New York City’s animals have another reason to celebrate! Legislation passed last week by the City Council requires the city to build and operate a full-service animal shelter in each of the five boroughs by July 1, 2024. The new law, which was years in the making, will help ensure that every vulnerable animal in every corner of the city can finally get the care and second chance they deserve.

Instead of shelters, the Bronx and Queens—home to nearly 3.6 million people—currently have only "animal receiving centers,” which don’t provide shelter, medical or adoption services. Animals taken in are transferred to shelters in neighboring boroughs, reducing reunions between lost pets and their owners and hindering adoptions of at-risk animals.

This new law comes on the heels of other recent progress for New York City’s animals. Mayor de Blasio announced earlier this year that the Administration would move forward with the construction of a new state-of-the-art Bronx shelter, as well as allocate $27.3 million to upgrade the Brooklyn shelter. The Administration also announced that the Queens receiving center would be moving to a larger facility until the full-service shelter is built.

These facilities make an enormous difference in the lives and well-being of tens of thousands of New York City residents and animals. We thank Council Member Paul Vallone, the bill’s sponsor, and the City Council for moving these vital projects forward. 

If you live in New York City, please visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center to contact your Council Member and thank him or her for supporting this important measure.

If you don’t live in New York, be sure to join the ASPCA Advocacy Brigade to be alerted when animal-protection bills in your city or state need your help.