New Staten Island Shelter Underway

A brand new Animal Care Center in Staten Island, years in the planning, will soon take shape! AC&C Executive Director Risa Weinstock recently joined Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro, other elected officials, City agency heads, and the family of Tommy Monahan for a groundbreaking ceremony to get the exciting project underway.

AC&C greatly welcomes this new and improved Care Center, which will enable us to better care for for thousands of homeless animals in Staten Island. AC&C takes in 30,000 animals each year, and we welcome the support of all New Yorkers who are committed to making our city a better place for all its residents - four-legged and two-legged alike.

Construction of the new shelter, funded by the Borough President and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, is expected to begin in January 2014 and be completed the following year. The new facility will be built in several phases, and will replace the current building at 3139 Veterans Road West.

"All of us involved were inspired by the story of Tommy Monahan, the young boy who lost his life trying to rescue his pets from a fire," said Borough President Molinaro. A part of the new Center will be named after Tommy, who often donated to help the animals at AC&C.

The Care Center will not only be a more comfortable place for animals, but also a more welcoming one for potential adopters. As Councilman Vincent Ignizio was quoted in The Staten Island Advance, "This is all about adoption. Tommy would want you to all go home with a pet."