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
Buggy [265809]: 10 months old; killed October 14. Buggy, a 10-month old puppy, was found tied up with a rope attached to a cloth collar that had been tied extremely tight around his neck. He was underweight and had deep lacerations exposing his muscle under his front arms, possibly due to an ill-fitting harness. ACC noted on intake that he was sweet and friendly, wiggly and leaning in for pets and affection.
Like puppies everywhere, Buggy wanted to play tug so he did it with the leash. Leash biting being one of their cardinal sins, he was in big trouble. One handler understood the impulse. They brought along a tug toy, using it while taking him out of the kennel, on the walk, and returning him. On that occasion, Buggy did not bite the leash. He played with the tug toy.
ACC even noted that “Buggy would greatly benefit from yard play … to play a proper session of tug and fetch with trade.” Did he get it? Don’t know; they killed him four days later.
Buggy caught CIRDC on October 9 and was killed on the 14, likely still sick from the kennel cough he caught at ACC. He was killed on day 27.
ACC couldn’t even given a wounded underweight puppy a full month in their “shelter.”
Oreo Cookie [257667]: 5 years old; killed October 14. Oreo Cookie’s family had medical issues that prevented them from continuing to care for her. They said she was an affectionate couch potato who loved to cuddle.
ACC agreed Oreo Cookie was highly social with staff. A volunteer wrote, “Oreo Cookie is just as delicious as her name. Her fur is thick, just like her body and she is just a love. She immediately will lean in to anyone nearby.”
Consistently wiggly and wagging, she was making progress on training games to alleviate her reactivity to dogs at ACC. She was spayed a few days after intake in late June.
Adopted from ACC in September, Oreo Cookie was returned after one day for lunging. Often, a return from adoption gets a dog killed, despite the fact that ACC advises adopters that dogs may need significant time to make a transition from shelter to home life.
In the five weeks after Oreo was returned, ACC made only three notes on her. She was still wiggly and wagging, easily leashed, and engaged with staff. And seemingly, ignored.
ACC exterminated adopt-return-kill victim Oreo Cookie on day 36.
Nova [267653]: 8 years old; killed October 14. ACC said Nova had kidney disease and FIV. Since the “care center” prefers to kill sick animals, rather than treat them, he was doomed from the start.
A volunteer wrote: “Semi senior Nova was heard ‘crying’ all night in the hallways of a large apartment complex. A Good Samaritan heard his plea and brought him to the Manhattan Care Center … I met him the day after his arrival. A cute Tuxedo, well dressed and with a good weight but looking so lost. What’s going on in his head? … Nova is indeed quiet in his kennel, his big eyes all on me. He used his litter box and ate some food, accepts my hand caressing his head and even slightly leans into pets. He enjoys a Churu and a Delectable. Maybe we could be friends?”
ACC exterminated Nova on day six without being offered for foster or adoption, a silent kill. Beats working, right?
Dilly [263925]: 4 years old; killed around October 16. Dilly was another silent kill, so we don’t know as much about her as we should. ACC disappears the records when they kill cats or dogs.
Dilly was found on August 30, adopted on September 24, and returned some time after. ACC killed Dilly without re-listing her for placement on or about October 16. Another adopt-return-kill victim.
Fortunately, we have the words of a volunteer who knew Dilly. They wrote, “Dilly is the sweet dumpling of a dog we all love. She might be a bit shy but adds [a] few skips [and] twirls on our walk, perhaps a glimpse of her fun side. She seems fine with other pups, passing them politely on our walk. Dilly is a gentle creature — now stuck in a pop up crate — who dreams of a quiet, loving home.”
Mocha Raspberry [261405]: 5 years old; killed October 16. A volunteer wrote, “Mocha Raspberry is a petite, compact 38-lb lowrider gal with a BIG personality! And let me tell you, this girl is FUNNY. Her goofy little personality had me laughing from the moment I met her. She’s full of love, life, curiosity, and wiggles! She’s such a social, happy little sweetheart that you can’t help but smile when you’re around her.
“She’s also a smarty-pants! She knows several cues, including sit, down, and rollover. She used to stay in a top kennel and had no issues being picked up by staff … After more than 70 days of waiting, she’s begun showing signs of kennel stress and behavioral deterioration. And I can’t blame her. She’s been waiting far too long.
Behind that kennel stress is the same funny, wiggly, affectionate little girl who made me laugh the first time I met her.”
