{"id":18980,"date":"2025-10-27T21:06:31","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T21:06:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/18980\/"},"modified":"2025-10-27T21:06:31","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T21:06:31","slug":"brooklyn-borough-hall-goes-to-the-cats-and-dogs-at-beeps-annual-adoption-event-brooklyn-paper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/18980\/","title":{"rendered":"Brooklyn Borough Hall goes to the (cats and) dogs at Beep\u2019s annual adoption event \u2022 Brooklyn Paper"},"content":{"rendered":"

Plenty of playful \u201cruff\u201d housing took over the lawn outside Brooklyn Borough Hall on Oct. 25 as Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso hosted the fourth annual \u201cAdopt-A-Shelter Animal\u201d event, encouraging Brooklynites to meet and adopt their new best friends.<\/p>\n

The borough president partnered with Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC), the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Badass Animal Rescue,<\/a> Brooklyn Bridge Animal Welfare Coalition,<\/a> Flatbush Cats<\/a>, and Hearts & Bones Rescue to connect residents with dogs and cats looking for their \u201cfurever\u201d homes, as animal shelters across the city struggle with critical capacity.<\/p>\n

Despite severe allergies to cats and dogs, Reynoso made the rounds, meeting and greeting puppies and kittens.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI love them, so you make the sacrifices in the hopes that [the animals] can find their forever home,\u201d Reynoso told Brooklyn Paper.\n<\/p>\n

\"\"Sidney Fisher of the ASPCA said pet adoption helps free up space and resources for other animals in need.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann \"\"Brooklyn residents browse animals available for adoption during the borough\u2019s \u2018Adopt-A-Shelter Animal\u2019 event.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann<\/p>\n

The event focused not only on adoption and making pet ownership more accessible, but also on highlighting the work of animal rescue organizations like Badass Animal Rescue, which saves dogs from kill shelters in other states and brings them to New York City in hopes of finding them loving homes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to make sure that we\u2019re supporting organizations like that and making sure that their shelter is not overrun, because if it is overrun, they have a limited amount of opportunity to continue to save animals from other states that do have kill shelters,\u201d Reynoso said. \u201cThe idea here is not only to adopt pets to lessen the number of animals in shelters, but also to allow more rescues from other locations that are not as animal-friendly as we are here in New York City.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added that he hoped every puppy and kitten would be adopted.\n<\/p>\n

Maria Reask, marketing manager at Badass Animal Rescue, said the group has saved 3,500 dogs from high-kill shelters in Southern states since 2011. The dogs at the event had been rescued from a high-kill shelter in Georgia just weeks earlier. With the ongoing shelter crisis, local rescues need \u201call sorts\u201d of support, Reask noted.<\/p>\n

\u201cDonations are always super helpful. Fostering dogs is extremely helpful,\u201d Reask said. \u201cWe\u2019re a foster-based rescue, so we depend on fosters to be able to save dogs and get them adopted. And consider adopting. If you do adopt, know that it\u2019s a forever commitment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Dogs rescued from high-kill shelters wait for new homes at the Brooklyn adoption event.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann \"\"Volunteers and animal lovers gather to support local shelters and rescues at Brooklyn Borough Hall.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann<\/p>\n

Hearts & Bones Rescue focuses on dogs from Texas. The Lone Star State has long struggled with a stray dog problem driven by abandonment and limited low-cost spay and neuter programs. In 2023, an estimated 568,325 cats and dogs entered shelters in Texas, and more than 61,000 were euthanized \u2014 the highest number in any state.<\/p>\n

Emilia Weinberg, volunteer coordinator for Hearts & Bones Rescue, told Brooklyn Paper that the organization had 60-80 dogs in foster care, with 23 attending the event to meet potential adopters. The group does not maintain a dedicated shelter; instead, all dogs are placed with foster parents immediately.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat helps us really make sure the dogs can decompress properly when they live in a city. It also gives us a really good idea of how the dog shows up in day-to-day life, so that we can make a really good match for their forever home,\u201d Weinberg said.<\/p>\n

While adopting a dog is a significant commitment, Weinberg said it is also deeply rewarding.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cOur dogs had a tough start to their life, but it\u2019s really nice to see when they decompress and become really comfortable and happy. And as an adopter myself, there\u2019s nothing more fulfilling. It\u2019s really nice to know that you\u2019ve made a difference in this animal\u2019s life,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"\"Rigatoni, a 4-year-old \u2018very chill\u2019 Chihuahua, was adopted and found her \u2018furever\u2019 home at Brooklyn Borough Hall.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann \"\"Rigatoni with her new owner, Jennifer, and her foster parents, Asher and Marnie.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann<\/p>\n

