NYC Animal Rescue Free directory · All five boroughs

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Help keeping your dog

Support with costs, housing and behaviour, plus how surrender works if you still need it.

OWNER SUPPORT & KEEPING YOUR DOG (contacts inline)

Resources for owners who need help caring for a dog - food, in-home care, temporary fostering, behavior help, vet-bill aid, and housing support. ACC offers many of these directly and can talk through options. Verified against ACC, Mayor's Alliance, and Bideawee on 2026-08-27. Confirm current availability, which changes over time.

ACC OWNER SUPPORT

What ACC can help with: reduced-fee routine vet care and spay/neuter; funding for emergency vet care; behavior advice and trainer referrals; reduced-fee pet boarding; tenant/landlord dispute help including NYCHA; help for people entering DHS temporary housing; help for military deployment.

To rehome directly: ACC's 'Rehoming Your Pet' page has tools to help find a new home yourself.

  • ACC Admissions / Owner Support: email admissions@nycacc.org or call (212) 788-4000; fill out the questionnaire linked at nycacc.org/services/surrender and a counselor contacts you within about 3 days.

PET FOOD PANTRIES (specific programs)

Petco Love 'We Are Family' - collects pet food and litter and distributes through human food-pantry partners across the five boroughs; ask your local pantry if they participate.

  • ACC Pet Food Pantry - at the ACC Bronx Resource Center; contact for location, hours, and eligibility. CommunityPets@nycacc.org, (212) 788-4000.
  • PuppyKitty NYC - runs a pet-food bank; 501(c)(3) rescues can request stock, and it distributes to people in need. foodbank@puppykittynyc.org, puppykittynyc.org.
  • Animal Relief Fund (ARF) - NYC organization providing pet food to people in need. animalrelieffund.org.
  • New York Common Pantry - distributes pet food at events (often with the ASPCA), including in the Bronx. nycommonpantry.org, (917) 720-9700.
  • Food Bank For New York City - pet food is sometimes available at its member pantries (varies by donations). foodbanknyc.org; find a pantry at foodbanknyc.org/get-help.
  • Prince Chunk Foundation - provides pet food and short-term assistance to families in crisis. princechunkfoundation.org.
  • Strong Paws Rescue Community Pet Pantry - periodic food/supply distributions in the Bronx and Westchester. request@strongpawsrescue.org, strongpawsrescue.org/pet-pantry.
  • Kiso's Pet Food Pantry (Brooklyn) - free pet food, with a focus on senior citizens. facebook.com/Kisos-Pet-Food-Pantry.
  • Pets of the Homeless - free pet food and vet care through partner sites for people who are homeless or at risk. petsofthehomeless.org.
  • Food Help NYC - find nearby food pantries (some stock pet food): finder.nyc.gov/foodhelp. The donateNYC Directory lists a Pet Care/Food category: donatenyc.org.

SENIOR / DISABILITY / ILLNESS - in-home pet care

  • PAWS NY (Pets Are Wonderful Support) - free in-home help (dog walking, feeding, litter, vet-trip coordination) for low-income seniors and people with illness/disability who struggle with daily pet care. Apply at pawsny.org; (212) 203-4760. Case-by-case eligibility.
  • CancerCare Pet Assistance & Wellness (PAW) Program - financial help for pet-care costs for people in active cancer treatment, with a dedicated NYC-resident fund. cancercare.org; (800) 813-4673.
  • Paws of War - veterinary care for pets of veterans + first responders. pawsofwar.org.

TEMPORARY / CRISIS CARE - hospitalization, rehab, housing transition, deployment

  • PAWS NY - Hospital Respite Program for people who are hospitalized or in a rehab facility, plus a Substance Use Recovery Program for those entering inpatient treatment. referrals@pawsny.org, (212) 203-4760 ext. 306, pawsny.org.
  • ASPCA Community Engagement - may provide free or subsidized short-term boarding during a crisis; ask about eligibility via aspca.org.
  • Animal Haven Community Engagement Program - short-term boarding for pets whose owners face a temporary crisis (hospitalization, housing transition); space is limited. (212) 274-8511, animalhaven.org.
  • ACC - can coordinate options for people entering DHS temporary housing or facing military deployment. admissions@nycacc.org, (212) 788-4000.
  • Foster Dogs Inc - Brooklyn nonprofit that helps connect owners in crisis with temporary fostering. fosterdogsnyc.com.

