We’re All in This Together!
The Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals continues to respond to Hurricane Sandy in collaboration with our partners on the Animal Planning Task Force (APTF) of the NYC Office of Emergency Management (OEM). We are working with our APTF partners to develop solutions to meet the immediate and long-range needs of pets and their owners resulting from this crisis. As we move into a phase of restoration, we are continuing to ensure that pets can remain with their families whenever possible and that pet owners have access to the resources they need to keep their pets with them; that pet owners who have been separated from their pets are reunited with them as quickly as possible; and pets that have lost their homes are cared for until new homes for them can be found.
Our Wheels of Hope vans have been on the move since before the storm arrived — evacuating pets to safety, transporting pets to emergency vet clinics, and moving supplies to areas of greatest need. Thanks to the generosity of two anonymous foundations, your gift to our Wheels of Hope animal transport program will now be matched! Just select “Wheels of Hope Matching Fund” as your program designation. Donate now and double your gift to this lifesaving progam!
Our NYC Feral Cat Initiative continues to assist community cat caretakers whose colonies were disrupted by the storm, providing food, supplies, and volunteer support where they are needed.
We have expanded our foster care network to be ready to provide foster care options for pets that may not be able to be reunited with their families until their housing situations are stabilized. Our foster families are standing by for possible foster assignments when the ASPCA’s temporary boarding facility in Brooklyn begins to wind down in December.
And we are making every effort to connect those in need and those looking to help with appropriate resources.
If You Need Help with Pet(s)…
NYC Hurricane Sandy Pet Hotline: (347) 573-1561
The ASPCA, Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals, NYC VERT, Animal Care & Control of NYC (AC&C), and The Humane Society of the United States are offering services for pet owners through the NYC Hurricane Sandy Hotline. Services include pet lost and found, supplies, temporary boarding, foster care, and veterinary care. You can also offer to donate, volunteer, or foster through the hotline.
There is a similar hotline available for New Jersey residents: (855) 407-HSUS.
Lost Pets
Fill out a Lost Pet Report on the Animal Care & Control of NYC website. You can upload a photo of your pet onto the website. We suggest you also go to the AC&C shelters to look for your lost pet. View locations.
There are a number of Lost & Found Pet websites on the Internet, including several new sites that have sprung up in response to Hurricane Sandy. We suggest that you visit those sites as well. Among them are:
Found Pets
Fill out a Found Pet Report on the Animal Care & Control of NYC website. You can upload a photo of the found pet onto the website.
If possible, we hope you will hold onto the pet until his or her owner can be located. Check with your local veterinarian or animal shelter and see if you can bring the dog or cat in to be scanned for a microchip. If the pet is microchipped, you’ll have a much better chance of locating his or her owner.
You may also post information about your found pet on the websites listed above.
Temporary Pet Care
If you cannot care for your pet(s) temporarily:
Look Within Your Own Network
Ask friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues first to help you take care of your pets during this time. Our experience shows us that the best solution for both you and your animals is to keep pets with people who already know them or are connected to their owners. We suggest that you:
- Offer a small stipend to family members to care for your pets.
- Provide supplies, such as food or litter, if possible.
- Establish an agreed-upon timeframe for your pet’s care.
- Remain available to care for the pets regularly.
- Gather all documentation about the pets, including vaccinations, medical paperwork, and identification.
For those families struggling to care for their animals while they recover from the impact of Hurricane Sandy, the ASPCA has set up an emergency boarding facility in central Brooklyn. The facility, made possible by a $500,000 grant from Rachael Ray, will provide temporary sheltering for hundreds of animals displaced or impacted by the storm.
If you or someone you know needs assistance caring for his or her pet in the aftermath of Sandy, please visit the following location:
ASPCA Emergency Boarding Facility
1508 Herkimer Street, Brooklyn, NY 11233
Seven days a week, 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Families who need temporary boarding for their pets should bring the following, along with their pet, to the emergency facility:
- One government-issued photo ID (i.e., driver’s license, passport, military ID, or non-driver ID)
- Proof of address (i.e., utility bill, driver’s license)
For more information, call the NYC Hurricane Sandy Pet Hotline at (347) 573-1561.
