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Tags: nyc | animalshelters | pets | costoflivingcrisis

High Cost of Living Squeezing Pet Owners, Animal Shelters

By    |   Monday, 28 July 2025 01:46 PM EDT

In a heartbreaking milestone, New York City's Animal Care Centers recently accepted its 1,000th animal, an 11-year-old dog named Rocky.

The Big Apple's largest animal shelter announced on July 18 that it has suspended intake at its three locations, except in cases of emergency, because its facilities are simply overflowing with homeless pets.

"We're in the business to care for animals that come to us, and we want to help people with their pets, but when we have 1,000 animals to care for and a capacity to house them that doesn't meet that need, we're in a bit of a difficult situation," ACC CEO Risa Weinstock told NBC News.

Weinstock told the outlet that even after the ACC announced it would not be accepting any more dogs, cats, bunnies, and other pets, 200 animals were accepted into its shelters that were deemed a public safety risk or sent by city agencies.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced on Friday that the city would be investing $1 million into the organization to help ease the strain of an increasingly fraught situation.

"We are asking the public to work with us to slow down what is coming in," Weinstock said.

Faced with the rising costs of living and pet care, animal shelters across the country are struggling to find space for the overwhelming number of pets who have been surrendered, often because their owners could no longer afford to care for them.

The nonprofit Shelter Animals Count estimated that 5.8 million animals were housed in shelter facilities last year.

According to the group's data, 55% of shelter dogs were adopted or returned to their owners in 2019 – a number that dropped to 50% in 2024. An estimated 334,000 dogs were euthanized last year due to shelter constraints.

"It's been a tough several years for animal shelters," Tori Fugate, the group's communications director, told NBC.

Many pet owners in America are being forced into tough circumstances due to the rising cost of living and a shortage of affordable housing options, Fugate said.

The price of pet care has also skyrocketed, with a Bank of America Institute report finding that pet care services like grooming and veterinary care have increased 42% since 2019. Pet care goods, such as food and treats, have gone up 22%, and pet insurance can be expensive as well.

"The main reason for pet surrender is, I can't afford it," Weinstock said. "Vet care is expensive, food is expensive, I mean, just human cost of living is expensive."

Shelters are coming up with innovative ways to reduce the number of animals being surrendered into their care. In New York City, the ACC will do "anything we can do to help you keep your pet," Weinstock, said, including providing free food, vaccine clinics and vouchers for veterinary care.

"Even if it's just one animal, one person's dog, who we said, ‘If we give you food for a month and you can pay your electricity, would that help you take your dog or your cat or your rabbit home?' and they say yes, and they walk off with their kids and they're crying because we were able to keep that pet with them, that's a good day," she said.

For those looking to help, Weinstock said people could "foster," "donate," "volunteer," "network," and "amplify our message," but added that the solution also requires government resources to address the root causes of the problem.

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US
In a heartbreaking milestone, New York City's Animal Care Centers recently accepted its 1,000th animal, an 11-year-old dog named Rocky. The Big Apple's largest animal shelter announced on July 18 that it has suspended intake at its three locations.
nyc, animalshelters, pets, costoflivingcrisis
574
2025-46-28
Monday, 28 July 2025 01:46 PM
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