NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan, NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner Thomas Foley, and Animal Care Centers (ACC) of NYC chief executive officer, Risa Weinstock, joined advocates and members of the community on Thursday, May 18, to break ground on a new Animal Care Center in the Baychester neighborhood of The Bronx. Norwood News had last reported on the project back in January 2018.

 

The $92 million project, which is anticipated to open in Spring 2025, is being managed by DDC for the Health Department and ACC. The new Center represents the City’s ongoing commitment to furry, four-legged residents – as well as their human families — by maintaining a full-service animal shelter in each borough.

 

Bronx Community Board 7 sanitation chair Betty Arce actively works to find homes for stray cats. Norwood News has reached out to Arce for her thoughts on the new animal center.

 

The 50,000 square-foot center will have space for around 70 dogs, 140 cats, 30 rabbits, and 20 animals of other species. Commissioner Fred Kriezman from the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit said of the new center, “As we move forward with building an animal care center in the Bronx, which for too long has gone without one, we take another step toward a more equitable city. Bronx residents shouldn’t have to leave the borough to access important services offered by ACC, and this brand-new facility will benefit people and animals alike.”

 

For his part, Vasan said, “We know that companionship is an antidote to isolation, and can improve our well-being and quality-of-life.” He added, “We’re looking forward to bringing this Center online for New Yorkers of all species. It’s the least we can do for them, considering all that they do for us.”

 

Foley said the new facility will provide many services for the animals loved by the community like dogs, cats and even rabbits, as they wait to be partnered with their future owners. “The new building will also include a space for the community to use as well,” he said. “We just opened a new Center in Staten Island and now we’re working with DOHMH on new shelters in The Bronx, Manhattan and Brooklyn to make sure animals get the treatment they deserve.”

 

Alexandra Silver, director at the Mayor’s Office of Animal Welfare said, “Often, what is good for animals is good for people, and it’s certainly true in this case. This new center will expand our city’s ability to care for animals in need and bring essential services to Bronx residents. It will be an important resource for community members with or looking for companion animals, as well as a hub for career, volunteer, and educational opportunities.” She added, “Thank you to ACC for their dedication to NYC animals and the people who care for them, and to the advocates whose commitment and years of work helped make this project a reality.”

 

In fact, animal rights activists would argue that what is “often good for people” is often not at all what is good for animals, particularly when it comes to clothing, factory farming, urban development, dog breeding, circuses, pet shops, zoos, religious practices, using animals for sport, or even just having a pet but not caring for it adequately.

For her part, Weinstock said it was with great pride that the organization broke ground on the center. “Behind this milestone achievement lies the unwavering dedication of passionate advocates and tireless individuals who have worked diligently behind the scenes,” she said. “Their commitment and efforts have brought us to this momentous occasion. We are building a world-class shelter where compassion, care, and hope will thrive. This shelter will serve as a sanctuary for animals in need, a place where they will receive the love, attention, and support they deserve. Together, we can make a lasting impact, thanks to the incredible advocacy and unwavering dedication of those who championed this cause.”

 

The news was also welcomed by Matt Bershadker, president and CEO of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). “The construction of a full-service animal shelter in the Bronx represents an enormous opportunity for local residents and their pets,” he said. “Once the facility is up and running, vulnerable animals will no longer need to be transported to shelters in other boroughs, which will give local homeless animals their best chances at finding loving homes, facilitate reunions of lost pets with their families, and alleviate pressure on shelter operations at the other facilities.”

 

Bershadker continued, “The ASPCA works closely with Animal Care Centers of NYC to drastically reduce euthanasia, increase adoptions, and improve access to care for New York City’s most vulnerable animals, and we look forward to continuing that longstanding support as ACC expands its services to help even more animals in need in the Bronx and across the city.”

 

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson said, “For many Bronxites, our pets are a part of our families, and we want them to receive the best care possible. Once completed, this new Animal Care Center in the Baychester neighborhood will ensure our residents in the northeast Bronx have access to compassionate, comfortable, healthy, and quality care for their pets without having to leave their community. I want to thank the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Department of Design and Construction for their work on this project and $92 million investment in our four-legged residents.”

 

The City’s Animal Care Centers are overseen by DOHMH and operated by ACC, an independent non-profit contracted by the City. City officials said the new 50,000-square-foot center will provide necessary animal care and adoption services in The Bronx that support a safe, healthy, comfortable and humane environment for animals, staff and visitors.

 

The center will house admissions, adoptions, medical services and boarding for the maximum number of dogs, cats, rabbits specified above, and up to 20 animals of other species. City officials said there will be smaller, self-contained housing groups also referred to as “pods,” which will allow flexibility in housing options and greater ease in caring for animals.

 

Open areas on the site will include yards to facilitate dog adoptions, covered exercise runs, courtyards and parking for staff, visitors and animal transportation vehicles, as well as site lighting and low-maintenance native planting throughout, they said. In addition to the animal housing, they said the center will also include a community space. The building and associated landscape are anticipated to achieve LEED Silver Certification for environmental sustainability, according to City officials.

 

City officials said the new center was designed by the firm, Marvel, under DDC’s “excellence program,” which pre-qualifies firms to provide design services for its public buildings projects. They say this reduces the time required to procure design services while ensuring the highest levels of quality and professionalism in construction projects managed by the agency.

 

DDC officials last year announced that 20 firms had been selected to provide architectural design services in the current round of the program, including ten Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs).

ACC is a non-profit organization contracted by DOHMH to serve as the city’s open-admissions, animal-shelter system. ACC representatives said it finds placement for animals through direct adoptions from the public and through partnerships with hundreds of other animal welfare organizations. Before animals are adopted, ACC officials said they ensure every animal is vaccinated and microchipped. They said ACC offers resources to reduce pet surrenders and helps people keep their animal companions and reunites lost pets with their families.

 

They said the Animal Care Center in The Bronx is one of several animal adoption and shelter projects DDC is currently working on throughout the City, including new centers in Manhattan and Brooklyn. In October 2022, the City celebrated the completion of the center in Staten Island and ACC is managing the construction of a new center in Queens.

 

In other animal-related news, Norwood News recently reported on a community effort to reunite a husky with its owner after it took off and got lost, as well as reports on the rescued alligator, found in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, and being cared for at Bronx Zoo. In April, a Bronx man was charged with killing a dog by slamming its head against a table.

 

We also reported on the impact of fires on pets, in recent years on efforts to rescue a dog stranded on a window sill. mO

 

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