PETITION UPDATE: Commissioner Sansone continues to FAIL the Yonkers Animal Shelter
We gave Commissioner Sansone and the City of Yonkers a full month.
We paused, we waited, and we hoped Commissioner Steve Sansone would finally rise to the occasion and do his job. The job he is paid to do for the 190+ dogs and cats who have no voice.
Spoiler alert: He has not.
In the past month, how many new volunteers has Commissioner Sansone onboarded? THREE.
The volunteer team and animals continue to struggle under Sansone's watch. The animals continue to be denied necessary enrichment support to maintain their sanity and health.
Reliable insiders report he has instructed management to actively “screen out” applicants who seem likely to vocally advocate for the animals. His plan? A maximum of 25 new volunteers this entire year.
This number is dangerously insufficient for a shelter housing over 190 animals. We need at least 80+ new volunteers plus a waiting list to ensure consistent, life-saving support every single day.
The animals continue to struggle in isolation. Don’t believe us? Look at the City of Yonkers’ own misleading posts claiming 40 new volunteers have recently been brought on. Call Sansone out and keep him accountable! We will not tolerate the lies that sacrifice proven best practices of animal welfare.
See the post here: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/18fXWqppCx/
This is an outright lie and a clear PR stunt in response to mounting pressure. Instead of doing right by the animals, he chooses deception and continues to turn a blind eye to their daily suffering.
As one frustrated resident, Sierra Pelosi, commented on the City’s post:
“I tried a bunch of times to volunteer and never heard back. I adopted my babies from the Yonkers shelter. I signed the petition for more volunteers too. I saw there was only a handful of volunteers at their volunteer event. Mayor Spano please allow more volunteers. The puppies and kitties will thank you forever.”
Another frustrated resident, Kasey writes, "People are constantly trying to reach out to volunteer and never receive a response. I’ve gone there myself to donate items and discuss volunteering. The woman behind the counter was so disrespectful. She said if I believe what I’m reading online I don’t need to fill out an application… like what’s wrong with this place?"
This is not acceptable.
Our petition has now reached 4,731 signatures; 83% from Yonkers residents and it is still growing. This is the voice of our community demanding better.
We are angry. We are disappointed. But we are also inspired by how far we have already come because of you.
If it weren’t for the relentless pressure of your voices and this petition, the animals would still be sitting in a filthy, understaffed facility with no enrichment, no trainer, and a volunteer program on the path to being completely phased out. We forced full staffing, extended hours, consistent spay/neuter surgeries, and a hired trainer. We have proven that our collective voice works.
The final, critical piece remains: 80+ active volunteers.
Every other major shelter in the region holds volunteer orientations for up to 20 people at a time, multiple times a year. Not YAS. Commissioner Sansone is grudgingly backing into more volunteers only because he resents being called out for his incompetence. He is clearly hiding something and and the animals are paying the price.
Let these facts sink in:
Yonkers Animal Shelter is the only municipal shelter in the NYC and Westchester areas that does not microchip its animals. Microchipping is inexpensive and provides essential protection for lost or stolen pets. Where is the funding going?
Petfinder is a lifeline for shelter and rescue animals. YAS's Petfinder is never up to date. On Petfinder, only 46 out of 67 dogs are even listed and many of those have already been adopted. Zero cats out of over 100 are posted. Every comparable shelter maintains up-to-date, detailed listings with intake dates, behavioral notes, and current photos for ALL animals at the shelter within two weeks of intake. Why is Yonkers Animal Shelter always behind?
We must continue to rise and amplify our voices louder than ever. We have 4,731 signatures and we are growing. The residents of Yonkers, Westchester, and the Bronx are ready and eager to volunteer but they are simply blocked at every turn.
Demand better. Demand accountability.
Contact Mayor Michael Spano TODAY and insist he publicly confirm that the shelter will onboard at least 80 new active volunteers this year with regular orientations and a waiting list.
Sign and share the petition here: https://c.org/NFbMPBGn4W
ReformYAS on FB: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1HH5rjbfFt/
Call and email now:
Mayor Michael Spano: Mayor@yonkersny.gov or 914-377-6300
Share your outrage. Tag the Mayor. Show up at the shelter and submit your volunteer application. Bring friends. Refuse to be turned away.
We have come so far together. The final victory is within reach. The animals are counting on us to finish this fight.
Sign. Share. Call. Show up. For every dog and cat still waiting in a kennel. For every volunteer turned away. For the basic dignity these animals deserve.
We will not stop. Our collective power is unstoppable.
Reform YAS Coalition Current & Former Volunteers | Donors | Rescue Partners | Outraged Yonkers Residents