ACC Queens Scandal Hits the New York Post; Attorney Says Treatment of Animals Conflicts With NY Law
ACC Queens Scandal Hits the New York Post; Attorney Says Treatment of Animals Conflicts With NY Law
The Post uncovered more horrors at ACC's new Queens facility, while an attorney and no-kill expert tells TSNY that ACC is flouting cruelty laws.
Headlines from Buffalo to Brooklyn
It’s August 23, 2024. This is The Weekly Poop.
This week, capital “D” Democrats convened in Chicago to nominate their candidates for the White House. It was quite a show. It was good TV. Bunk Moreland was there. There was a Warren Zevon reference. I’m kind of disappointed it won’t be on again tonight. If anyone has ever said such a thing about a political convention of any kind, I would be surprised.
I imagine it was infinitely more fun in person. But many New York pols who went to schmooze in Chicago left unfinished business at home.
As TSNY reported Tuesday, a visitor to the brand new NYC ACC facility in Queens witnessed an 8-month-old puppy, Zamboni, locked in a tiny kennel surrounded by his own waste, his food and water bowls empty.
TSNY emailed multiple officials multiple times this week concerning conditions suffered by Zamboni and other animals in Queens. Those contacted include NYC ACC spokesperson Katy Hansen and City Council members Lynn Schulman (chair of the council health committee, which oversees ACC), and Justin Brannan (who bills himself as the council’s resident animal advocate). None replied.
Two New York Post reporters had better luck:
It’s a canine crisis.
A new, $75 million city-funded animal shelter in Queens is disturbingly overcrowded with rescue pets – which are crammed into too-small cages, provided with insufficient food and living in their own filth, The Post has learned.
And:
Dogs at the Queens Animal Care Center were left in tiny, feces-filled kennels without water — while rabbits languished in bloody cages with sores, the Post observed during a recent tour of the facility.
And:
A worker who gave her name only as Megan showed The Post a dog named Coco – who was given up after her owner had a baby and who lives inside her cage all day, save for four quick walks a day.
According to a Post review of ACC dog walking logs, many dogs are walked only once a day for about two minutes – which isn’t even enough time to go to the bathroom.
There’s a lot more awfulness detailed in the Post story, along with pitiful ACC excuses and concern quotes from Queens City Council Member Robert Holden, who suggested the city rent more space to house animals (never mind that ACC has half the number of intakes it had 10 years ago).
It’s a thorough, affecting piece, and far from the first story by the Post to expose the incompetence and malfeasance and malevolence that imperils every animal who enters ACC’s audaciously cruel system.
Nathan Winograd of the California-based No Kill Advocacy Center noted to TSNY that "a sufficient supply of good and wholesome air, food, shelter and water” is required for animals under New York State law.
“You can't have wholesome air if you are breathing fecal matter,” Winograd said.
Further, Winograd pointed out, New York City’s own web site says:
New York State law defines animal cruelty as a situation where a person causes unjustified harm, pain, or suffering to an animal or neglects an animal's care by not providing it with proper food, water, medical care, or suitable shelter.
“Failure to provide hygienic housing and exposing the dog to suffering [and] disease is a lack of suitable shelter and, I would argue, unjustifiable suffering,” Winograd, who is also an attorney, told TSNY via email.
“If this was a ‘hoarder,’” said Winograd, “they would have no problem sustaining a conviction.”
It’s disheartening to know that the Post story, like those before it, will be forgotten quickly and most will move on. But the drumbeat continues.
As I picked up somewhere on the wind recently, When we fight, we win.
If this story speaks to you, please consider leaving a tip.
Plastic, PayPal or paper check. No Substack account required.
Here’s the latest New York companion animal news:
New York City says the new ACC extermination center in the Bronx should open next year.
A woman was awarded a ton of money after she sued her Manhattan co-op for evicting her over noise from her emotional support parrots.
A bizarre and sad story about a man who sicced his dog on employees in a Manhattan pizzeria. The dog was taken to NYC ACC.
A Long Island man was sentenced to four months in prison and is banned for life from having animals after he beat his aunt’s chihuahua to death.
Two teenagers in Rochester were charged with manslaughter after their unattended infant was killed by at least one dog.
A Buffalo urologist is saving companion animals with his plane.
Buffalo U.S. House rep Tim Kennedy wants to amend legislation that he says makes it too difficult to bring a dog from across the Canadian border.
As the keeper of many black cats I am saddened to announce that I whiffed this year on National Black Cat Appreciation Day, which was August 17.
The New York Groove has the lowdown on keeping a fish pond in NYC.
For the love of all, vaccinate.
New York adoptables
NYC ACC is holding mobile adoption fairs this weekend in Queens and Brooklyn.
A Buffalo redemption center is hosting an adoption fair on Sunday, and will be collecting bottles and cans for donation.
For one week beginning tomorrow, Erie County SPCA is halving adoption fees for animals one year and older.
Remember Me Rescue NY, in Long Island, has many available dogs and is looking for new fosters.
There are some fine looking dogs and cats looking for homes in Southampton.
Not to be outdone, here’s beautiful 4-year-old Birdie in Smithtown.
Food recalls
The FDA issued no new pet food recalls this week. Check here for info on earlier recalls.