Deterioration for ACC was “an increased level of kennel reactivity around dogs, including charging, barking, spinning, and jumping at kennel walls. Recently, she reacted toward dogs in nearby crates and redirected onto the handler’s leg, causing bruising and a hole in the handler’s pants.”
Whatever Mocha allegedly did to the handler’s pants — as she was clearly going mad due to ACC incompetence and neglect — it did not break skin.
The week before they killed her, Mocha was reported to be limping with a swollen paw, which they attempted to treat. And because of her leash biting, they added Gabapentin, a human-grade sedative, to the two others they were already giving her as a substitute for care.
That last week, Mocha was exuberantly running in the play yard and engaging with the handler, rubbing her body against their legs, chasing after tennis balls and bringing them back, and rolling over for belly rubs.
ACC killed Mocha Raspberry on day 77.
Moo Moo [259844]: 3 years old; killed October 16. Moo Moo’s family lost their home and dropped her off at a police station, leaving no information about her.
One thing was clear on intake: she was shy. A volunteer wrote, “Moo Moo is a girl who hasn’t had the chance to show her personality. She is not comfortable at the shelter and although she is warming up with some time, she is running out of it …
“She was very nervous at first, preferring to keep her distance. She did not interact with staff at first, tail tucked and afraid to show any of her personality. Eventually, Moo Moo has begun to choose to stand closer to people she has gotten to know, and leans in for pets. She is still nervous but puts her full weight on the handler’s body for emotional support. Over time, her notes indicate she has become more wiggly and is happy to accept pets and snacks. She has a note that says when a staff member bent down to her she ‘curled herself between the handlers legs while receiving hind scratches, she loosened up a bit, tail no longer tucked.’”
That was late July, just nine days after her intake. Moo Moo did grow more social with handlers and all seemed to be relatively well.
The trouble started two months later, when one day Moo Moo slipped the leash and the handler grabbed her by the collar to restrain her. Moo Moo allegedly bit their hand, after which ACC threw her in the hole — TDO (transfer door only), not allowed out of her kennel for walks or potty breaks.
Not content with abusing her, ACC staff killed Moo Moo shortly after condemning her to solitary confinement, on day 94.
Muffin [259734]: 4 years old; killed October 17. “Is there a better word for spectacular?” a volunteer wrote about Muffin. “This dreamboat is an example of all that is good in the world. He adores everyone (he lived with two cats! He’s friendly with other dogs!); his affection with humans knows no bounds. In the shelter, this love Muffin (can’t help it) has stolen our hearts with his unbelievable smile and the fact that he makes everyone feel good about themselves and the world with his endless cheer. As one volunteer says, ‘He’s the sweetest, gentlest, soulful boy.’”
Another volunteer, who walked Muffin, added, “Muffin’s simply adorable and has made friends with all the staff and volunteers already, since he is such a sweetheart! Despite being confined to a hallway pop-up crate, Muffin’s good-natured personality always triumphs. He barks gently at you as you pass to make sure that you know that HE knows you’re there and that you might be amenable for a walk. No matter if Muffin’s just returned from an outing, lol.”
Even ACC had to admit on their note indicating they wanted to kill him that he was a volunteer favorite. On October 12, almost a month and a half after intake, he is alleged to have uncharacteristically bitten a handler on the leg in his kennel. Something was wrong; his kennel was painted with feces. What happened to a dog that inspired such love? The day before he had his paws and head on a handler’s lap, asking for pets.
ACC killed Muffin on day 46.
Oreo [263381]: 2 years old; killed October 17. Stray Oreo was nervous on intake.
A volunteer wrote, “I was so thrilled to be able to take this very shy boy out on Friday, as my previous attempt last week was unsuccessful (laying down, not responding, staying in the safety of his kennel, feeling poorly). Oreo is 2, 61 lbs, seeming much smaller as he is a very shy boy, a bit apprehensive and not feeling his tip-top best at the moment, but he was very amenable to me leashing him up and taking him out on a slow street walk. What a lovely, lovely boy! So shy and yet willing to trust. Oreo even trusted me enough to let me pet him, slowly and gently, offering him soft, reassuring compliments.”
Oreo did well on his walks, mostly staying by the handler’s side with a loose leash, ignoring other dogs and passersby. He responded to commands and checked in with handlers. Occasional leash biting and exuberant jumping landed him on death row.
Too sick, too scared, too sad, too happy — once targeted for obliteration, cats and dogs can do nothing right by the “shelter.”
ACC killed Oreo on day 55.
Which is just how Mayor Mamdani and Speaker Menin want it.
