COVID-19 Program Updates and Resources

Stay up to date regarding our programs and how you can help

By Mallory Kerley

May 3, 2020

Best Friends New York Lifesaving Center is currently closed

The situation in New York City continues to evolve rapidly. Schools were ordered closed, and the city has implemented other measures that greatly limit congregating. With that understanding and a lot of soul searching we've made the decision to close to the public as of Monday, March 16.

Our center animals have all moved into foster care and staff will be available to receive supplies and support foster parents from the center for a period of time.

While we may be closing the doors to the center, we're not closing our doors to lifesaving. Our operations will move entirely to something that will look and feel more like a foster-based rescue, with a focus on retooling our resources to help support Animal Care Centers of NYC through this time.

New York City and the surrounding areas has a number of resources available both to those in need of assistance and those looking to help. You can find all of those here: https://ny.bestfriends.org/news/2020/05/new-york-covid-19-resources

How can I adopt?

As of March 30, adoptions will take place remotely through an online application and video-conference meet-and-greets.

*Due to the overwhelming number of adoption survey responses we receive, we are unable to respond individually to every applicant. Surveys are reviewed on a first-come first-served system, if you are scheduled for a meet and greet, you will be contacted within 72 hours of survey submission*

To arrange an adoption:

Search for available pets *Applications that note a specific animal of interest will be prioritized*
Complete either the Dog Adoption Survey or Cat Adoption Survey, the results of which will be sent to our adoption counselors for review.
An adoption counselor will contact you directly to schedule a virtual meet and greet within 72 hours of your survey submission. If you are not contacted, we suggest you apply for a different pet, or adopt from one of our network partners.
Following the virtual meet-and-greet, the adoption can be finalized and arrangements will be made for you to officially get your new best friend!

Questions? Email adoptnyc@bestfriends.org, and expect a delay in our response. Please do not email to follow up about your application, as this hinders our ability to save more lives.

Adoption requirements and fees listed on our Adopt page still apply.

What does this mean for volunteers?

Effective Tuesday, March 17 all volunteer shifts at the NY Lifesaving Center are cancelled until further notice. We will cancel all shifts in Digital Cheetah and no action is required on your end. Please also note that during this time, we will not be requiring the 6 hour monthly minimum for volunteer hours. If volunteer needs do arise during this time, we will send out pleas and updates on an as-needed basis. As always, please reach out to us with any concerns or questions at volunteernyc@bestfriends.org.

How can I help the animals?

We are overwhelmed with the number of responses we received from our foster plea, as well as the hundreds of adoption applications that come in every day, and appreciate your patience as we work to save as many lives as possible. The best thing you can do to help at this time is to spread the word about animals searching for adopters, especially FIV+ adult cats, and large adult dogs.

For those unable to take an animal into their home, Best Friends Animal Society always accepts donations to support our life-saving work. While in-kind supply donations are not being accepted at this time, monetary donations can always be made online.

If you find kittens and don’t know what to do, here’s an infographic with step by step instructions. As you can see, it’s often best to leave kittens where they are so mom can come back to care for them. If kittens are truly in need, that’s where you can step up and help, right from the comfort of your own home.