Stop the Slaughter at NYC ACC

I generally try to stay with uplifting stories because I think reading post after post of heartbreaking stories can wear you down and make you feel like there is nothing you can do to help. This post, which I originally read on www.bhrescue.com, is indeed heartbreaking - but there is very definitely something you can do about it!

"Sammy was a cute dog, a cute lab mix, and he was sentenced to die. His crime? He was born. He might have escaped his house, or maybe he was thrown out because his former family didn’t want him. But Sammy was lucky, so he thought, as a human found him. That human, however, betrayed him. That human surrendered him to one of the worst shelters when it comes to euthanizing animals needlessly: the Animal Care and Control (ACC) of New York. True to form, Sammy was euthanized needlessly too.

Sammy would have been a perfect dog to adopt. He was accessed with mild manners, no illness, and young. Moreover, he even had someone who wanted to adopt him. The only problem was that she didn’t live in Brooklyn, NY, where he was. She lived in NJ, but she was approved to adopt through an ACC-approved rescue organization. So, she TRIED to call the shelter to tell them not to euthanize Sammy. She was on her way to get him. But there was a problem. Nobody at the shelter picked up the phone. Nobody bothered to think that someone might want to communicate with them. So, they euthanized him. What if the person who was trying to contact the shelter was his former family? I guess ACC just doesn’t care."

The post then goes on to describe how ACC makes the process difficult for rescue groups to act in time to save dogs' lives:

"The horrible thing about ACC is that they don’t give time for any rescue to come and get the dogs out of their facilities. They print a To Be Destroyed list that they give out to some rescue groups at around 5 pm. Rescue organizations have till 8 am to pull the dogs out. Of course, ACC doesn’t open till 8 am and by 10 the slaughter begins. Animals that have a rescue, a foster home, or a forever home to go to have to be whisked out fast before they are euthanized. Luckily, ACC allows out-of-state rescue organizations to pull out the animals. But, it takes time to get the proper personnel at the door before 8 a.m. If only ACC would bother to answer their phones, they would know that many have the opportunity to be saved."

Here is where you can help:

• Like Urgent Part 2 on facebook. This group posts dogs listed on the ACC To Be Destroyed list. Cross-post listings to help increase the chances of saving these dogs.
• Like Stop the Slaughter at NYC ACC. This group is working to increase awareness of the situation in hope of making a change. 
• Sign and share this petition on Care2 asking Mayor Bloomberg, New York City Council and the NYC Department of Health to reform ACC.

Let ACC know that the needless slaughter of adoptable animals is unacceptable and must stop!

Image via Stop the Slaughter at NYC ACC on facebook