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.
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
Roulette [14361]: 9 years old; killed October 5. Roulette was adopted from ACC and returned about a week before he was killed.
A silent kill, Roulette wasn’t listed again for foster or adoption.
Because his records were removed, we don’t know anything about him except that he allowed all handling and was suitable for adopters with little experience.
Lawrence [262856]: 4 years old; killed October 5. Lawrence was left by his owner at the police station because the owner was moving and couldn’t take him with him. The owner didn’t leave any information about their dog.
A volunteer wrote, “Lawrence looks a bit shell shocked. I think it’s a combination of his icy blue eyes, and the new circumstances he finds himself in … Lawrence has not gotten a chance to relax and come out of his shell. He has been pretty shut down and doesn’t initiate social contact very much. He has been perfectly polite, but his body language is tense, and no wiggles or wags are to be found right now.“
Lawrence remained nervous, but the video above shows he needed and appreciated human contact.
ACC killed Lawrence on day 48.
River [236110]: 1 year old; killed October 6. River had been in and out of ACC since October 2025. The first time, his family included two kids, with whom he was friendly and playful. The second time he lived happily with four kids, two dogs, and a cat. (Although he mostly hid from the cat.) At ACC, as in his homes, he was much loved.
A volunteer wrote, “River is the social butterfly of QACC and we can’t believe this extrovert hasn’t been scooped up yet! River is used as a playgroup helper dog … The icing on the cake is how incredibly beautiful River is. And though he’s a BIG boy, he fancies himself as a lap dog, often climbing into ours and even sneaking a few kisses here and there. When he isn’t doing that, River can be found playing or zooming about the yard with his toys, moves that are guaranteed to make you laugh.”
In River’s “at-risk” memo, ACC’s stated reason for killing, they admitted River was highly social, loved people, and was a ”Playgroup Rockstar.” So why did they kill him?
They wrote, “Unfortunately, River is having a difficult time coping with the Care Center environment. He has become increasingly aroused and is frequently grabbing and biting the leash during walks and handling.“
In the last three weeks of his life, ACC made notes on him on six different days. On three occasions, they mentioned leash biting. Once, they noted he jumped up to grab the leash and began to tug at it when exiting the kennel. Most people would consider that an invitation to play. He was bored in his cage, not enough playgroups, exercises or games for an active puppy.
On a different day, they say he attempted to leash bite while on a walk but was easily redirected. In mid-September when he was leash biting on exit from the kennel, the handler shortened the leash and River caught their hand, no blood drawn. It doesn’t take much to get a good dog killed at ACC.
ACC exterminated River on day 124.
Jollof [249778]: 1 year old; killed October 6. Jollof first came to ACC a stray puppy with a big scar along his back. A volunteer wrote, “We met Jollof in April of this year and were elated when he was adopted back then. We were equally as disappointed in seeing him back in the shelter, right back in the same place he was just five months earlier, the only difference is he’s less of a baby and put on a few extra pounds!
“He’s still all about the TOYS! Thankfully, we have plenty to present to him and he is happy with each and every one. It’s the simplest things that offer these dogs the most pleasure and sometimes it’s a good reminder of why we are there. To give them a break from their kennel (in Jollof’s case a very small kennel in a room that wasn’t meant to house dogs!) and allow them to relax for a few minutes. Jollof alternates between running about the yard with his treasures and soliciting petting and attention from us … he’s the sweetest little man around.”
His adopters said he was very affectionate. On his second intake, ACC said Jollof was “loose and wiggly with staff. He was very sweet and excited, allowed all handling.”
Jollof’s at-risk memo cited his resource-guarding of toys and food. An insecure stray puppy, he did guard his food. When adopted, he bit someone who took his food away from him. He also didn’t like the big fake hand touching his toys in ACC’s bogus “behavior assessment.” That was held against him. He seemed to love toys even more than treats. ACC said he was slow to trade a toy for treats. Another strike against him.
As if they needed another excuse, ACC said Jollof showed “signs of deterioration — spinning both in and out of kennel.” Spinning in confinement, oh my. They added, “Outside of situations involving resources he considers high value, Jollof has been highly social and affiliative with staff.”
Jollof also did well greeting and playing with other dogs and participated in training sessions, making progress on his resource guarding.
Still, ACC killed young Jollof on day 31.
Billy the Bandit [264364]: 2 years old; killed October 7. A volunteer said, “Billy the Bandit is with us because of the very upsetting ‘no pet policy.’ He is said to be a timid cat with strangers and kids, a great companion to other cats and dogs and a very friendly and affectionate (although fearful at times) pet to his family. At the care center, Billy the Bandit has not yet come out of his shell.”
Because Billy the Bandit was a silent kill, we dont have access to his records to know when he arrived at ACC or why they killed him.
Gray [258862]: 3 years old; killed October 7. Beautiful Gray was at ACC twice in two and a half months, same owner. The first time he was very scared, but played with toys when alone in his kennel.
He was darted by the police. Stories vary about whether the owner had the police come to their home and cart him away or he was found stray. Whatever happened, the owner left no notes about Gray and he wasn’t reclaimed until three weeks later when Gray was put on kill command — the final step before extermination — the first time.
