Every week, innocent dogs are being euthanized at the Animal Care Centers (ACC) of New York City. As a deeply concerned citizen of New York State, dog advocate, dog owner and animal lover, I am personally pained by this ongoing tragedy. The current system is flawed; it only allows New Hope Partner Rescues to save these animals, excluding many other capable and willing rescues not associated with the ACC.

Moreover, the ACC is unjustifiably listing dogs for Emergency Placement due to leash biting or vocalizing - behaviors that can be corrected with proper training and care. This practice often leads to unnecessary euthanasia. It's time we stop penalizing dogs for their stress reactions in a shelter environment.

The solution lies not in ending lives prematurely but in improving them. The funds used for one director's salary alone could instead be allocated towards hiring more staff members who can provide essential exercise and care for these animals.

According to the ASPCA, approximately 670,000 shelter dogs are euthanized each year in the United States (ASPCA). In New York City alone, over 5,000 dogs were euthanized last year (NYC Department of Health). These numbers reflect a systemic problem that needs immediate attention.

We urge the ACC of NYC to reform its policies: Open up rescue opportunities beyond just New Hope Partner Rescues; stop listing dogs as Emergency Placement for manageable behaviors like leash biting or vocalizing; invest more resources into staff expansion and animal care rather than inflated administrative salaries. $100,000 a year for one director is cutting out a budget that could allow for multiple hands on trainers for these dogs, or more handlers to get the dogs out more then once a day. 

If their New Hope Program had any chance of working they’d easily mandate all partners pull 1 dog a month to retain partner status and this would get 300+ dogs out of the kill shelter alone. 

By signing this petition, you're advocating for a more humane approach towards our city’s most vulnerable canine residents – an approach that prioritizes life over convenience. Please sign this petition today and help us bring about much-needed change at the ACC of NYC.