The Scoop New York is an indie non-profit web site and newsletter covering the movement for a true no-kill New York, from BUF to BK.
We take names. We step on toes. We bring receipts.
NYC ACC KILLS, published by TSNY, enumerates and memorializes adoptable cats and dogs who were nonetheless exterminated by Animal Care Centers of New York City.
Every week, NYC ACC KILLS subscribers receive The Weekly Carnage: bios, photos and videos of adoptable cats and dogs known to be recent ACC victims. Subscribers also get monthly memoriam posts that include ACC data summaries along with an updated compendium of animals whose lives were ended by ACC that month. Videos from current and prior months may also be found on The Scoop New York’s YouTube channel.
For more New York companion animal news, follow NYC ACC KILLS and The Scoop New York on social media.
About NYC ACC KILLS memoriam posts
Like virtually all New York City officials, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin, NYC ACC staff as a rule do not respond to uncomfortable questions concerning the kill pound they’re responsible for.
Information in NYC ACC KILLS memoriam posts, therefore, is drawn from reader tips, records ACC has chosen or is required to make public, and the ACC so-called “at-risk outcomes” list.
As evidenced by its monthly and annual outcome data reports, ACC kills far more cats and dogs than appear on the at-risk list. ACC exterminates many healthy and adoptable cats and dogs without first offering them for adoption. Victims of this practice are known among advocates as “silent kills.”
Under direction from higher-ups including chief DVM Robin Brennen, ACC will often spay or neuter a cat or dog only to exterminate her or him during recovery, or soon after. This practice is known as “spay-neuter-kill.”
Known silent kills and spay-neuter-kill victims are identified as such by NYC ACC KILLS.
Since cats are underrepresented on ACC’s “at-risk outcomes” list, they are, unfortunately, also underrepresented here.
Due to ACC obfuscation and sloppy record-keeping, memoriam posts are, sadly, bound to be incomplete. The Scoop New York continually adds names and images of ACC victims to NYC ACC KILLS as we find them. Follow NYC ACC KILLS and The Scoop New York on social media for updates.
If you’re an NYC ACC networker or volunteer and would like to contribute information on exterminated cats and dogs, or share your experience working with ACC, we want to hear from you. Discretion guaranteed.
A note about names: Many animals come to NYC ACC with unknown histories, including their names. In addition, ACC does not always use the name a cat or dog is accustomed to, even if the agency knows what it is. As a result, many animals exterminated by ACC are never properly identified. Unfortunately, for the most part NYC ACC KILLS has only the names provided by ACC, even if those names are incorrect or nonsensical. ACC-assigned names are presented here without quotation marks unless TSNY can confirm an animal was known by a different name when admitted to ACC.
ACC operates under putative supervision by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, which endorses the publicly-funded killing of healthy and adoptable cats and dogs at will and with impunity.
Quotes from ACC notes may be edited for style and clarity. — Ed.
CHIEF NYC ACC VETERINARIAN
Robin Brennen, Sr VP Animal Health & Welfare: Email
OFFICIALS RESPONSIBLE FOR NYC ACC OVERSIGHT
NYS Ag Commissioner Richard Ball: 518-457-2771; Email
Mayor Zohran Mamdani: Contact form
City Council Speaker Julie Menin: 212-788-7210; Email
Council health chair Lynn Schulman: 212-788-6981; Email
Comptroller Mark Levine: 212-669-3916; Contact forms
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams: 212-669-7250; Email
City Council members: Lookup
Borough presidents: BX; BK; MN; SI; QS
NYC DOH Commissioner Alister Martin: 311; Contact form
NYC DOH ACC minder Corinne Schiff: 646-632-6496; Email
In memoriam
Snuggle Bug [264789]: 2 years old; killed November 1. Snuggle Bug, a stray, came to ACC underweight, then promptly got CIRDC, which lasted for almost a month.
“Her name is no exaggeration,” a volunteer said, “She is cute, snuggly and jumpy and very interested in being in your lap. Snuggle Bug is full of happy energy and happy to get leashed and taken down from her top tier kennel for a walk. Her little body might jump up on her hind legs and lean in to say hello, along with a hint that it’s time for her next treat.”
Another volunteer wrote, “Snuggle Bug, who came into the shelter with several of her housemates, earned fans very quickly, beginning with the staff member who brought her in — he greets her like a long lost friend and says he immediately loved her. She’s instantly loveable, with her great enthusiasm for people, walking, the world, treats, laps, and laps with treats!
“Spending time with Snuggle Bug is to share in her wonderful cheer; we can only imagine how unbounded her joy would be to find herself in a home again! This is a perfectly named dog looking for her person with whom to snuggle!”
The excuses ACC gave to kill Snuggle Bug? She’s bit and gabbed the fake hand looming at her while she in possession of a toy during her “behavior” assessment shortly after intake. A widely discredited test. And they said she was very mouthy.