DOMESTIC-VIOLENCE PET SAFE-KEEPING (free; stay-together or safe foster)

  • URI PALS (Urban Resource Institute, People and Animals Living Safely) - the largest DV shelter provider in the U.S.; its NYC co-living shelters let survivors bring their pets, with private pet-friendly areas and a dog park. Free. urinyc.org (ask about PALS); NYC DV Hotline (24/7): (800) 621-HOPE / (800) 621-4673.
  • Safe Haven Program / MAP Foster - networks of foster homes partnered with DV shelters to care for a pet temporarily when the shelter can't take animals, then reunite. Ask a DV caseworker or the NYC DV Hotline (800) 621-4673 to connect you.
  • PAWS NY - assists with emergency fostering for domestic-violence survivors seeking safety. referrals@pawsny.org, (212) 203-4760 ext. 306.
  • RedRover Relief - Safe Escape grants help cover pet boarding/care for survivors leaving abuse. redrover.org/domestic.
  • Safe Place for Pets (RedRover) - searchable directory of programs ready to help survivors and pets, by ZIP. safeplaceforpets.org.
  • Safe Havens Mapping Project (Animal Welfare Institute) - directory of shelters with on-site pet housing, boarding partnerships, or foster care during a crisis. safehavensmappingproject.com / awionline.org.
  • Sheltering Animals & Families Together (SAF-T) - helps DV shelters house pets on-site; alliephillips.com/saf-tprogram.
  • SPCA Westchester Pet Safety Program - safe-keeping for pets in households affected by domestic violence (Westchester-adjacent). spcawestchester.org/pet-safety, (914) 941-2896.

HOSPICE / FOSPICE + SENIOR-DOG PLACEMENT

There is no NYC-based senior-dog sanctuary; senior-specialist sanctuaries in nearby states (e.g. Lily's Legacy, Frosted Faces, Young at Heart) are options for those able to travel.

  • Rebound Hounds Fospice - lifetime foster homes for senior and terminal-medical dogs, with medical costs covered by the rescue. reboundhounds.org.
  • Mr. Bones & Co. - takes senior and complex-medical dogs case-by-case within its individualized-care program. info@mrbonesandco.org, mrbonesandco.org.
  • Red Hook Dog Rescue - special-needs and senior dogs (blind, deaf, amputee), foster-based, Brooklyn. harithspi@gmail.com, redhookdogrescue.org.
  • Muddy Paws Rescue + Rescue City - foster-based rescues that place seniors and can advise on hospice fostering. muddypawsrescue.org; rescuecity.nyc.
  • Lap of Love - in-home hospice and end-of-life veterinary care across NYC. lapoflove.com, (855) 933-5683.

BEHAVIOR SUPPORT (a common, workable reason owners seek help)

  • ACC Community Pets Program - free dog training (in person or via Zoom/FaceTime) through partner trainers; behavior guides at nycacc.org/services/behavior-resources. Contact: admissions@nycacc.org, (212) 788-4000.
  • Bideawee + GoodPup - subsidized virtual 1-on-1 training (first week free via links.goodpup.com/shelter/Bideawee10). Bideawee: bideawee.org, (866) 262-8133.
  • ASPCA behavior guides: aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care. Find a credentialed trainer at ccpdt.org, or a veterinary behaviorist at dacvb.org.

VET-BILL FINANCIAL AID

  • ACC may offer funding for emergency vet care; ask Admissions (admissions@nycacc.org, (212) 788-4000). Also: RedRover Relief redrover.org / (916) 429-2457, The Pet Fund thepetfund.com, Frankie's Friends frankiesfriends.org, Waggle waggle.org, Brown Dog Foundation browndogfoundation.org.
  • CareCredit (carecredit.com) and Scratchpay (scratchpay.com) financing are accepted at most NYC vets.

HOUSING SUPPORT

  • NYC Animal Welfare - Animals & Housing/Evictions page (nyc.gov/site/animalwelfare/resources/evictions.page): tenant pet-law guide and resources.
  • ACC assists with tenant/landlord and NYCHA matters (admissions@nycacc.org, (212) 788-4000). Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative (petsandhousing.org) lists pet-friendly housing resources.
  • Free housing legal help: call 311 and ask for tenant legal services, or NYC Housing Court Answers (housingcourtanswers.org, (212) 962-4795).
  • ACC accepts emergency-medical and public-safety cases at any time; call (212) 788-4000. For other situations, the options above may help. Availability changes - confirm current programs when you reach out.

This guide is compiled from the project's research files. Contact details inside it can go stale — check the directory for the current listing, and confirm a number is live before you rely on it.