ASPCA Accepting Owned Pets in Remote Locations for Emergency Boarding

NEW YORK—In addition to establishing an emergency boarding facility in central Brooklyn for pets temporarily displaced by Hurricane Sandy, the ASPCA® (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) will accept pets at several remote locations this week for pet owners who are unable to travel to the Brooklyn facility.

These intake locations and dates include:

• Far Rockaway (Monday, November 19, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.)
  Waldbaum’s Lot, 112-15 Beach Channel Drive in Belle Harbor, Queens
• Rockapup (Tuesday, November 20, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.)
  145 Beach 116th Street in Rockaway Park, Queens
• Coney Island (Tuesday, November 20, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.)
  MCU Parking Lot, Surf Avenue and 19th Street in Coney Island, Brooklyn
• Staten Island (Wednesday, November 21, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.)
  Father Capodanno Boulevard and Hunter Avenue in Midland Beach, Staten Island

New York City residents who need assistance caring for their pets in the aftermath of Sandy may also visit the following location:

ASPCA Emergency Boarding Facility
1508 Herkimer Street in Brooklyn
Open seven days a week, 9 a.m.–6 p.m.

If possible, families who need temporary pet boarding should also 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) and proof of address (i.e. utility bill, driver’s license).

The ASPCA is working in collaboration with Animal Care & Control of NYC (AC&C), the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals, NYC Veterinary Emergency Response Team (NYCVERT), and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Veterinary Response Team (NVRT) on the management of the emergency boarding facility, which will be open for 30 days. The ASPCA’s emergency boarding facility, made possible by a $500,000 grant from Rachael Ray, is providing temporary sheltering for hundreds of animals displaced or impacted by the storm.  is currently housing 137 animals and has space for up to 300 pets.

As a member of the New York City Office of Emergency Management’s Animal Planning Task Force*, the ASPCA is fielding calls through the Hurricane Sandy pet hotline (347-573-1561) to assist pet owners and those who are interested in helping animal victims of the storm.

Since the storm, the ASPCA has been in Sandy-affected areas to rescue and reunite animals with their families, distribute critical supplies and provide veterinary care for animals impacted. More than 300 animals have been rescued by ASPCA responders, and through pet supply distribution and mobile wellness clinics, the ASPCA has assisted nearly 16,000 animals in New York City and Long Island combined.

The ASPCA has provided grant funding to more than a dozen animal welfare groups throughout New Jersey and New York for post-storm recovery and relief efforts. Animal welfare groups needing disaster relief assistance are encouraged to apply for a grant at http://www.aspcapro.org/aspca-grants.php.

The ASPCA Field Investigations and Response team frequently responds to natural disasters, including other major events like Hurricane Irene and the Joplin, Mo. tornado in 2011, Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008 and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, in addition to being called upon by state and municipal governments and other animal welfare partners to lend expertise during large-scale animal rescue operations.

For the latest updates on the ASPCA’s response for Hurricane Sandy, please visit http://blog.aspca.org/content/how-prepare-your-pets-hurricane-sandy.

*The Animal Planning Task Force includes representatives from the ASPCA, the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals, AC&C, NYC Veterinary Emergency Response Team, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, American Red Cross in Greater New York, Bideawee, Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and Veterinary Medical Assistance Team One.