HSUS Pets for Life Hotline in NYC: (917) 468-2938
Pets for Life can offer pet owners in need additional resources and services to enable them to keep their pets with them.
Other Boarding Services
Some low-cost boarding services are available. These costs start as low as $15 per day, but be aware that these costs can add up quickly.
If You Are an Alliance Participating Organization…
Share Supplies
Let us know if you have supplies to share with others.
Aidmatrix Network Supplies & Services
If your organization needs emergency supplies or services, you can register and request donations through the Aidmatrix Network.
ASPCA Grants
The ASPCA provides grants to animal organizations directly impacted by or providing assistance to those impacted by the recent storm and other disasters. Applications are accepted on a solicited or unsolicited basis via its Emergency and Disaster Response Grants page. Applicants without access to the internet may ask a volunteer or other proxy to submit an application on their behalf. If neither of these options are available, they may contact the ASPCA Grants Department at (212) 876-7700 x4397 for assistance with submitting an online application.
If You Want to Offer Help…
Pet Food & Supply Donation
Donate Within Your Own Network
If you know of any pet owners who have been displaced or are struggling, and you are in a position to help, offer to provide pet food or supplies. Also, contact rescue groups or community cat caretakers you know of in your area and see if they need any food or supplies for the animals in their care. Your donation to them can go a long way in this time of tremendous need.
Aidmatrix Network
If you are a company, organization, or individual who has supplies you would like to donate, please visit the Aidmatrix Network website.
Pet Foster Care
If you can offer temporary housing for an animal displaced by the storm:
- First, reach out to family, friends, colleagues, and associates who have been impacted directly by this disaster. They need your help now more than ever in this way, as our experience shows that keeping pets with close friends is the best way to ensure that family pets can be reunited. Friends helping friends, communities helping communities — this will help more people and animals stay together.
- Reach out to an animal shelter or rescue group in your area to see if they are in need of new foster families. Find a shelter/group.
Volunteering
Volunteers are needed, and will continue to be needed, to help with a wide range of relief efforts. If you want to help, please e-mail us at hurricane@AnimalAllianceNYC.org with your name, e-mail address, phone number, location, and availability.
Other organizations are also coordinating volunteers to respond to Hurricane Sandy:
New York Cares: www.newyorkcares.org or (212) 228-5000
NYC Service: www.nycservice.org
Pet Adoption
If you have been thinking about adding a new furry friend to your family and are able to do so at this time, many shelters would appreciate freeing up room to take in animals displaced by the storm. Find a shelter in your area.
Financial Donation
Thanks to the generosity of two anonymous foundations, your gift to our Wheels of Hope animal transport program will now be matched! Our Wheels of Hope team has been working relentlessly through the storm and in its aftermath to evacuate pets to safety, transport pets to emergency vet clinics, and move supplies to areas of greatest need. Donate now and double your gift to this lifesaving progam! Please select “Wheels of Hope Matching Fund” as your program designation.
New York City Emergency Resources
Food & Water Distribution Centers in NYC
The City is proving food and water in some boroughs. Locate a distribution center.
Warming Centers in NYC
With the drop in temperatures, the City is providing warming centers in the five boroughs for a place to get out of the cold. View locations and hours of operation.
NYC Restoration Centers
NYC has opened four NYC Restoration Centers to provide the following types of assistance:
- NYC Rapid Repairs
- Food and Nutrition Assistance
- Temporary Housing Information
- Health and Medical Benefits
- Business Restoration
- Counseling Services
- Financial Assistance
- Personal Records and Information
NYC Restoration Centers are open from 8:00 a.m–8:00 p.m. daily. Locate a restoration center.
Additional Assistance
Red Cross (Emergency Care)
1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767)
Government Assistance
DisasterAssistance.gov (Financial Assistance): DisasterAssistance.gov
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) (Financial Assistance): fema.gov