets. Demand improvement from city officials.

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Tails of the City: Adventures in Animal Rescue and Placement

Read Patty�s story of her adventures of animal rescue in New York City here .

Patty's Blog and more Tails of the City can be read here .

Newsletter

We publish a newsletter several times a year with special updates if necessary. To see our most recent newsletter click here.

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About NYCA Pets for adoption Success Stories About our adoptions Frequently asked questions How you can help Newsletter