Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC), while providing essential services to the city's animal population, has faced significant scrutiny and criticism regarding its operations, funding, and animal welfare practices. Various reports and audits have highlighted concerns ranging from inadequate funding and facility conditions to issues with medication management and overall operational accountability. These challenges underscore the complexities of managing
a large-scale animal care service in a major metropolitan area.
One of the primary criticisms leveled against ACC has been its funding. In 2013, ACC received $10.6 million from a contract with the Department of Health (DOH) for FY 2013, with an additional $3.1 million from donations and other sources. However, this funding, amounting to less than $1.50 per person for a city of 11 million citizens, was deemed insufficient when compared to national averages. A 2009 report by the Humane Society of the United States indicated that communities typically spend an average of $8.00 per capita on animal shelters, suggesting a substantial disparity in New York City's investment.
Operational Deficiencies and Animal Welfare Concerns
Investigations and reports have frequently pointed to operational deficiencies impacting animal welfare. In November 2010, an Eyewitness News investigation titled "Allegations of neglect at city animal shelter" claimed that budget cuts led to the withholding of care and exercise from animals. This raised serious questions about the impact of financial constraints on the daily lives of animals within the shelters.
Further concerns were articulated in January 2013 when the Manhattan Borough President released a report, "Led Astray: Reforming NYC's Animal Care & Control." This report advocated for the shelter to be run as a private non-profit, completely separate from the NYC Department of Health, citing the Central Park Conservancy as a successful model for a fully financed, privately run entity. The report suggested that such a change could lead to more effective and financially stable operations for animal care in the city.
Audit Findings and Management Issues
A comprehensive audit by New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, released in April 2015, brought to light an extensive list of concerns regarding mismanagement and operational negligence at ACC. The audit, which examined operations from December 2013 through March 2014 and observed shelter conditions between March and November 2014, cited numerous discrepancies. These included the mismanagement of medications, the presence of expired drugs, and the alarming storage of animal remains alongside food meant for human consumption.
The audit revealed that ACC failed to ensure the safety of drugs and vaccines, lacked efficient tracking systems, and operated an overcrowded shelter in Manhattan, along with potentially unsafe facilities. Specifically, auditors found 499 instances where expired drugs were administered to animals, including 489 expired Tramadol tablets in Manhattan and expired Diazepam given to at least three animals in Brooklyn. Furthermore, 92 bottles of expired controlled substances, some as old as 13 years, had not been removed from the premises.
Systemic Failures and Recommendations
The Comptroller's audit also highlighted a failure to effectively oversee controlled substances, noting that without a computerized inventory system, shelters often relied on a single person for requesting, receiving, and recording inventory. This led to discrepancies involving 224 bottles of injectable controlled substances and an inability to account for 239 tablets and the equivalent of 43 bottles of injectable liquids across the three main shelter locations.
Unsanitary and unsafe conditions were also documented. Vaccines and employee lunches were found stored together at the Brooklyn shelter, violating CDC guidelines. In Manhattan, vaccines were stored in a freezer alongside animal remains. Poor ventilation in Brooklyn contributed to a strong gas odor, and a shared climate control system between isolation rooms for sick animals and rooms with healthy animals increased the risk of spreading contagious diseases. Overcrowding in Manhattan led to kennels lining hallways, while a large city-owned space next door was used for storage instead of animal housing. The Staten Island shelter had a defective fire alarm and peeling paint above kennels.
Financial controls were also found to be weak, with nearly $12,000 in credit card expenses lacking adequate documentation and $18,000 in late fees and interest incurred in FY 2013 due to late payments. ACC also failed to provide a cost-benefit analysis for its planned move from its Lower Manhattan headquarters, for which it had paid over $221,000 in annual rental expenses since 2012. The audit concluded that these issues indicated a lack of effective management and financial and operational negligence, putting animal well-being at risk. It put forth 18 recommendations, including implementing a computerized inventory system, establishing policies for controlled substances in accordance with DEA guidelines, ensuring expense documentation, and conducting a cost-benefit study for the headquarters move. Both the DOHMH and ACC agreed with the majority of these recommendations, with DOHMH agreeing to amend its contract with ACC to require internal controls and formal policies.
