In January 2026, surveillance video from the Humane Society of Westchester in New Rochelle showed two individuals abandoning a dog outside the shelter in the middle of the night. The dog was left in a locked cage, crying and exposed to freezing temperatures for nearly five hours before staff arrived.

Thankfully, the dog survived. But next time, an animal might not.

This case is not isolated. Across New York, shelters regularly find animals left outside in dangerous conditions. Whether out of desperation, fear, or lack of information, people continue to abandon animals in ways that put their lives at risk.

We are calling on the New York State Legislature to require publicly funded shelters and municipal animal control facilities to install:

• Temperature-controlled, camera-monitored surrender boxes
• Clear, posted instructions for emergency surrender outside regular hours
• Standardized safety guidelines for handling overnight drop-offs

Similar systems already exist for other emergency services and have saved lives. These boxes allow people in crisis to leave pets safely and legally without putting the animal through unnecessary suffering. They also protect shelter workers and the public by providing a clear and humane process for after-hours surrender.

No animal should be left to cry in the cold because their guardian did not know what else to do.

This isn’t just about preventing cruelty. It is about offering real, compassionate solutions that reflect the values of a state that claims to care about animal welfare.

Sign this petition if you believe New York must protect animals by requiring safe, secure after-hours surrender options at shelters across the state.