The second time at ACC, Gray was terrified and had a painful chronic ear infection. He seemed to be afraid of people.
ACC didn’t appear to do anything to help him. They killed Gray on day 19.
Leapfrog [262628]: 7 years old; killed October 7. Leapfrog was abandoned in an apartment for two weeks with two dogs. Police came due to the persistent barking. What took them so long?
One of his housemates, Double Dutch, a 55-pound dog, was found in a small crate, confined there the whole time. ACC killed Double Dutch on day 10 for leash biting. The other dog, Hopscotch, was fortunate. He got adopted.
Leapfrog was, of course, absolutely terrified. Despite his fear, a volunteer wrote, “When I met him, I smiled at him the whole time. His misshapen head and innocent eyes make him appear much younger than his estimated 7 years. I knew nothing of his story, only the marvelously adorable creature standing before me. Maybe feeling under the weather or maybe how he is, he spent the entirety of our time together pressing his head into our laps and cheeks into our palms. He ate a bit and accepted all our compliments graciously.”
Leapfrog, like so many dogs there, was given very high doses of three human-grade sedatives, ACC’s substitute for care. He had diarrhea and was hyper-salivating, common side effects that not only made his time there miserable but were just one more excuse for ACC to kill him, which they did on day 66.
Angelo [266664]: 3 years old; killed October 7. Angelo, a stray, came in friendly and remained so. He loved people, eager for their attention. We know very little about him; ACC’s notes were all about Angelo’s leash biting.
Advocates questioned ACC’s use of the flirt pole (as seen in video above) for a dog ACC said has a leash/object fixation. If that’s behavior training, it looks random and likely to get a dog chasing.
After loading him with compliance cocktail sedatives, ACC killed Angelo on day 11.
Circus [266249]: 10 weeks old; killed October 8. A silent kill, we don’t know when Circus arrived or why ACC killed him.
A volunteer said he was there for three weeks (almost a third of his life), was neutered despite a lingering UTI, and never listed for foster or adoption.
That would mean Circus was both a spay-neuter-kill and silent kill victim, a twofer for the sadistic killers who serve on head ACC vet Robin Brennen’s puppy/kitten death squad.
Bello [255989]: killed October 8. Bello was beloved by volunteers and staff. He came in with a severe hemorrhage on his eye, bruising and trauma to his head, face, and inside his mouth. Obviously beaten, he was also underweight.
A volunteer wrote, “I recently discovered something truly adorable about Bello — he’s a hugger! I found this out on a recent walk when I stopped to chat with a staff member. A few minutes into our conversation, Bello, who’d been politely standing at my side, gently stood up, rested his paws on my arms & looked up with the softest, mushiest face and the biggest soulful eyes. As I began slowly rubbing his cheeks and chin, he leaned into me with a dreamy, blissful expression. And as I gently pet along his back, he snuggled his head into the crook of my arm. At that point, my heart went on full meltdown.
“Later, I couldn’t resist stopping for another cuddle session; and Bello was more than happy to lean back in and soak up all the affection I showered on him. Considering what sounds like a harrowing past, it’s amazing how quickly Bello has warmed up and felt trustful enough to solicit attention and initiate hugs.
“I honestly don’t think it’s possible to meet Bello and not fall in love with him. He’s so sweet, gentle, and affectionate; and has a way of making you feel that the very best part of his day is being with you.”
A staff member wrote that Bello was sweet and gentle, “enjoys affection, takes treats nicely, and has a special way of making connections with the humans around him.”
A few days after intake, ACC wrote that Bello, despite his pain and fear, came to the front of his kennel with his tail wagging. He flinched when being leashed but quickly recovered. After hearing a shouting conversation outside the yard, he pressed himself into the handler’s lap, folding his body between their legs for reassurance.
ACC declared that in those first weeks Bello’s “neurologic status remained appropriate and ocular/facial abnormalities progressively improved and were documented as resolved by 6/17/26.” Odd then, that on June 22, they noted that Bello was wobbly when walking and fell to the floor. The video above was taken at about this time.
On September 22, ACC wrote that while on a walk Bello was shaking his head and fell, hitting his head on the ground. He was wobbly (ataxia), his eyes were rapidly shifting (horizontal nystagmus) and he was vomiting. They wrote that it was unclear whether this had started before or after he fell and hit his head or whether these symptoms were related to the head injuries he suffered in June. The next day they reported that his head was tilting and they advised Bello be placed on the so-called “at-risk” list “due to persistent vestibular/neurologic signs,” but that he could be removed from at-risk if his symptoms resolved. If a foster and rescue organization pulled him from ACC, they “recommend further diagnostic evaluation which may include sedated aural exam, advanced imaging (CT/MRI) and/or neurology consultation.”
In other words, ACC planned to kill Bello if they couldn’t find someone else to get him the medical care he needed.
Over the next few days Bella’s ataxia and head tilting persisted, but he was reported to be comfortable and eating well. They gave Bello a kill command on October 6 and killed him two days later. Bello had been at ACC 130 days.
