Animal Care Centers of NYC - Manhattan — Attraction in New York

First of all, if i could give them zero stars I absolutely would. One of the rudest centers that I have come across since pre covid. I had adopted two beautiful kittens their names are Lady and Rey. Had them for 8 years. Unfortunately, I had to put Rey (boy cat) down because he had cancer, I did everything i could but he didn’t want to be bothered any longer, didn’t want to eat, didn’t; come around, he was literally deteriorated before our eyes each day, his eyes we’re so dark from a happy and lively cat to a skin to the bone thin and barely weighed anything. So, then I dropped him off here with such a heavy heart.

On feb 14th, 2025 he passed away. It was a smooth process which isn’t the complaint I have but, Lady was left without her brother. So, it was heart breaking to hear her cries all day and moaning at night.

So, I had returned on March 19th, 2025 to see if could find her a companion. I was happy because I was able to find her a boy cat named Mystery (trail adoption) and he was so sweet. He was great they played got along in three days it was such a magical experience to witness. Until, that Saturday where we noticed that he was straining to pee and poop. So, I quickly called the Manhattan facility and they told me to wait for a phone call from the supervisor. SO, i did at first she didn’t want to take the cat back because i missed a couple of phone calls. But, eventually the next day they took the cat back. I was told that to feel free and come back and search for another cat when we we’re ready.

On April 2nd, 2025. My mother and I returned with the hopes of finding another companion for Lady. But, they hit me with “oh, you can’t come in and look for another cat because of the proximity of which activity of the cat that you just trail adopted with Mystery and everything that transpired there.You’d have to wait for about three months for you to come back and we could work something out in which case. Whichever cat that you choose then you’d have fully adopt the cat not a trial a cat” and I’m like huh?! The reason why we chose trail initially was because we wanted to make sure that the new cat would get along with Lady. Since, she’s used to her brother Rey. We wanted to make sure that she would get along with him. Which they did, which wasn’t the issue. I adopted Mystery on March 19th, 2025 and had returned him on March 24th, 2025.

So, first of all this facility sold me a sick cat. Pinned it on me, as if I had any clue this cat had urinary issues and come to find out. At the time of adoption, I knew he was coming from a cat cold and was told that he’s getting better because he was given antibiotics. Which was fine because even though he was still sneezing He was showing signs that he was getting over the cold.

But, to say as though I’m responsible for a cat that was sold to me sick and I followed all protocols within the time frame, communicated to them on everything that was happening to now put a probation on me as If I’m negligible to a cat that didn’t even last a couple of months with us. Like, did they truly think that I wanted to give him up and bring him back there; Absolutely NOT. I even told them like If he gets better that I would take him back. But, they only gave me two options. Whether, I keep him (full adoption) and I become responsible for 100% of the vet bills moving forward or I take him back and Iet him go completely. Which means that I wouldn’t be able to pick him back up and take him home again after i dropped him off. So, i made the painful decision to let him go completely.

I’m sincerely extremely disappointed with the turn out and would have wished since I gave them business all those years ago. To consider, my character and treated our situation uniquely not lump what happened into something of a pattern of mine to take cats and return them. If he wasn’t sick he’d still be with us.Things like that happen, but it wasn’t our fault. If such a facility truly cares about their animals they would have handled this situation which much more care and much more...

I need to start here: I fully acknowledge that the ACC is underfunded and that the staff is overworked, and their jobs are often thankless. Even with this context, what I went through here was beyond unacceptable. I hesitated posting this because I know the ACC struggles but I had never experienced anything like this.

