2014 Progress Report
In 2014, the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals held steady on course to become a community where no healthy or treatable cats or dogs are killed simply because they do not have homes.
Complete 2014 Progress Report
2014 Progress Report
The Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity that works with more than 150 partner rescue groups and shelters to offer important programs and services that save the lives of NYC’s homeless animals. We are supported entirely by donations from foundations, corporations, and individuals and receive no government funding. Since our founding in 2003, we have remained committed to transforming New York City into a community where no dogs or cats of reasonable health and temperament will be killed merely because they do not have homes.
Your Support Helped Make a Difference!
In 2014, the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals held steady on course to become a community where no healthy or treatable cats or dogs are killed simply because they do not have homes. Key initiatives that have propelled the Alliance forward over the past decade have been instrumental in driving the Live Release Rate in New York City above 80 percent. Live Release includes adoptions, transfers to rescue partners for adoption, and return to owners.
Since 2003, the dedicated efforts of the Alliance community partners — 150 rescue groups and shelters, including Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC)* — have saved the lives of more than 275,000 cats and dogs.
*Formerly known as Animal Care & Control of NYC.
Click on the images above to view larger versions of these charts documenting our 2003–2014 progress toward a no-kill New York City
2014 Progress Details
Progress in 2014 was significant. Among the highlights are:
Community Live Release Rate increased.
More than 15,000 dogs and cats were transferred from ACC to partner shelters and rescue groups for adoption. This number represents 50 percent of total intake at ACC shelters and 66 percent of ACC’s total Live Release in 2014. Transfers continue to have the greatest impact on reducing euthanasia at ACC. The Alliance’s Wheels of Hope transport fleet was instrumental in many of these transfers, facilitating 13,700 transports in 2014.
Adoptions increased community-wide.
Treatable dogs and cats are being saved.
In 2014, through the Mayor’s Alliance Medical Fund, 715 cats and dogs received medical and related care. The Medical Fund, which is dedicated to providing treatment for sick and injured cats and dogs awaiting adoption, is supported entirely by private donations. The Fund continues to be a resource to help Alliance Participating Organizations and the TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) community cover a portion of their medical costs and to make more strategic decisions about providing medical treatments for the animals in their care.
Spay/neuter remains a key driver in reducing euthanasia.
Reducing the number of animal births continues to fit hand-in-glove with adoptions to drive down euthanasia. Ensuring the availability of free and low-cost spay/neuter services both for owned pets and stray and feral community cats remains a critical component in this effort. In 2014, more than 60,000 free or low-cost spay/neuter surgeries were performed by non-profit organizations in New York City. The ASPCA alone provided more than 45,000 spay/neuter surgeries for owned pets, dogs and cats from shelters and rescue groups, and community cats brought in by Certified TNR Caretakers. The Humane Society of New York and The Toby Project continued to perform a significant number of spay/neuter surgeries on owned pets and community cats. Additionally, the number of feral-friendly veterinarians in New York City who perform spay/neuter on community cats has increased as a result of spay/neuter funding provided to the Alliance by a private foundation, providing caretakers with additional options for having their colony cats spayed and neutered.
More training, more funding for TNR
In 2014, the Alliance, in partnership with the ASPCA and Alley Cat Allies, launched a new TNR Certification Training Program aimed at increasing the number of individuals trained to perform TNR in New York City.
The program offers two different ways to become a Certified TNR Caretaker: through an in-person, hands-on workshop in any of the city’s five boroughs; or by taking the online course. Individuals who become Certified TNR Caretakers are eligible for a range of free services, including free spay/neuter, free transportation for their cats to spay/neuter appointments, free trap loans, free outreach materials, free networking opportunities, and a dedicated, free NYC Feral Cat Initiative helpdesk.
In 2014, 204 individuals became Certified TNR Caretakers though the new training program. In addition, The Alliance’s NYC Feral Cat Initiative provided specialty training workshops in bottle feeding, taming kittens, shelter building, neighbor relations, and other areas of expertise to more than 400 individuals. The number of TNR Certification workshops offered in 2015 is expected to triple. Workshops will also be expanded into all five boroughs of New York City.
The Alliance continued in 2014 to provide funding for the TNR community in New York City through specialized grants acquired from the ASPCA and a private foundation. These funds were used to pay for spay/neuter, traps, cat shelters, and other TNR-related expenses.
Sustaining Our Life-saving Progress
The Alliance for NYC’s Animals’ success in saving lives over the past decade — and our ability to sustain that success and tackle the challenges ahead — will continue to depend upon the collaboration of our participating rescue groups and shelters and the support of our dedicated funders, including the ASPCA, Maddie’s Fund®, and other generous grantors and individual donors. And, of course, the thousands of New Yorkers who adopt from shelters and rescue groups will continue to fuel our success.
Please join us in our success in saving lives! Your tax-deductible donation will help save more Little New Yorkers today…and in the years to come.
*According to the latest findings of cities studied by Animal People, the leading independent newspaper providing original investigative coverage of animal issues worldwide. Based on NYC Census Information and NYC Euthanasia Numbers for 2013.
The Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN: 73-1653635). All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. A copy of the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals’ latest annual report may be obtained, upon request, from the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals or from the New York State Attorney General’s Charities Bureau, Attn: FOIL Officer, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271.