Out of the Cage! (March 2010)
First-Ever Adoptapalooza Coming to Washington Square Park on May 22
The NYC Department of Health last month announced budget cuts at Animal Care & Control of NYC (AC&C). The cuts eliminated $316,000 for the fiscal year ending June 2010, and another $457,000 from the following year's budget. Faced with a possible reduction in some of AC&C's services, with consequences both for the animals and for all New Yorkers who depend upon AC&C's vital services, the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals mobilized to help — and encourages all New Yorkers to join in the effort.
When the cuts were announced, the Mayor's Alliance immediately began working with AC&C to get the word out to the public, urging them to make online or snail mail donations to AC&C to make up shortfalls caused by the budget cuts. We enlisted our PR firm, M. Silver Associates (which AC&C has access to on a regular basis as part of our collaboration and partnership), to reach out to the media to gain coverage and spur donations. And we paid for 100 AC&C ads to be placed at bus shelters throughout Manhattan, urging New Yorkers to adopt from and donate to AC&C.
The Mayor's Alliance will continue to provide AC&C with a significant Transfer Initiative Grant to supplement the care of the animals at AC&C and to support AC&C's transfer program. The Mayor's Alliance has provided this grant each year since 2005.
"These budget cuts will hurt the AC&C animal care programs that have made such a difference in the lives of the animals in their care," says Jane Hoffman, Mayor's Alliance President. "We're talking about care and services that animals in a city like New York should be a given. Even before the cuts, AC&C's budget was well below what the funding for an organization its size should be."
You can help the cats and dogs at AC&C by adopting or making a tax-deductible donation.
The Alliance is working with AC&C to minimize the effect the cuts might have on the rescue groups that take animals from the city shelters. Since the Alliance and AC&C began working in partnership, AC&C has provided an impressive range of veterinary services at no cost to the groups. How these services will be affected remains to be seen.
New Yorkers have responded generously over the past few weeks to AC&C's request for food, cat litter, and other supplies. Thanks to these donations, AC&C now is focusing the drive on powdered kitten formula, while they use the donated food they've already received. Also needed are Kong toys for dogs, and balls and cat dancers for cats. And the best way to help AC&C is to make a tax-deductible donation to AC&C, either online or by mail. (AC&C is a not-for-profit organization, so your donation is tax-deductible.) Because specific needs will change week to week, AC&C is in the best position to know what it needs to purchase to care for the animals in its care.
To make an online donation to AC&C, visit their website at nycacc.org. Or, mail your check, payable to Animal Care & Control of NYC, to: Animal Care & Control of New York City, Attn: Development Department, 11 Park Place, Suite 805, New York, NY 10007. Toys for dogs and cats should also be sent to that address.
