ACC, NYC DOH Celebrate 30 Years of Perpetual Pain, Suffering and Death
The self-congratulating comes during a particularly grisly stretch of ACC/DOH animal cruelty.
The Scoop New York is a website and newsletter covering the movement for a true no-kill New York State, from BUF to BK. NYC ACC KILLS, published by TSNY, enumerates and memorializes adoptable cats and dogs who were exterminated by Animal Care Centers of New York City.
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It’s June 20, 2025. This is The Weekly Poop.
This week, the non-profit contractor currently known as Animal Care Centers of New York City marked three decades of discretionary killing, and the press was there to cheer them on.
The topic of this week’s column was set before I saw the ACC encomium from 1010 WINS reporter Susan Richard. I won’t bother ticking off the lies because that would basically mean republishing the piece. It epitomizes the lazy, uncritical access journalism that furthers the lie propping up the whole enterprise: that ACC exists for any reason other than to shield politicians from the consequences of New York City’s longstanding position on homeless companion animals: jettison as many as possible to overburdened rescues, rehome those we feel like dealing with (with as little effort as we can manage), cull the rest, and pretend the dead ones never existed.
There is no excuse for this. When I did my first ACC story in 2019, I was unaware of The Big Lie. To the contrary, CEO Risa Weinstock and company had my AMEX number, as I donated to ACC every month.
I did nothing extraordinary in reporting that story. The bullshit data, the smooth happy talk that ignored my questions. It was all there for me to see, bright as day. What I did not do was hinge my story on what I heard from the public officials I was reporting on. That’s not reporting. It’s typing.
Still, as it happens, Richard’s paean to Risa et al. dovetails with today’s planned subject, that being a particularly grisly stretch of ACC animal abuse.
I will now remind that ACC is supervised and controlled by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, whose acting commissioner, Dr. Michelle Morse, tacitly (at least) endorses all of the below.
There was Samson, a victim of spay-neuter-kill, whereby ACC has a cat or dog altered only to exterminate them during recovery — a practice so brazenly cruel it was once under investigation by the state attorney general. Advocates believed ACC had discontinued the practice. Yet it continues, with support, advocates say, from ASPCA, a wealthy and popular and sketchy outfit that some might consider the ACC of the U S of A.
Salvador Dogi is another spay-neuter-kill victim. Admitted in late April, he was neutered in early May. Rather than find him a forever home, in early June ACC (and DOH) chose to exterminate him. Salvador Dogi was 2.
Here’s Ladybug. Due to ACC incompetence, healthy animals often get sick there, and when they do, it’s essentially a death sentence waiting to be pardoned. Unfortunately, when Ladybug caught pneumonia while in their care, ACC and DOH gave her no quarter. She died alone and in pain, for no reason other than ACC and DOH wanted it that way. Ladybug was 6.
These are torture killings, plain and simple. Prima facie cruelty. Brought to you by City Hall and the New York City Council.
TSNY asked ACC and DOH for medical records for Ladybug, Salvador Dogi and Samson. ACC and DOH press staff ignored the queries.
The aforementioned atrocities came in the midst of more ACC/DOH fuckery, such as disappearing puppies Bella (6 weeks) and Thor (just shy of 2 years) and refusing to tell the public what they did with them. Despite multiple TSNY queries to both ACC and DOH, both dogs remain unaccounted for.
There was also senior Parks and puppy Sugar Foot, both arbitrarily exterminated just days ago. For whatever reason, though, it was Duke who almost broke yours truly.
Duke is every dog and cat who comes in the door at DOH’s ACC, because he could have been any of them.
DOH and ACC exterminated nearly 34,000 adoptable cats and dogs in the past 10 years alone. That’s 34,000 innocent victims whose stories will never be told by reporters who would rather befriend their morally vacant killers than confront them with actual journalism.
Meanwhile, the killings continue apace. Happy anniversary to Michelle Morse and Risa Weinstock. Here’s to another few decades of flagrant malfeasance, shameless corruption and ceaseless animal and human misery. Heckuva job.
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Here’s the latest New York companion animal news:
Achtung Western New York: Beavers in Chautauqua County were found to have tularemia, a rare bacterial disease that spreads via bug bites and can be transmitted to humans (as well as pets).
State lawmakers have gone home for the year — just in time for this story about yet another New York animal shelter (Sullivan County SPCA this time) screaming for financial aid and getting this.
Related: “Welcome To Kitten Season, When [New York] Animal Shelters Need All The Help They Can Get”
Related: Abused puppy Cookie was removed from immediate danger and now Dutchess County SPCA — not to be confused with these resource-grubbing bullies — is collecting funds for life-saving medical care.
Related: A St. Lawrence County shelter hit the Kathy Hochul lottery and got some crumbs to renovate a building it bought for the purpose.
As voters pick their first new mayor in decades, The Buffalo News wrote up the significance of the Buffalo Animal Shelter shit show in the race.
Stealing money meant for homeless companion animals: one more case and it’s a trend.
SPCA Serving Erie County is waiving adoption fees on Wednesdays until the end of August.
A New York native who operates a rescue is returning from California to eight acres (location unknown) that will host dozens of elderly and special needs dogs she’s bringing with her.
Lollypop Farm and a Monroe County BOCES have teamed to offer a course on how to care for small animals.
The Times did a Times story on “Shop Cats,” a TikTok series about bodega cats and the businesses they run.
Smokey the cat was reunited with his people nine years later and 40 miles away, in Amityville.
And finally: Happy belated Pigeon Appreciation Day to all who celebrate.
Adoptables
NYC ACC will host mobile adoption events in Manhattan and Queens this weekend.
Mallory is coming up on 16, which is way too old to be wasting time in a shelter. Find her at Mohawk Hudson Humane Society in Menands.
At 2 years old, Frenchie mix Flower is still a puppy. Described as “[looking] like a big dog that shrunk in the wash,” she’s already known for “doing little skips of happiness” while on walks. Who says no to that? Flower is available at Posh Pets Rescue Westchester, in Greenburgh.
Find New York adoptables near you on Dogs in Danger and Adopt a Pet.
The Scoop New York attempts to confirm that animals are still available before we feature them in The Weekly Poop. If an animal you see here has already found a home, consider asking about other available adoptables.
Food recalls
The FDA announced no new pet food recalls this week.
Check here for info on earlier recalls.