ASPCA Removes More Than 100 Cats from Unsanitary, Overcrowded Conditions

Yesterday, our teams removed over 100 cats from unsanitary and overcrowded conditions across three New York City homes. The simultaneous removals follow several large-scale rescue operations in New York City in recent weeks.

The cats were surrendered by overwhelmed pet owners in the Bronx and Queens who recognized their inability to properly care for a growing population of animals. Kittens and some pregnant cats were also found in the homes.

After receiving medical exams, the cats are now being transported to an ASPCA recovery facility in Ohio for care and treatment before they'll be made available for adoption. By intervening early, the ASPCA helped prevent suffering while supporting pet owners in dire need of assistance.

Since June, the ASPCA has helped rescue and care for more than 300 at-risk animals, primarily cats, across the five boroughs through its Community Engagement program and longstanding partnership with the NYPD.

"The ASPCA has seen an uptick in requests to assist with largescale animal hoarding and neglect situations across New York in recent months, and our teams are working tirelessly to provide critical sheltering, medical care, behavioral treatment and enrichment, legal and investigative support, and safety net services to help animals and pet owners in need," said Elizabeth Brandler, vice president of ASPCA Cruelty Response. "We're grateful to be in a position where we can mobilize at a moment's notice to ensure the safety of vulnerable animals and, when appropriate, support investigative and prosecutorial efforts to hold animal abusers accountable. When animals are in need, the ASPCA goes there."

These back-to-back largescale animal removals are part of the ASPCA’s broader work to protect animals in need across New York City and nationwide. To date this year, the ASPCA has taken in on-average over 100 animals per month through its partnership with the NYPD in which it supports suspected cruelty situations and its Community Engagement program that provides critical services for pet owners in need.

In addition, to alleviate strain on the Animal Care Centers of NYC, which is operating at critical capacity, the ASPCA transported over 50 homeless cats from the New York City shelter system to the ASPCA’s care facility in Ohio where they will be made available for adoption.

Animal hoarding is a complex public health issue that affects both animals and people. It typically involves an inability to provide animals with minimal standards of nutrition, sanitation, shelter and veterinary care, which can result in overbreeding, animal starvation, illness and death. Many of these cases bear characteristics of hoarding, with overwhelmed owners unable to provide adequately for the number of animals in their care. When supporting overwhelmed pet owners, the ASPCA Community Engagement team collaborates with human services agencies to ensure both the animals and people involved receive the resources they need.