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 “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 also underrepresented here.
Due to ACC obfuscation and gaps in 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
Fruit Loop [263361]: 5 months old; died at ACC, August 30. Fruit Loop was found stray, with an upper respiratory infection, dehydrated and vomiting, not eating.
ACC said he was sweet and affectionate, and allowed all medical handling.
Fruit Loop died in ACC’s “care” four days later.
Thor [263484]: 5 years old; killed August 30. Thor, a stray, was found on August 26 in poor condition.
ACC wrote that Thor had “severe and chronic bilateral ear infections, and the entire left side of his face is abscessed. We suspect the ear infection caused perforation of his ear canal and spread to the soft tissue of his face. He will need extensive medical and surgical care to provide him with a good QOL (I expect this to include bilateral TECA surgeries). As of this morning, he is not eating so we have him on injectable medications. He will need to go directly to a veterinary hospital. Behaviorally, he has tolerated all handling.”
A notice went out for a rescue organization to provide the medical care ACC wouldn’t. ACC killed Thor on day four.
Lucky Lady [258328]: 2 years old; killed August 31. Lucky Lady’s guardian went to college and their mother said her health issues prevented her from keeping her. They said she was a very affectionate playful pup, fond of belly rubs. “She loves to smile from ear to ear when she’s happy.”
Lucky had separation anxiety and the “shelter” proved difficult for her. She was social with handlers, leaning in for attention and affection, but stressed being surrounded by barking dogs.
ACC killed Lucky Lady on day 40.
Peeber Jelly [262664]: 6 years old; killed August 31. Peeber Jelly, a scared stray, got no chances. He was scared and sometimes reactive to dogs at ACC. Because he was barking and lunging at the kennel door on intake, he was immediately given a high dose of Dr. Brennen’s compliance cocktail: Trazodone, Gabapentin, and Clonidine.
Eager to get out and easily leashed, Peeber Jelly, as his video shows, was happy when he was outside, wagging his tail even when walking in the rain. What he needed was time to decompress, not drugs.
ACC killed Peeber Jelly, on day 14.
Koba [259749]: 1 year old; killed September 1. Koba, an exuberant 30-pound puppy, playful and cute, was found with Bon Bon, who was adopted from ACC.
Friendly from the start, Koba wasn’t happy being surrounded by dogs he didn’t know. He also didn’t like being housed in a top kennel and having to be picked up by strangers to leave and return to the kennel.
On walks, Koba grew more relaxed the longer he was outside and away from the dogs at ACC. A quick learner, he learned to sit patiently for treats, though as you can see in his video, his whole body would be quivering with anticipation. And Koba was always eager for human contact, especially, belly rubs.
ACC killed Koba on day 49.
Rufferee [258274]: 8 years old; killed September 1. A volunteer wrote, “Please go slow I’m an old man. That’s what Rufferee’s kennel sign reads and inside is a boy that looks older than his stated 8 years. Rufferee was found stray in a park and I think some TLC is in order to make him feel good again. But in the meantime this toy loving boy is always ready to play, his eye is always on the prize (stuffies) and he earns himself two of our best and biggest ones with his silly play style. We love his big mouth because it makes it easier to count his chiclet teeth, sparse and adorable. And he does one of my top favorite things, which is carry his toy all the way back to his kennel by himself. He is after all a grown boy!”
Rufferee, a stray, had a tough time at ACC. ACC staff didn’t take kindly to his love of toys or his love of shredding them — perfectly normal dog behavior. They blamed him for getting aroused trying to get into a toy bin as well as guarding his toys. They wrote, “Rufferee otherwise engages with staff exuberantly and has a lot of energy.”
Rufferee had CIRDC for almost a month. Shortly before he was killed, he collapsed.
From ACC: “8/21/26: On the way outside for his PM walk, Rufferee hard pulled into SDA, attempting to jump in the linen bin against the wall. In an attempt to redirect him back outside, Rufferee began to wobble, collapsing momentarily though not fully passing out. Struggling to fully stand back up after giving him a moment to recollect, the handler took him towards medical so vet staff could check him out. While the handler held onto the leash, another staff member from medical held on, straddling him gently in order for another vet to properly check his heart. Rufferee began to grow overstimulated, his body stiff and unsure. Reaching his threshold, he lunged and snapped at the staff members, though was quickly redirected with a slight stiff arm by the staff member holding onto the leash. Rufferee was brought back to his kennel without any further issue, ceasing any further examination until a later time.”