Marnie and her son Asher had been fostering Rigatoni, a 4-year-old \u201cvery chill\u201d Chihuahua rescued from Dallas, Texas, for a week before she was adopted by Brooklyn resident Jennifer.\n<\/p>\n

Marnie said she and her son would miss Rigatoni but were glad to provide her with a temporary loving home.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were able to give her a loving home, and [fostering] allowed us the opportunity to give a dog a home while they found her a forever home, and she\u2019s been perfect,\u201d Marnie said.\n<\/p>\n

Rigatoni\u2019s new dog mom, Jennifer, who grew up with dogs and lost her last pet more than a year ago, said she was ready to welcome a new furry companion. She\u2019d be attending local foster events in hopes of finding the perfect match.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just looking for a dog to spoil and spend every single minute with that will love me,\u201d Jennifer said. \u201cAnd I feel great about it already.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\"\"Kinga Augustyn was looking into adopting a cat.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann \"\"Emilia Weinberg, volunteer coordinator for Hearts & Bones Rescue, said adopting a dog is \u2018fulfilling.\u2019<\/p>\n

Prashanth Challa and Clare Gollnick adopted 3-month-old Vermicelli, a black Labrador retriever also rescued by Hearts & Bones. Their 14-year-old dog had died three months ago. \u201cAnd [Vermicelli] was born three months ago,\u201d Challa said tearfully.<\/p>\n

While Vermicelli, who reminds the couple of their last dog, cannot go outside yet due to pending vaccinations, the couple said they are ready to shower her with love.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cPuppies are always an adventure, and so we\u2019re so excited,\u201d Gollnick said.\n<\/p>\n

Both encouraged adoption.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cDo it,\u201d Challa said. \u201c[A dog] is going to be your best friend for the next 10 to 15 years, no matter which dog you get. So just go do it.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Emily Do, a foster with Hearts & Bones Rescue, said 7-year-old Chihuahua Macaroni is her fifth foster dog. She explained that fostering allows dogs to reveal their true personalities.\n<\/p>\n

A\u201cI feel like shelters are really loud, and [the dog\u2019s] personality is not always able to come out. But when you foster, they\u2019re in a quiet home environment, and you\u2019re able to see their true personality,\u201d Do said, encouraging others to foster dogs.<\/p>\n

\"\"Clare Gollnick and Prashanth Challa adopted 3-month-old Labrador Retriever Vermicelli during the Brooklyn Borough Hall adoption event.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann \"\"Emily Do is fostering 7-year-old Chihuahua Macaroni, giving the dog a temporary home while awaiting adoption.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann<\/p>\n

In addition to two dogs, the ASPCA brought five kittens and four adult cats for adoption. Sidney Fisher, manager of admissions and placement at the ASPCA adoption center, said October is \u201cAdopt a Shelter Dog\u201d month. The initiative highlights the benefits of pet adoption in partnership with organizations like ACC, one of more than 600 shelters and rescues participating in the ASPCA\u2019s Rescue Effect campaign.<\/p>\n

Fisher said adoption specialists help potential adopters find the best match for their lifestyle.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWe ask all these questions about their life, like, \u2018What\u2019s your schedule? What are you looking for in an animal?\u2019 And we use that conversation to fit the person with the perfect animal,\u201d Fisher explained.<\/p>\n

\"\"This cute kitten is up for adoption at the ASPCA.Photo by Gabriele Holtermann<\/p>\n

Most shelters remain at or over capacity, and many animals, especially dogs, often stay longer before adoption, Fisher noted.<\/p>\n

\u201cChoosing adoption helps the animal you take home while freeing up space and resources to help other animals in need, and we thank Brooklyn Borough President Reynoso for hosting this meaningful event,\u201d Fisher said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Plenty of playful \u201cruff\u201d housing took over the lawn outside Brooklyn Borough Hall on Oct. 25 as Brooklyn…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":18981,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[12999,13000,13001,13002,2898,13003,13004,98,13005,13006,100,99,13007,13008,13009,9,24,370,63,13010,13011,13012],"class_list":["post-18980","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-brooklyn","tag-adopt-donu2019t-shop","tag-adopt-a-shelter-animal","tag-animal-care-centers-of-nyc","tag-animal-shelter","tag-antonio-reynoso","tag-aspca","tag-badass-animal-rescue","tag-brooklyn","tag-brooklyn-borough-hall","tag-brooklyn-bridge-animal-welfare-coalition","tag-brooklyn-headlines","tag-brooklyn-news","tag-flatbush-cats","tag-foster-dog","tag-hearts-bones-rescue","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-newsletter","tag-nyc","tag-shelter-cat","tag-shelter-dog","tag-the-american-society-for-the-prevention-of-cruelty-to-animals"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18980","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18980"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18980\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18981"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18980"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18980"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18980"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}