The Humane Society of New York (HSNY), a prominent animal shelter in midtown Manhattan, closed its doors to the public in April 2020. Many of the animals housed in the shelter at that time had already been living there for months, and, in some cases, years.
In August 2021, whistleblowers at HSNY informed the local animal advocacy community that the shelter was warehousing approximately 90 animals while pretending to facilitate adoptions. An investigation by the animal rights group TheirTurn corroborated the whistleblower allegations and found the following:
1. HSNY lists just 15 of its 90 animals on its website.
2. HSNY does virtually no adoption promotion on social media.
3. HSNY ignores adoption applications submitted by qualified individuals.
4. HSNY has not replaced its Adoptions Director, who retired in early 2020.
Because HSNY neither publicizes the animals nor allows members of the public into the building to meet them, potential adopters don't even know that HSNY has animals who need homes.
In response to an inquiry from TheirTurn, HSNY's Executive Director Sandra DeFeo claimed to be doing adoptions but argued that the animals are happy in the shelter: "The shelter is their foster home and their cages are like apartments."
Given its prime midtown location in Manhattan and its ample resources, HSNY should be facilitating several adoptions each week and freeing up cages for new animals. With very few adoptions being facilitated, however, the vast majority of the animals at HSNY will continue to be held in cages for the indefinite future instead of being sent to a loving home.
Until Ms. DeFeo re-opens the shelter to the public; posts on its website the 90 animals who need homes; and resumes adoptions in earnest, she and the Board of Directors of HSNY should relocate the animals to foster homes or bonafide adoption centers.
Mettre À Jour #3il y a 2 ans
Animals continue to languish in cages at the Humane Society of NY (HSNY), which is closed to the public for the indefinite future. For months, advocates have asked that they re-open and resume adoptions in earnest OR send the animals to foster homes or bonafide adoption centers. HSNY's board members have ignored us, so we are escalating our campaign with protests at their homes. Please help by sending them this automated letter. Thanks. https://www.drove.com/manage_page/61fd718d768d9457ecf9d396
Mettre À Jour #2il y a 2 ans
Furious about animal warehousing at the Humane Society of N.Y., the former Adoptions Director of 22 years has come out of retirement to courageously speak out publicly on camera. HSNY's board members don't care about the victims, so it's up to grassroots activists like you to take action. Please watch and share her powerful testimonial. Thank you for your help: https://theirturn.net/2022/02/22/adoptions-director-denounces-animal-warehousing-humane-society-new-york/
Mettre À Jour #1il y a 2 ans
Dear animal advocates. Thank you for signing the petition calling on the Humane Society of NY (HSNY) to either re-open its animal shelter to the public and resume adoptions OR relocate the cats and dogs to foster homes or adoption centers. After HSNY ignored our petition, we created the following automated letter to be sent to several of its board members. Please help us advocate for these animals, who are still being warehoused, by clicking this link to send the letter: https://bit.ly/3oANTf6