ACC killed Snuggle Bug on day 55.
Merigold [268388]: 9 years old; killed November 3. Merigold was a silent kill.
He was never put on the “at-risk” list and was killed without warning on day 19.
His human had passed away, making him an easy target.
Mulan [269620]: 2 years old; killed November 3. A small pup, found with severe neck injuries, an infected open wound on her neck and shoulders that was initially treated at ACC.
They wrote, “She did undergo surgery for wound repair and flushing, but she is currently offsite and in need of supportive care for her hyponatremia, hypokalemia, and vomiting overnight. She has extensive wounds with deep pockets extending from her left neck and shoulder to the dorsal midline. She will need long-term wound management.“
ACC set a 6 p.m. deadline the next day for Mulan to be taken to ER. In other words, a rescue organization, not ACC itself, needed to pay for her care and find a foster in a very short period of time to save her.
ACC killed Mulan on day five. Three days before, they had made the following note, “Mulan walks out of her kennel easily and sits quietly for exam. She has a soft body and leans into pets. She tolerates all treatments well despite extensive wounds on her neck. She is eager to walk out of [the] yard and looks quietly at dogs passing by.”
Mr C [243078]: 2 years old; killed November 3. Mr C was listed “at-risk” for “medical reasons.”
They said he was a sweet young cat with a urinary obstruction, a catheter in place, and needed monitoring in a veterinary clinic while he recovered.
ACC killed him on day four.
Sasha [222083]: 9 years old; killed November 3. Sasha was an owner surrender. ACC said she was extremely intelligent and high energy, but “not thriving in the care center and continues to display challenging behavior during interactions.”
They also said she “has a bite/scratch history; however, it was due to an inappropriate handling technique … Sasha was tolerant of handling during the behavior assessment when properly and safely picked up with fear-free techniques.”
A volunteer said she’s “outgoing and smart, stand out qualities in every room she enters. These qualities also mean, however, that Sasha needs projects. In spite of our best efforts to think of some, she probably wishes we could do better.
“Even so doing her best to meet us halfway, Sasha came right to the front and enthusiastically flipped herself upside down to say hello. I was completely charmed as Sasha twirled this way and that, purring and snuggling … until she wasn’t. Shelter life can be quite a lot at times and Sasha’s a cat who likes to make her own decisions.”
Killed for being a cat on day 57.
Luka [196709]: 3 years old; killed November 5. Luka’s real name was Luka James.
His owner said, “He loves to cuddle and he is very outgoing.” A volunteer wrote, “This heart-achingly tender seal pup (those eyes!) has lived happily with dogs and is noted by his former owner to be playful around cats. Yet in the shelter, he sits in his kennel as if he knows his world has been lost, and on a walk he is desperate for the reassurance of a lap and arms around him.
“The volunteers are devoted to him, calling him ‘a lovely boy,’ and ‘very easygoing,’ and we so want to see him done right…let him shine again!”
You can see Luka’s worry and his desperate need for comfort in the video above. Unfortunately, the sadists who populate ACC the staff roster — Dr. Robin Brennen and her team of sawbones in particular — are especially gratified by the discretionary killings of cats and dogs who appear especially frightened, and those who draw the most, and most intense, pleas for mercy from New Yorkers and others who do ACC’s job by making pledges and otherwise working (often for free) to secure their would-be victims a safe escape. Luka ticked all the boxes.
ACC killed Luca on day 36 because he was “highly rope reactive.” In other words, he bit the leash, which could be from anxiety or a form of play.
Scared dogs. Happy dogs. It’s all the same to Team Brennen et al. So long as they get to push the plunger.
Randy Donut [255344]: 2 years old; killed November 5. Randy Donut was at ACC for half a year. He was loved by staff and volunteers. Still they killed him.
He was gentle and shy, “an adoptable dog, no bite history, no aggression; his only crime was not being able to relax in a cage in the very place that killed him.”
The video above shows Randy on an outing to the beach, with a volunteer, where he could finally relax, play in the waves and enjoy one day of freedom.
Randy was arbitrarily labeled by ACC as a solo dog, which made it harder to find a home. (Harder for ACC, anyway. Then again, other than killing, what isn’t?) Contrary to ACC’s claim that he didn’t mesh with other dogs, at the beach Randy calmly passed other dogs without reaction.
A volunteer wrote, “Randy Donut is a perfect moo cow, black and white cookie, white toe tipped boy. He is energetic, playful and so handsome. His coat gleams and his big brown eyes are full of optimism. He is often seen playing with toys and being overall a silly guy. Initially he was pretty shy at the shelter, not sure about his place. But he has opened up and even has notes about stealing toys from the toy chest! A little thievery always tends to charm us. He’s a tad too skinny, so we try to entice him to even steal our snacks from our treat pouches, which he does learn to do!”