The med notes for the next day say they did a “cage-side exam.” Rufferee was in his kennel with a wagging tail, eating well with no signs of CIRDC. They wrote, “r/o [rule out] carotid sinus hypersensitivity vs vasovagal syncope vs other. Okay to monitor for now, recommend switch from neck lead to harness (if possible) if this happens again.”
Did it happen again? That was their last note before they added on Rufferee to the “at-risk” list.
ACC killed Rufferee nine days later, on day 80. Whether he was exterminated for illness, or becoming unacceptably excited for toys, or some other blatantly insane excuse, is unknown.
“Rockichan” [262655]: 2 years old; killed September 1. Known to his family as Rocky, a pup who lived happily with kids and cats, “Rockichan” was immediately punished for existing with one of ACC’s made-up nonsense words for a name.
Rocky was shy, playful, and active, his people said, accustomed to going on three or four walks a day.
At ACC Rocky was very scared and vigilant, reacting to sounds, sudden movements and other dogs. Dr. Brennens’s crew immediately put him on all three sedatives: Trazodone, Gabapentin and Clonidine.
Rocky contracted CIRDC on August 26th, and was likely still sick when Team Brennen killed him on day 15.
Boots [263161]: 3 years old; killed September 2. Boots, a stray, was killed by ACC on day 11.
On intake, ACC wrote that he was very friendly and outgoing, allowing all handling. The next day they said he growled and thrashed when they tried to examine his injured paw.
Virtually ignored during his short time there, ACC made only one “enrichment” note on him. They reported that he lunged at handlers twice that day, tried to mount, and also bit the leash.
For these crimes, Boots was exterminated shortly thereafter.
Buzz [263297]: 4 years old; killed September 2. Friendly on intake, Buzz, a stray, was afraid when being leashed. The leash ACC uses, a slip lead, is essentially a rope, giving them maximum control over a dog and enabling them to swing the leash overhead like a lasso.
On August 28, ACC made Buzz TDO (for “transfer door only”), and was not let out of his kennel for walks or potty breaks.
Buzz got incarceration, not care, before ACC killed him on day 10.
Apple Bloom [260888]: 3 years old; killed September 2. Apple Bloom’s family was evicted and she was left alone in her house for two weeks.
At ACC she was fearful but, according to a volunteer, “outside in the yard she is ready to be brave and try to make new friends. Apple Bloom eagerly takes snacks from us, and our friendship is solidified over chicken jerky. She shows off her bravery by even jumping in the pool!”
With time, Apple Bloom became more social, and got braver, even participating in doggy playgroups. Offered clicker training, she learned quickly.
ACC killed Apple Bloom on day 37.
Fairytopia [263578]: 10 months old; killed September 3. Fairytopia, a 30-pound stray puppy, had parvovirus and was given one day for a rescue organization to save her from Dr. Brennen’s death squad.
ACC wrote: “we have this poor, sweet parvo pup that was just diagnosed. She is clinical — lethargic, vomiting, anorexic, dehydrated, and broke with bloody diarrhea today. We are administering CPMA now and starting supportive care; a risk assessment will follow.”
ACC killed Fairytopia on day seven.
Taco Bell [262713]: 9 weeks old; killed September 5. Taco Bell was a silent kill; we don’t know when or how she came to ACC or why they killed her.
Mistique [262925]: 5 years old; killed September 5. Mistique did well on her first walk at ACC, checking in with her handler, accepting pets, and wagging her tail.
A week later, she had to have emergency surgery for pyometra. After, she was hooked up to an IV and had a catheter for almost a week. She wasn’t eating.
ACC made this sick, scared dog TDO — confining her to her kennel—for snapping at the air and the leash. ACC killed Mistique on day 17.
Laffy Taffy [262679]: 2 years old; killed September 5. Laffy Taffy, a stray, was scared and stressed at ACC.
A volunteer wrote, “It wasn’t that long ago when he was found stray in Brownsville by police. They kept him in the precinct for a shift where he was described as friendly and social. On intake, he was social with staff but flinched when they moved too quickly. And since then, he’s had a difficult time acclimating to the shelter environment. He was witnessed banging his water bucket around and screeching. He’s also been tense during handling. When I meet him, he’s on a walk and readily accepts treats from me, doing the cutest chomps while he eats. He is so small and cute and we even get a little head tilt out of him.”
Throwing his water bowl around his kennel was all ACC wrote about him in their notes.
ACC staff really hated this dog. Instead of giving him a day or two to find a foster, as is customary, ACC exterminated Laffy Taffy the day they issued the kill command, on day 19.
Which is just how Mayor Mamdani and Speaker Menin want it.
