AC&C Unveils First Mobile Adoption Center

In February, we unveiled our first dedicated Mobile Adoption Center, sponsored by the ASPCA® and FENWICK KEATS Real Estate, and celebrated the milestone with an inaugural adoption event in Union Square Park. The brand-new, 26.-foot-long vehicle will enable AC&C to bring shelter dogs and cats to New Yorkers looking to adopt throughout the five boroughs. 

The state-of-the-art adoption vehicle was funded by a $60,000 grant from the ASPCA and a $60,000 donation from FENWICK KEATS Real Estate. 

From left: AC&C Adoption Outreach Coordinator Stephen Nasto, AC&C Foster Coordinator Sonja Gorzkowska, AC&C Executive Director Risa Weinstock, FENWICK KEATS Real Estate CEO/co-founder Rob Anzalone, and ASPCA President and CEO Matt Bershadker at the launch of AC&C's Mobile Adoption Center. Photo by Donna Svennevik.

“The Mobile Adoption Center will greatly improve AC&C’s ability to showcase many animals available for adoption in neighborhoods throughout NYC, increasing their chances to find a ‘forever’ home,” said Risa Weinstock, Executive Director of Animal Care & Control of NYC. “We’ve long had a need for our own Mobile Adoption Center, and now a remarkable nonprofit/corporate partnership has made it possible. All of us at AC&C are grateful to the ASPCA and Fenwick Keats Real Estate for their generosity and commitment to NYC animals in need.”  

Photo by Donna Svennevik.

“Loving adopters can’t always come to us; we have to go to them,” said ASPCA President & CEO Matthew Bershadker. “This mobile adoption center will be a life-changer for not only homeless animals, but also for families and individuals to whom these wonderful pets will bring incredible joy. We couldn’t be happier for AC&C or for New Yorkers.”  

"Sometimes a house is not a home without some love. So at Fenwick Keats, we’re delighted that by helping to provide shelter to animals, we’ll enable more people to add love to their lives, and to make their house truly a home,” said Robert Anzalone, CEO/co-founder, of FENWICK KEATS Real Estate.  

Greg, Finnegan (fka Free Agent), and Tom (fka Einstein) were among several great AC&C animals adopted at the Feb. 9 launch of AC&C's Mobile Adoption Center.

AC&C’s three full-service Care Centers in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Staten Island are open for adoptions seven days a week, but not everyone can easily make it to these locations to adopt. Our facilities in the Bronx and Queens are Pet Receiving Centers and do not serve adopters. With approximately 30,000 cats, dogs and other animals in need coming to us each year, the new Mobile Adoption Center will play a vital role in increasing adoptions as well as raising awareness of the importance of animal rescue. 

Last June, we launched our newly designed adoption program--featuring full-time adoption counselors--and had 6,146 adoptions to members of the public. It was an increase of more than 1,300 from 2012, and contributed, along with our very important New Hope program and returning lost pets to owners, to a live release rate for cats and dogs of 82% (excluding owner-requested euthanasia). The new Mobile Adoption Center will boost the number of adoptions and the live release rate in years to come by bringing great pets available for adoption to more locations throughout the city. 

Photo by Magnum Mobile Specialty Vehicles.

Visit our Facebook page for more photos of the Mobile Adoption Center launch, and check out this great time-lapse video of the Mobile Adoption Center's construction. Then check out the vehicle in person, at an adoption event near you!