It’s a story heard across the country: pet owners relinquishing their animals and shelters too full to take them. Liam Stack and Olivia Bensimon share what amounts to a situation analysis of burgeoning issues in New York City’s public animal shelters.
It’s non-stop and no one can keep up . . . We can’t adopt our way out.” – Katy Hansen talking about the number of surrenders in NYC
Source: The New York Times, July 22, 2025. Link. Many of the animals in the Queens shelter were given up by their owners, shared Hansen. About one-third of those were surrendered after their owners lost their housing or were forced to move into shelters or other places that did not allow pets. For other people, the cost of caring for an animal simply outpaced their ability to pay.
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