Shortly before he was killed, a volunteer feeding him treats cage side wrote, “Randy Donut was so faded and subdued when I saw him this evening.”
ACC exterminated Randy Donut on day 166.
Liv [268700]: 3 years old; killed November 5. Liv arrived a petrified stray. ACC never gave her a chance.
They killed her on day 16. Moreover, for much of the time she was there they kept her a TDO prisoner in her kennel. TDO, which stands for “Transfer Door Only,” refers to the door that allows them to shuttle a dog from one side of kennel to another while they clean the filth they make them live in.
The Scoop New York has a more appropriate term for ACC’s solitary confinement fetish: “Torturing Dogs Often.”
Liv’s video clearly shows a dog who is scared and shut down, not aggressive or a danger. In quiet spaces, such as the office and the play yard, she would sit between handlers’ legs, place her head on laps or curl up next to them on the couch.
Liv’s medical notes state on October 27, “Dog is TDO again. Adding behavior meds to help manages FAS [fear/anxiety/stress].” Team Brennen put her on high doses of Trazodone, Gabapentin, and Clonidine. They call it their “happy cocktail.” It’s the go-to substitute for care, which might require actual work. The fact that it’s impossible to make a dog happy while stuck in a cage and never let out is immaterial to ACC. If anything, if it causes pain and suffering, so much the better.
Two days later, Liv caught CIRDC, like many if not most dogs who are exposed to ACC’s constant unsanitary conditions. This, too, is by design. Allowing kennel cough and other contagions to run rampant provides ACC with a steady stream of sick animals. And at ACC, of course, sick animals soon become dead animals.
Beans N Toast [267263]: 2 years old; killed November 5. ACC’s hobby of trolling New Yorkers by assigning cats and dogs nonsense names — often intended to ridicule the victim — hit a new low this time. Beans N Toast arrived at ACC an emaciated pup, with marked muscle atrophy and diarrhea. He was also friendly, calm, and curious.
“Emaciated on intake, his ribs and spine protruding from his caramel coat, he’s a bit hard to look at,” wrote a volunteer. “Throughout his stay he has been on three feedings to hopefully help fill out his 30 pound body to an appropriate weight. But when you look past the obvious neglect he’s been experiencing, you’ll notice his almost iridescent eyes with a glimmer of hope in them. He is extremely sweet, preferring to spend his time with us on our lap. Other volunteers immediately note his gentleness too: ‘I don’t know his past, but for an emaciated guy (skinniest I’ve walked), he was VERY sweet. Gentle and attentive walker, would check in with me a lot and look up. Responsive to treats. Very lovely dog and I want to make sure they have a good day.’”
For nearly half his time at ACC Beans had CIRDC while confined a small pop-up crate — illegal under state law except for temporary “emergency” situations. Still, he remained a wiggly, lap loving boy.
Unsurprisingly, ACC claimed he bit a handler one day — an alleged quick bite and release, out of character for the dog they otherwise described as gentle.
For that supposed crime, ACC killed Beans N Toast on day 33.
Diamond [263794]: 3 years old; killed November 6. Diamond came to ACC as a stray. A volunteer wrote, “Diamond can sometimes be very shy and a bit reluctant to exit her crate without some help and encouragement from familiar staff members … Once leashed and out, however, Diamond perks up, gains confidence, and becomes her friendly, lovely self, leaning in for a pet as soon as she’s comfortable. What a sweet girl.”
For three weeks, Diamond was in foster care. Her foster wrote, “This sweet, silly girl brings smiles to our faces every single day! She’s potty trained, gentle when taking treats, and does wonderfully when left home alone. Diamond has the softest fur and loves leaning in for pets once she feels comfortable. With her gorgeous coat and beautiful eyes, she’s sure to turn heads wherever she goes!“
Diamond’s challenge was that she was uncomfortable around and reactive to other dogs. Three days after she was returned from foster care, ACC made Diamond TDO, never allowed out of her kennel, not for walks or potty breaks.
ACC killed Diamond on day 15.
Mocha [213756]: 3 years old; killed November 6. Mocha was at ACC twice. The first time, in November 2024, she was stray. The second time she was surrendered by her family.
The video above is from her first stay when her name was Casey. A volunteer wrote, “If Casey was a white dog, we would call her a marshmallow. But since she is a beautiful reddish brown, we could maybe call her a toasted marshmallow. But the way her body jiggles totally makes her a flan. Whatever dessert you may want to call her, just know that she is 10 times as sweet. Casey was found down by Rockaway beach without an owner in sight. Casey has been a super social big girl, who loves to get pet and if you are very lucky, she will let you give her belly rubs. Casey is one for full body cuddles, lots of toys, and snuggles in the cold weather.“
Mocha, still a social and affectionate pup, was more stressed when she was returned to ACC the second time. What’s more, her first stay couldn’t have been a pleasant one. They had a too-tight collar on her, causing a significant wound on her neck, and her spay resulted in bruising and bleeding.