I found a kitten 9mo outside my apartment in the Bronx who was exceedingly friendly and practically jumped into my arms. She sleeps by my side and yells at me to get in bed if she wants to cuddle. Loves people. Partway through the week, before her first vet appointment, she started to act very lethargic and began refusing food. I ran through all my options and made a very hard decision to surrender her to a rescue who can afford to address her illness immediately. I didn’t even bring her in to turn her in, I physically stopped in ahead of time to talk about the possibility of dropping her off with them / if they accepted medically complex cats. They don’t answer phone calls. The first group of staff was very nice and patient with me, (I was really emotional and worried about her) and then came Sarah. She was unbelievable. I don’t know how she sleeps at night. She could have been a normal person and said “Sorry! We are really overwhelmed and we cannot take her.” I had a long list of other rescues to try to talk with and would have left without issue. Instead, she pressed me about “what was wrong with her living outside.” She loves people and is NOT feral. She doesn’t belong out there. Sarah presses again and says: “she was perfectly healthy before you took her in?” Mind you, cats hide when they are unwell. I have no way of knowing if she was sick when I took her in. Sarah tells me that I am the one making her sick because I took her inside. She tells me that I have her in “the most dangerous situation she could be in.” I was shook and tried to argue that she practically jumped into my arms when I met her, and she continues “We believe that cats have the right to choose what kind of life they want to live and you don’t get the right to take that away.” I tried to explain i live in an underfunded area of the Bronx, the parks department doesn’t keep it clean like they should, lots of broken glass, rats, needles, etc, i get cut off AGAIN and this woman tells me that “It sounds like i am being really judgemental about The Bronx.” This was an extremely manipulative and disgusting interaction and it felt like I was in the Twilight Zone. Written words can’t explain how nasty her tone was while she accused me of being racist and abusing my cat. At first I wasn’t sure if she was right, but decided to take her to the vet if she made it to Saturday. Turns out she is FeLV positive. The vets confirmed she is extremely docile and was likely dropped off from indoors as a young kitten. She needed help. She has already gotten much better with a high protein diet and love. Eats like a vacuum now, cries for attention but not to be let outside. I came so close to putting her back outside and that’s why I’m writing this review, she wouldn’t have lived much longer out there. Sarah, the way you talked to me to my face was jarring and disgusting. Being at capacity is one thing, being unable to help is another thing, but you guilting me, making me feel as if I was making her sick, and accusing me of prejudice against the area I live in and LOVE was absolutely over the line and there’s no circumstances that excuse this behavior. I’ve never been so shocked by the way another person was speaking to me. And I was in tears from the moment I walked in because I was so worried about the cat! There was no reason to treat me this way. I am so lucky my vets office was so kind to me and was able to reassure me i did the right thing by saving her. They also connected me to other rescues who have been helpful in supporting me through my kitties needs. I won’t say stay away from the ACC, and thank you to the rest of the staff. but I will say Sarah from the ACC’s 110th street location...

I hate people talking to me like I’m an idiot based on my nervousness. I find that places that treat me poorly are immediately blacklisted from further interactions. I rarely make exceptions.

Went to the ACC on Friday evening to take a look at cats. Finally have The Holy Trinity of Stability.

I’m exhausted after a long day. I walk into the shelter and I’m nervous. Didn’t seem safe to me to just waltz up the stairs so I wait for the receptionist. They tell me I can go take a look at the cats.

Go upstairs, ask another person if I can go in just to double check. They tell me to check the cats out and I could take an application if interested. I didn’t go there to just check them out and leave, I intended to find a cat! I’m excited!

And meticulous. I read all the kennel cards and notice there’s a variety of colored stickers. Some have letters, some don’t, and there’s no real way to tell by reading the cards if they have any important behavioral or medical issues. Some of the cards have some information but there is no consistency. So I do what any mildly neurotic person would do: inquire about the organizational system. Simple questions when the entire kennel card revolves around this system.

I’m told that A or B is okay. But that explains nothing when they don’t know what I am looking for to begin with, and they have no idea what my previous cat experience is like. Pretty much on my own at this point. Pity.

Don’t stick around after that but I ask about interactions. They tell me come whenever, bring my child, and take an application. However, I’m not pleased with being spoken to like I don’t know what I’m looking for in a cat. And I am especially not pleased with having my questions dismissed like I’m the idiot because I don’t know what the colors and letters mean.

I take the application with little intention of coming back, then immediately tell everyone I know about how I went to the ACC and they treated me like dirt.

Sunday. Go to the ASPCA. Won’t adopt to me because my child is too young. Naturally, my child’s upset that after all the research, reading, learning and preparing, they can’t have a cat because a stranger deems them too young.

Sad day.

Determination and spite drives me, but enough about that. I’m saddled with litter, a litter box, and food because come hell or high water (or the USPS ignoring a redelivery request), I am going to be prepared for a cat. Today, Sunday. I walk from 92nd to 110th to the ACC armed with limited knowledge of this organization’s organization and Karen’s “Can I speak to the Manager?” voice.

I enter the cat room, and I find a volunteer. I ask about the organizational system again and am surprised that the person not only answers all my questions, but is extremely knowledgeable in general. Very kind.

A stark contrast from before. I immediately relax. I talk about what I’m looking for. She encourages my child to explore and allows us to interact with the cats of my choice. I am cognizant of a cat’s needs and I explain that I have been researching and double triple quadruple quintuple checking my info.

I also tell them about my previous visit and how I was close to never coming back based on that.

They were appalled, but happy I decided to give them another chance. I appreciate that they were much more helpful this time. I'm happy to welcome Paisley home after she's been spayed.

Would I direct someone to this shelter first? Only if they had steely resolve and patience. Would I give five stars? Absolutely not.

To the organization itself: You need more training for commonly asked questions and concerns, and communication skills especially since there was such a dichotomy between one experience and another.

Regardless, I imagine that your image would’ve been forever tainted if I had been able to adopt from the ASPCA that day. Irredeemable, irreparable. I imagine it’s like that for a lot of people already for similar experiences to my own.

You have a lot of good people there. You need more than you have. Good...