This addresses the need to increase the availability of homes by bringing shelters into more neighborhoods. This important legislation was approved last month by the City Council and signed into law by me last week. This legislation will eliminate the deliberate or accidental breeding of pets adopted from shelters or purchased from pet stores. It is expected that this will diminish the number of animals that enter the shelters. This in turn will allow animals in the shelters a greater chance of finding a new home.
Space is scarce in all shelters.
With a daily capacity of just under 1,000 animals, and a daily intake of nearly 150 animals, many dogs and cats at CACC shelters are euthanized for lack of space. Thus the provisions of the bill that require the establishment of full-service shelters in every borough are a welcome opportunity for the city's lost, homeless, and unwanted animals. Currently, CACC operates full-service shelters in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Renovations to the Brooklyn shelter were completed in July 1999, and construction on the Manhattan shelter is expected to commence later this year. Site selection is underway in Queens, and will soon commence in the Bronx.