Diane West
Publisher
New York Tails Magazine
Shelters Brace for Influx of Surrendered Dogs As January 31st Housing Deadline Looms
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..Debora Bresch..................................
In the spring of last year, residents of tens of thousands of New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) apartments received a chilling memo: comply with NYCHA’s revised policies about dogs and cats in their homes or face eviction.
While many dogs who are already registered will be grand fathered in, and certain other exceptions exist, the underlying message was clear—residents would no longer be allowed to adopt dogs over 25 pounds, and no new Pit Bull, Rottweiler, or Doberman Pinchers (or mixes thereof) would be allowed.
The extended deadline to comply with the new rules—January 31st—is now here, and the ASPCA and other animal agencies in the city are bracing for the fallout. Specifically, residents with dogs weighing over 40 pounds who did not register them with the Housing Authority are most at risk for being impacted by this rule. Lawyer Debora Bresch, senior director of government relations for the ASPCA in New York spoke with ‘Pets In the City’ about their ongoing efforts to hopefully stop a slew of dog surrenders into an already overcrowded shelter system.
Summary: Through January 31, 2010: Dogs of any breed may be registered if 40 pounds or less. After January 31: Dogs may be registered if 25 pounds or less and not a purebred/mixed breed Pit Bull, Rottweiler, or Doberman Pinscher. Only one dog or one cat will continue to be allowed. (Please read the full Tenants’ Rights memo.)
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