Her first stay lasted six months. On her second stay, ACC killed Mocha on day 38.
Apollo [259730]: 1 year old; killed November 6. ACC killed Apollo 21 days after he was returned from adoption. We call this practice — ACC’s habit of quickly exterminating dogs whose adoptions, for whatever reason, don’t work out — adopt-return-kill.
Said a volunteer: ““I remember meeting Apollo back in July. He was in a kennel meant for small dogs on the top, and I had to lift him out. Thankfully he’s petite at 43 lbs, but such is our overcrowding crisis that we have large dogs in kennels meant for small ones in a crowded room inches from other large barking dogs. He was cooperative about it but eager to get a break.
“We quickly discovered his endless love for tennis balls and he paraded his beloved toy between us to show it off. His ears came up and down, appearing like a cartoon bunny and disappearing. He wiggled around and even though we could see his ribs, he was so happy that we forgot about it.”
Adopted for two months, he lived with four adults who said he was sweet and affectionate but too active and difficult to manage. Still very much a puppy, Apollo had a lot of energy and at ACC no chances to play. He began biting and tugging at the leash, a form of play that gets dogs killed there.
Kowalski [266920]: 5 years old; killed November 6. Kowalskl was surrendered by his family who said he was an affectionate, social, and playful boy.
At ACC he lived in a pop-up crate. He was never placed on the at-risk list.
ACC killed Kowalski on day 40. A silent kill, meaning whatever excuse they came up with, it was too much work to pass it along.
Chase [260807]: 2 years old; killed November 7. Chase’s family, which included two children, lost their home. They said he was shy and anxious when left alone. On intake, ACC said he was sweet but very scared. Later they wrote that he was “a big goofy sweetheart.”
Easily leashed, he did well on walks and was consistently wiggly and wagging. Chase, they reported, jumped up high a lot, socially and exuberantly. On one occasion when jumping, they said he nipped the handler on the lip, no broken skin. He was getting training to control his jumping and making progress.
A volunteer wrote, “We played fetch in the backyard, and I noticed a big improvement in his responsiveness to the ‘sit’ cue! Previously, he would jump up on me in anticipation of the ball being thrown, but this time he consistently followed the sit cue and waited patiently for each throw. What a difference! He was very responsive and well-mannered throughout playtime. Once he got tired, he happily settled down for some snuggles, leaning against my leg for affection.”
ACC killed Chase on day 104.
Malcolm [267951]: 5 years old; killed November 7. Shy and timid, Malcolm, a stray, was at first very scared.
He dodged the leash but the leash is a rope and they lasso the dogs. That’s scary. Day after day they report their attempts to lasso him. He would lower his head and sometime use his paw to bat the lasso away. Their notes are full of their attempts. Their focus on lassoing him seemed to occupy them so much that they ceased to see Malcolm at all. They seemed frustrated that they couldn’t lasso a dog like a cow or sheep.
Once out, he did well on his walks, approached handlers for pets and played with toys. As you can see from his video, he was an affectionate, toy-loving pup.
ACC killed Malcolm on day 29.
Puti [265884]: 2 years old; killed November 7. Puti’s owner passed away, and she was surrendered to ACC by a family member who said Puti bit when they hugged her. ACC said Puti was highly social.
“It’s always sad to see a dog who’s so sweet, friendly, affectionate, and well-mannered end up on the at-risk list,” a volunteer wrote. “And Puti is one of those dogs … When I first met Puti, I was honestly surprised by just how wiggly, sweet, and incredibly affectionate she was.”
Another volunteer commented on their time with Puti. “She was very well-mannered throughout the interaction, with no jumping or hard pulling on leash. She knows ‘sit’ and ‘paw’ and responded beautifully to cues. Even when excited, she remained polite, happily sitting beside her handler. She only jumped into the handler’s lap for snuggles when invited to do so. She’s just an absolute angel to me.”
During her stay at ACC, Puti had CIRDC twice, first in late September, then again in late October. All according to plan.
In terms of behavior, Puti was the perfect pup. Easily leashed, Puti checked in with her handlers on walks and didn’t react to people, dogs, or any distractions on the street. She was described in notes as loose and wiggly with a wagging tail.
Their reason for killing her? The unwitnessed bite at her home. They added, “Her previous owner reported recent ‘aggressive behavior’ but did not go further into detail.” And also that she had recently begun to show signs of stress, biting the kennel bars.
ACC killed Puti on day 50.
Which is just how Mayor Mamdani and Speaker Menin want it.