As reported by The Scoop New York, an outpouring of grief ensued.
One advocate wrote, “The photo of his black eye from past abuse is forever burned in my mind … No one was ever charged … We look past the perpetrators and punish the victim.”
Another wrote, “This dog was exceptional. Forgiving, joyous and happy to finally be safe in the facility that ultimately neglected then killed him. No flagged behavior issues, in fact the opposite.”
As many pointed out, ACC could well afford to get this exceptional pup the medical care he needed.
In Bello’s video, volunteers wrote, “He was the best part of our day.”
“Oakley Kazooie” aka Uzi [266018]: 2 years old; killed October 8. Oakley Kazooie, whose name was really Uzi, was surrendered by his owner after living with them for two years because he didn’t do well in crates and was too aggressive when they tried to put him in one. They didn’t specify in what way agressive; they told ACC that he was friendly and affectionate, had lots of energy and loved toys and taking walks.
At ACC, Oakley panicked, thrashing when he had to go in his kennel after the brief walk around the block they give dogs daily. Four days after his arrival, ACC made Oakley a prisoner in his kennel, never letting him out. Their last note on him showed that they tossed treats in his cell and sprayed cheese on the bars. He came forward, gave a small wag and then timidly retreated to the back of the kennel.
Oakley Kazooie spent two weeks confined to his cage and was killed on day 18.
Excalibur [263733]: 5 years old; killed October 8. Excalibur, a stray, came to ACC wagging. At first he was very scared of the dogs there, screeching in terror. But with time he relaxed, walked by the dogs in their crates with no problem, and was easily redirected on street.
Just watch his video above, Excalibur was one sweet dog, social with people, eager to show off his commands, and possessed of an unusually endearing and expressive face.
They gave Excalibur a romantic name, but in the end ACC didn’t live up to its promise of care.
ACC is no Camelot; they killed Excalibur on day 43.
Sabrina [267150]: 2 years old; killed October 9. An emaciated stray, Sabrina was kill listed for medical reasons. She had an injury to her kidney, kidney failure, and severe anemia. Her medical status improved during her time at ACC, though they said she would still would require hospitalization.
Initially slightly fearful, Sabrina grew more relaxed and started purring and leaning in for petting. Soon she was head-butting and kneading and happy to be picked up and held in someone’s arms.
ACC killed Sabrina on day seven.
Shmokey-Grey [264173]: 2 years old; killed October 9. Shmokey-Grey, a stray, came to ACC a friendly pup and stayed so — always easily leashed, wiggly, and seeking attention. He also did well in doggie playgroup.
In his video, he seems exuberant and also hopped up on drugs, which ACC dispenses like the real-life Dr. Nick. They call it the “happy cocktail,” another “Fuck you” from ACC to its charges and New Yorkers as well.
A playful pup who liked to give paw, ACC killed Shmokey-Grey on day 39 for persistent mounting, behavior that is often caused by stress and anxiety, as common at ACC as Trazodone.
Zucchini [264880]: 2 years old; killed October 9. Stray Zucchini was at first shut down. He remained fearful, startled by noises and hiding behind handlers when strangers were nearby.
Cooperative, he allowed leashing and would sit quietly beside the handler in the play yard, occasionally leaning in for pets. For the most part, he remained timid and shy. Give him a ball in the play yard and he would light up, playing like the happy puppy he should have been.
ACC killed Zucchini on day 30.
Mumbo Jumbo [266967]: 5 years old; killed October 9. Mumbo Jumbo was a shy stray, found in a park. On his first day there, he did okay, although he didn’t want to return to his kennel. On day two, he was easily leashed, didn’t react to other dogs or people on walks.
He was tense, ACC noted, with wide eyes and visible forehead wrinkles. Day four, they said that during his walk he had a timid body, although the more he walked the looser he became. On day five he was still described as timid, although he balked at returning to his kennel.
Day six, his world fell apart. He was tense and whale-eyed during his walk, and for the first time bit the leash. Later, he growled and snapped, jumping up at the leash, eventually snarling and baring his teeth.
They had put Mumbo Jumbo on a high dose of Trazodone on intake, which can have a paradoxical effect, causing a dog to become more agitated or aggressive. That’s possibly what happened that day. It certainly seemed out of character.
Didn’t matter. Mumbo Jumbo was made TDO — thrown in the the hole — never allowed out of his kennel again, not for walks or potty breaks.
ACC killed Mumbo Jumbo on day nine.
Shale [265771]: 6 years old; killed October 10. Shale, a stray, arrived at ACC scared and in heat. ACC said she was easily leashed, loose and wiggly, and also that she was tense and anxious, panting and vocalizing, biting the leash.
It’s possible to be all those things, of course, especially when hormones are surging during heat. Not sure why you’d put a dog in a curly blonde wig as seen in video above, but she was a good sport.
Shale was killed on day 23, a silent kill, never put on the at-risk list for networkers to try to find a home and save her.
Shale was the third dog in heat we know of killed by ACC in the last three weeks.
Which is just how Mayor Mamdani and Speaker Menin want it.
